Haunted Mountain - Jolie Holland
Last year Buck Meek, guitarist from Big Thief (see last post) combined with singer songwriter Jolie Holland (see previous post https://www.unclestylus.com/single-post/mexico-city-jolie-holland ) to write the song "Haunted Mountain", which became the title track of both their 2023 album release, his in August and her two months later in October. Both featured their own, very different renderings of the song. My daughter loves Big Thief, I'm a fan of Jolie Holland. Unsurprisingly she reckons Meek's version is the best, and I go with Holland's. I'd be interested to hear the opinion of someone with no preferences either way.
Both versions make me think of those stories of people living hidden high up on a mountain escaping from a corrupted world below, whether it's war, prejudice, pestilence or religious prosecution. Certainly the whole other-worldly tone of Holland's cut, with it's beautiful, melancholy fuzzed guitar work and worn vocal speaks of a "rounder" or misfit who's had enough of society below:
"...but now that I live here on this haunted mountain
I know I'm never coming down
No, I'm never coming down
I'm never coming down again".
On the afternoon of March 29th 1964, that is Easter Sunday, an unknown thirty-one year old poet called Adrian Mitchell stepped up to a microphone in front of the National Gallery at a CND demonstration in Trafalgar Square and read his poem "To Whom it may Concern". A year and 2 months later, he read the same poem to 7,000 people at the legendary International Poetry Incarnation event at the Royal Albert Hall, and stole the show from more famous luminaries like Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
While initially an overt condemnation of the American war in Vietnam, Mitchell adapted it to show his disapproval of other conflicts over the years until his death in 2008. Here's his final version, more relevant than ever in a time where lies and propaganda are still routinely used to justify large scale military action and killing:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN (TELL ME LIES ABOUT VIETNAM)
I was run over by the truth one day.
Ever since the accident I’ve walked this way
So stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Heard the alarm clock screaming with pain,
Couldn’t find myself so I went back to sleep again
So fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Every time I shut my eyes all I see is flames.
Made a marble phone book and I carved all the names
So coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
I smell something burning, hope it’s just my brains.
They’re only dropping peppermints and daisy-chains
So stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
Where were you at the time of the crime?
Down by the Cenotaph drinking slime
So chain my tongue with whisky
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
You put your bombers in, you put your conscience out,
You take the human being and you twist it all about
So scrub my skin with women
Chain my tongue with whisky
Stuff my nose with garlic
Coat my eyes with butter
Fill my ears with silver
Stick my legs in plaster
Tell me lies, tell me lies about Afghanistan.
Tell me lies about Israel.
Tell me lies about Congo.
Tell me, tell me lies Mr Bush.
Tell me lies Mr B-B-Blair, Brown, Blair-Brown.
Tell me lies about Vietnam.
I'll let you add your own penultimate lines.
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