Dark as a Dungeon: Difference between revisions
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{{For|the episode of ''Justified''|Dark As a Dungeon (Justified){{!}}Dark As a Dungeon (''Justified'')}} |
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{{Infobox song |
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| genre = [[Country music|Country]], [[Folk music|folk]] |
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"'''Dark as a Dungeon'''" is a song written by singer-songwriter [[Merle Travis]]. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in |
"'''Dark as a Dungeon'''" is a song written by singer-songwriter [[Merle Travis]]. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in a [[shaft mine]]. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions. |
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The song achieved much of its fame when it was performed by [[Johnny Cash]] in his [[Folsom Prison]] concert (''[[At Folsom Prison]]''). During this live performance, one of the prisoners in the background was laughing, and Cash started to chuckle. He gently admonished the man, "No laughing during the song, please!" The man yelled something about "Hell!" and Cash answered, "I know, 'hell'!" When he finished the song, Cash made a comment that was largely repeated, somewhat out of context, by [[Joaquin Phoenix]] in the 2005 film ''[[Walk the Line]]'': "I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that." |
The song achieved much of its fame when it was performed by [[Johnny Cash]] in his [[Folsom Prison]] concert (''[[At Folsom Prison]]''). During this live performance, one of the prisoners in the background was laughing, and Cash started to chuckle. He gently admonished the man, "No laughing during the song, please!" The man yelled something about "Hell!" and Cash answered, "I know, 'hell'!" When he finished the song, Cash made a comment that was largely repeated, somewhat out of context, by [[Joaquin Phoenix]] in the 2005 film ''[[Walk the Line]]'': "I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gross|first1=Jason|title=Prisoners Are the Best Audience: The Challenge of 'At Folsom Prison'|url=https://www.popmatters.com/65735-prisoners-are-the-best-audience-the-challenge-of-at-folsom-prison-2496102536.html|access-date=January 2, 2018|work=PopMatters|date=November 18, 2008|language=en}}</ref> |
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==Recorded versions== |
==Recorded versions== |
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{{example farm|section|date=September 2017}} |
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* [[Merle Travis]] on ''[[Folk Songs of the Hills]]'', 1946 |
* [[Merle Travis]] on ''[[Folk Songs of the Hills]]'', 1946 |
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* [[Maddox Brothers and Rose]], 1950 |
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* [[Cisco Houston]], Early 1950s |
* [[Cisco Houston]], Early 1950s |
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* [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]], (1955) |
* [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]], (1955) |
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* [[Harry Belafonte]] on "[[The Many Moods of Belafonte]]" (1962) |
* [[Harry Belafonte]] on "[[The Many Moods of Belafonte]]" (1962) |
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* [[Gordon Lightfoot]] and Terry Whelan on ''[[Two Tones at the Village Corner]]'', 1962 |
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* [[Grandpa Jones]], 1963 |
* [[Grandpa Jones]], 1963 |
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*[[The Big 3 (folk group)|The Big 3]], 1963 |
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* [[Johnny Cash]], studio version as the b-side of "[[Understand Your Man]]" single (1964) |
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* [[The Twiliters]] on "[[In Concert (The Twiliters)|In Concert]]" (1966) |
* [[The Twiliters]] on "[[In Concert (The Twiliters)|In Concert]]" (1966) |
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* |
* Johnny Cash, live version on "[[At Folsom Prison]]" (1968) |
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* [[Merle Travis]] with [[The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]] on ''[[Will the Circle Be Unbroken]]'' (1972) |
* [[Merle Travis]] with [[The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band]] on ''[[Will the Circle Be Unbroken]]'' (1972) |
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* [[Peter Grudzien]] on The Garden Of Love |
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* [[Dolly Parton]] on ''[[9 to 5 and Odd Jobs]]'' (1980) |
* [[Dolly Parton]] on ''[[9 to 5 and Odd Jobs]]'' (1980) |
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* [[The Weavers]] on ''Together Again'' (1980) |
* [[The Weavers]] on ''Together Again'' (1980) |
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* [[Frank Tovey]] on [[Tyranny and the Hired Hand]] (1989) |
* [[Frank Tovey]] on [[Tyranny and the Hired Hand]] (1989) |
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* [[Souled American]] on ''Sonny'' (1992) |
* [[Souled American]] on ''Sonny'' (1992) |
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* [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]], duet with [[Guy Clark]], on ''[[Friends of Mine (Ramblin' Jack Elliott album)|Friends of Mine]]'' (1998) |
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* [[The Chieftains]] with [[Vince Gill]] on ''[[Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions]]'' (2002) |
* [[The Chieftains]] with [[Vince Gill]] on ''[[Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions]]'' (2002) |
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* Marley's Ghost on Ghost Country (1996) |
* Marley's Ghost on Ghost Country (1996) |
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* [[Queens of the Stone Age]], 2005 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDVRQ4BQcb0 |title=Queens of the Stone Age - Dark as a Dungeon (Johnny Cash cover / Portland, 2005) |publisher=youtube.com |date |
