It’s All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos, so let’s have ten songs about the dead.
1. Dead – They Might Be Giants
2. Dead Man’s Shoes – The Virginmarys
3. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead – Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon
4. Tom Burleigh’s Dead – Eddie From Ohio
5. The Long Black Veil – The Chieftains with Mick Jagger
6. On The Other Shore – Austin Lounge Lizards
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
8. O Death – Ralph Stanley
9. St. James Infirmary – Flying Fish Sailors
10. Friend Of The Devil – Grateful Dead
I had to have one song by The Dead in there, didn’t I? As for “The Long Black Veil”, check out this post by Alyssa Rosenberg that calls it the “perfect country song, ever” as well as a “perfect” Halloween song. I hadn’t heard Lefty Frizzell’s version of it before – it’s good, but I’ll stay with the Chieftains and Jagger.
Today would have been my grandmother Jessie Kuffner’s 100th birthday. I think about her often, but especially on her birthday. She was a devout Catholic and I’m sure it pleased her that her birthday was also a holy day of obligation. I know she would have loved the Dia de los Muertos tradition if she had known about it. I love you, Nana, and I miss you. I wish more than anything you could have met Tiffany and my daughters. Happy birthday.