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Long Black Veil

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Long Black Veil

performed (originally) by Lefty Frizzell
written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin 
released in July, 1959

Ten years ago, on a cold, dark night
There was someone killed ‘neath the town hall light
There were few at the scene, but they all agreed
That the slayer who ran looked a lot like me

The judge said, “Son what is your alibi?
If you were somewhere else, then you won’t have to die”
I spoke not a word, though it meant my life
For I had been in the arms of my best friend’s wife

She walks these hills in a long black veil
She visits my grave when the night winds wail
Nobody knows, nobody sees
Nobody knows but me

The scaffold was high and eternity nears
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil, she cries over my bones

She walks these hills in a long black veil
She visits my grave when the night winds wail
Nobody knows, nobody sees
Nobody knows but me
Nobody knows but me
Nobody knows but me

________________________________

I’ve always been into the darker and more gothic side of country music, so knowing that, it shouldn’t be too surprising that I really like this song. As dark and gothic country goes, “Long Black Veil” is beyond merely famous – it’s a standard.

Considering the lyrics, you must suspect that the song writing process has an interesting backstory, and as to that, your suspicions would be accurate. There are actually three dark stories that fed into the creation of the one from this song.

(via wiki)

Background

The writers later stated that they drew on three sources for their inspiration: Red Foley‘s recording of “God Walks these Hills with Me”, a contemporary newspaper report about the unsolved murder of a priest, and the legend of a mysterious veiled woman who regularly visited Rudolph Valentino‘s grave. Dill himself called it an “instant folksong”.

Wilkin played piano on the original recording by Frizzell. The song was a departure from Frizzell’s previous honky tonk style and was a deliberate move toward the then-current popularity of folk-styled material and the burgeoning Nashville sound.

Source 1:

Source 2:

“A contemporary newspaper report about the unsolved murder of a priest.”

This bit is plenty spooky, but despite a fair amount of digging, I have not been able to find any specifics as to the case in question. Given that fact, I am forced to consider that this may not be true. Perhaps “based on a true story” helped to sell the song’s mystique. Or maybe murder is just so common that tracking down the specifics of one from the 1950s is relatively difficult.

If someone is able to provide me with the case, I will edit this post to include the information.

Source 3:

“The legend of a mysterious veiled woman who regularly visited Rudolph Valentino’s grave.”

This tale, on the other hand, has a legendary backstory that I’ve been able to learn some more about. (via the-line-up.com)

In 1925, Hollywood heartthrob Rudolph Valentino visited his friend’s seriously ill daughter in the hospital. He reportedly gave the young girl a single red rose, and told her she was going to recover.

“You’re not going to die at all,” he said. “You’re going to outlive me by many years. But one thing’s for sure—if I die before you do, you please come and stay by me because I don’t want to be alone either. You come and talk to me.”Related: Resurrection Cemetery and the Ghost of Resurrection Mary

The young girl, whose name was Ditra Flame, (pronounced fla-MAY) did recover.

Just a year later, though, Valentino died from complications due to gastric ulcers. He was only 31. His memorial was held in New York City, where nearly 100,000 people came to pay their respects. Eventually, his body was transferred to an empty crypt owned by a friend in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in California, where he still rests to this day.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

According to Ditra, she initially kept her promise. The young woman, who was just 14 years old at the time of Valentino’s passing, went to visit Valentino’s grave in dressed all in black. She wore a long veil across her face, and carried a single red rose. But soon, she said, “there were so many other women dressed in black coming in kneeling at his tomb that it just got too much for me.” She stayed away for 23 years.

Ditra died in 1984, but the tradition of the veiled woman in black visiting Valentino’s grave continues.Related: Lady in White: the Haunted Burial Grounds of Union Cemetery

At first, the staff at Hollywood Cemetery thought it was just an eccentric fan of Old Hollywood, honoring Valentino’s wish. Then it became obvious that the woman in black was someone–or something–far more otherworldly than just a dedicated tourist.

Visitors to Valentino’s crypt have spotted a woman in black, kneeling at his tomb, carrying a single red rose. With an opaque black veil covering her face, she supposedly vanishes into thin air when anyone approaches. Others, while paying their respects to the actor, hear the sounds of a woman’s high-heeled footsteps approaching behind them, only to turn and find no one there. Some have reported a single red rose suddenly appearing in the vase on the tomb.

Photo: Mr. Littlehand / Flickr (CC)

While the face of the mysterious lady in black is yet to be seen, there are those who believe it’s none other than the ghost of Ditra Flame, making up for all those years she didn’t come to visit Valentino’s grave when she was still alive.

“Long Black Veil” has been covered countless times, by countless artists in nearly every genre. Here are a few of the covers. (again via wiki)

Tracks on hit albums

Other versions

The two most successful versions, on the charts, were the original by Mr. Frizzell and then a Sammi Smith country version in the 1970s (from the perspective of the woman in the veil.)

I will share both versions below.

The moral lesson here is that the secret you might plan to take to the grave can sometimes take you there earlier than you expected. Be careful.

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