* [[Queens of the Stone Age]], 2005 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDVRQ4BQcb0 |title=Queens of the Stone Age - Dark as a Dungeon (Johnny Cash cover / Portland, 2005) |publisher=youtube.com |access-date=2011-02-26}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref> |
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* [[Mark Linkous]] (recording as [[Sparklehorse]]) ''MOJO Magazine Tribute CD to Johnny Cash'' (2006) |
* [[Mark Linkous]] (recording as [[Sparklehorse]]) ''MOJO Magazine Tribute CD to Johnny Cash'' (2006) |
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* [[Charlie Louvin]] on ''Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs'' (2008) |
* [[Charlie Louvin]] on ''Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs'' (2008) |
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* [[Kathy Mattea]] on ''[[Coal (Kathy Mattea album)|Coal]]'' (2008) |
* [[Kathy Mattea]] on ''[[Coal (Kathy Mattea album)|Coal]]'' (2008) |
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* [[Willie Nelson]] on ''Country Music'' (2010) |
* [[Willie Nelson]] on ''Country Music'' (2010) |
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* [[Amy Grant]] on the Lee C. Camp & Friends specialty album, ''Tokens 9: "Back to Green"'' (2010) <ref>{{cite web|url= |
* [[Amy Grant]] on the Lee C. Camp & Friends specialty album, ''Tokens 9: "Back to Green"'' (2010) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Dark-As-Dungeon-Amy-Grant/dp/B003YYV0PI |title=Dark As a Dungeon - Amy Grant: Lee C. Camp and Friends: MP3 Downloads |website=Amazon |access-date=2011-01-01}}</ref> |
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* [[Maddox Brothers and Rose]] 1950 |
* [[Maddox Brothers and Rose]] 1950 |
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* [[John Darnielle]] of [[The Mountain Goats]] on The Front Porch Sessions (The Front Porch Festival, 2012) |
* [[John Darnielle]] of [[The Mountain Goats]] on The Front Porch Sessions (The Front Porch Festival, 2012) |
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* Slobberbone recorded a version of Dark as a dungeon in 1998 on the Your excuse EP |
* [[Slobberbone]] recorded a version of Dark as a dungeon in 1998 on the Your excuse EP |
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* The Journeymen on Coming Attraction - Live (1962) |
* The Journeymen on Coming Attraction - Live (1962) |
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* [[Brock Zeman]] on "songs from the mud" (2004) |
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* |
* The Rebel on Krot (2014) |
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* Fret! on the "Killing Nico EP" (2016) |
* Fret! on the "Killing Nico EP" (2016) |
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* [[John Cowan]] (2000) Self |
* [[John Cowan]] (2000) Self-titled CD for [[Sugar Hill Records (bluegrass label)|Sugar Hill Records]] |
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* [[John Mellencamp]] (2017)<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-john-mellencamps-reverent-dark-as-a-dungeon-for-coal-mining-doc-w490262|title=Hear John Mellencamp's Reverent 'Dark as a Dungeon' for Coal Mining Doc|last=Reed|first=Ryan|date=June 28, 2017|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=June 29, 2017}}</ref> |
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* Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio (2017) on ''Singin''' |
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*[[Bob Dylan]] on the archival release [[The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings]] |
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*[[Joni Mitchell]] on the archival release ''[[Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967)]]'' (2020) |
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*Being a well-documented song publicised by [[EFDSS]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vwml.org/roudnumber/6392|title=Dark as a Dungeon|access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref> and Mainly Norfolk,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mainlynorfolk.info/sandy.denny/songs/darkasadungeon.html|title=Dark as a Dungeon|access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref> the song was recorded by [[Jon Boden]] and [[Oli Steadman]] for inclusion in their respective projects ''[[A Folk Song A Day]]'' and ''365 Days Of Folk''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/@365daysoffolk|title=365 Days Of Folk: Song List|access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref> |
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==Published versions== |
==Published versions== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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{{Johnny Cash|song}} |
{{Johnny Cash|song}} |
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{{Tennessee Ernie Ford}} |
{{Tennessee Ernie Ford}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark As A Dungeon}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark As A Dungeon}} |
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[[Category:Merle Travis songs]] |
[[Category:Merle Travis songs]] |
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[[Category:Songs written by Merle Travis]] |
[[Category:Songs written by Merle Travis]] |
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[[Category:1946 songs]] |
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Latest revision as of 15:14, 1 February 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
"Dark as a Dungeon" | |
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Song by Merle Travis | |
Released | 1946 |
Genre | Country, folk |
Songwriter(s) | Merle Travis |
"Dark as a Dungeon" is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in a shaft mine. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions.
