Fiddlin' John Carson wrote and recorded this one some time in 1923 -- during Prohibition, interestingly enough.  Yeah, it seems that Prohibition was so ineffective that folks were writing songs about being kind to raging alcoholics. So much for legalism.
 
Fast forward to 2012, and this fine interpretation by Foghorn Stringband. Sammy Lind's fiddle work is as rambunctious as can be, and the band continues to amaze with its versatility. All four are strong singers, and they manage to vocalize in all possible combinations while still sounding like Foghorn Stringband.

In this case, the singers are Caleb Klauder and Nadine Landry. The song is "Be Kind To A Man While He's Down."

If only it were this easy for an alcoholic, an addict, or anyone, really, to change their destructive behavior.

Sadly, healing never proceeds in a straight line, and never comes about because of a dream. After all, if we're paying attention to those promptings from our subconscious, we're probably not behaving in self-destructive ways to begin with.

I'm saying this as much for alcoholics and addicts as for their co-dependents who, alarmingly enough, have a disease not unlike that of the alcoholic or addict they're so desperate to rescue.

Foghorn Stringband, with a suitably-raw delivery of "The Drunkard's Dream".

The women of Foghorn Stringband take center stage with a song about the life-altering consequences of trusting in faithless friends -- a twist of fate that more grievously impacts the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our society, including women.

Back in the day when old time was popular music, songwriters told the truth about how easy it is to be safe and secure one day, and completely alone in the world, the next. If people lack compassion these days, one reason might be that artists are no longer affected by, or personally in touch with, those on the margins. Our cultural dialogue is all the poorer for it.

This is Foghorn Stringband with "Bring Back My Blue-Eyed Boy To Me".

A "Yay, Heaven!" song with a difference: none of the obnoxious and entirely-unwarranted triumphalism that you hear in so many of these things.

Caleb Klauder -- he's the mandolin picker -- wrote this one, and it has a quality that gospel is sadly lacking these days: it is an absolute blast. The Cajun feel that comes from Sammy Lind's fiddle, and is underscored by Nadine Landry's rollicking bass line, has a lot to do with that.

It seems that Foghorn Stringband think so, too; they look and sound as though they're having the time of their lives.

Here they are with "Innocent Road".
 

Stop Suburbanizing Country Music

This hit me so hard! I feel about this performance the way I felt the first time I ever heard Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs harmonize, the first time I heard The Seldom Scene do “Wait A Minute”.

People don’t do this kind of music anymore, it seems like. It’s head over heart, even in bluegrass these days.

It’s funny: People who are embarrassed by country music’s humble origins keep trying to drag it uptown, polish it up, so their faux-cosmopolitan friends will feel safe around it. I grew up on honky tonk music and “Hee Haw”, even as I was being classically trained as a musician, and I like my country music just fine like this.

Here’s the Foghorn Stringband with “You Didn’t Have To Go”.

Omg, do I love this band! Their playing and singing are simultaneously down-to-earth and immaculate. Their repertoire always sounds fresh. They always have a good time on stage, and, unlike a lot of old time bands, they pay close attention to vocal harmony. Plus, mandolin tremolo? No one does that anymore, and it’s a delight to hear.

This is Foghorn Stringband with “Innocent Road”.

Here’s one more from Foghorn String Band’s brilliant set at the CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival. This one’s called “Come All You Virginia Gals”.

Can you folks stand for another tune from Foghorn String Band’s Father’s Day Bluegrass set?
Here’s one they learned from Hazel and Alice called “Mining Camp Blues”.

Mercy, this is good! The Foghorn String Band serves up a white-hot bluegrass version of the old blues ballad, “Stagger Lee”.