The song achieved much of its fame when it was performed by Johnny Cash in his Folsom Prison concert (At Folsom Prison). During this live performance, one of the prisoners in the background was laughing, and Cash started to chuckle. He gently admonished the man, "No laughing during the song, please!" The man yelled something about "Hell!" and Cash answered, "I know, 'hell'!" When he finished the song, Cash made a comment that was largely repeated, somewhat out of context, by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2005 film Walk the Line: "I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that."[1]
Recorded versions[edit]
- Merle Travis on Folk Songs of the Hills, 1946
- Maddox Brothers and Rose, 1950
- Cisco Houston, Early 1950s
- Tennessee Ernie Ford, (1955)
- Harry Belafonte on "The Many Moods of Belafonte" (1962)
- Gordon Lightfoot and Terry Whelan on Two Tones at the Village Corner, 1962
- Grandpa Jones, 1963
- The Big 3, 1963
- Johnny Cash, studio version as the b-side of "Understand Your Man" single (1964)
- Wolfe Tones on "Foggy Dew" -as "Down in the Mines" (1965)
- The Twiliters on "In Concert" (1966)
- Johnny Cash, live version on "At Folsom Prison" (1968)
- Merle Travis with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
- Peter Grudzien on The Garden Of Love
- Dolly Parton on 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs (1980)
- The Weavers on Together Again (1980)
- The Spinners on In our Liverpool Home as "Lure of the Mines" (1983)
- Patrick Sky, 1985
- Wall of Voodoo on Seven Days in Sammystown (1985)
- The Seldom Scene with Charlie Waller on 15th Anniversary Celebration (1988)
- Frank Tovey on Tyranny and the Hired Hand (1989)
- Souled American on Sonny (1992)
- Ramblin' Jack Elliott, duet with Guy Clark, on Friends of Mine (1998)
- The Chieftains with Vince Gill on Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions (2002)
- Marley's Ghost on Ghost Country (1996)
- Queens of the Stone Age, 2005 [2]
- Mark Linkous (recording as Sparklehorse) MOJO Magazine Tribute CD to Johnny Cash (2006)
- Charlie Louvin on Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs (2008)
- Kathy Mattea on Coal (2008)
- Willie Nelson on Country Music (2010)
- Amy Grant on the Lee C. Camp & Friends specialty album, Tokens 9: "Back to Green" (2010) [3]
- Maddox Brothers and Rose 1950
- John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats on The Front Porch Sessions (The Front Porch Festival, 2012)
- Slobberbone recorded a version of Dark as a dungeon in 1998 on the Your excuse EP
- The Journeymen on Coming Attraction - Live (1962)
- Brock Zeman on "songs from the mud" (2004)
- The Rebel on Krot (2014)
- Fret! on the "Killing Nico EP" (2016)
- John Cowan (2000) Self-titled CD for Sugar Hill Records
- John Mellencamp (2017)[4]
- Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio (2017) on Singin'
- Bob Dylan on the archival release The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
- Joni Mitchell on the archival release Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967) (2020)
- Being a well-documented song publicised by EFDSS,[5] and Mainly Norfolk,[6] the song was recorded by Jon Boden and Oli Steadman for inclusion in their respective projects A Folk Song A Day and 365 Days Of Folk.[7]
Published versions[edit]
- Rise Up Singing page 145
References[edit]
- ^ Gross, Jason (November 18, 2008). "Prisoners Are the Best Audience: The Challenge of 'At Folsom Prison'". PopMatters. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ "Queens of the Stone Age - Dark as a Dungeon (Johnny Cash cover / Portland, 2005)". youtube.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ "Dark As a Dungeon - Amy Grant: Lee C. Camp and Friends: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (June 28, 2017). "Hear John Mellencamp's Reverent 'Dark as a Dungeon' for Coal Mining Doc". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Dark as a Dungeon". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Dark as a Dungeon". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "365 Days Of Folk: Song List". Retrieved 24 January 2024.