Talk:Long Black Veil

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Alibi[edit]

For those of you who didn't click on the link, alibi is literally the "somewhere else" referred to in the song. Pustelnik 21:55, 2 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bono w/Chieftains[edit]

"Recently the Chieftains revealed their recording of 'Long Black Veil' with Mick Jagger was meant to contain harmony vocals from Bono, but when they discovered the harmony didn't work they abandoned the idea." - http://www.atu2.com/news/connections/harris/. (John User:Jwy talk) 14:43, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Full List of Versions[edit]

A fuller list of recorded versions of this song at http://bruce.orel.ws/seegersessions/songs/long_black_veil.html

Should this link be added to the article?

The list appearing in the Wikipedia article includes Bob Dylan, Stanley Brothers & others with no year, album or citation, & these are not corroborated by the website above.

77.100.65.180 (talk) 18:37, 7 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Failure to confirm the accused's alibi[edit]

In at least two versions of this song, by the Band and Mick Jagger w/ the Chieftains, the accused testifies that he was with his best friend's wife: "I spoke my word, for it meant my life..." The meaning, then, is completely different form what is stated in the article. Out of shame she has failed to back him up, has let him die, regrets it, and regularly visits his grave. Frank Lynch (talk) 13:56, 24 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I have just listened to the original version by Lefty Frizzell, and there is nothing to suggest that the narrator didn't tell the truth about his tryst: "I spoke my word, though it meant my life..." The 'though' may be confusing, but I really think the narrator testified that he had been in her arms. Frank Lynch (talk) 00:20, 25 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, but it is "I spoke not a word though it meant my life" as all the lyrics I can find have it. One of The Band's singers does seem to stumble a bit at the critical point, but the other is saying "not". Johnny Cash clearly says "not." The whole song is about the narrator keeping silent about where he was and going to the gallows to protect "his best friend's wife" from scandal. She visits in grief and guilt. The song is too sympathetic to her to be otherwise. A bit old fashioned, but a great song none-the-less. If you can find a discussion in a reliable source about the lyrics being different, then it might be worth putting in. Otherwise, its original research. (John User:Jwy talk) 00:45, 25 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

After reading your argument (wise from a Wikipedia protocol standpoint) and after listening to the Johnny Cash version as well as re-listening to the Lefty Frizzell, I cede. And, it's clear that the Band's change is not the only liberty they took in the lyrics, as they also make small changes to increase rhymes. Frank Lynch (talk) 11:04, 25 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Clearly he followed the "A Gentleman Doesn't Tell" code. The ironic thing is that everyone is worse off for it: He's dead, the wife is now crazed with grief, the best friend now has to cope with a crazy wife, and there is a murderer still on the loose. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.202.33.17 (talk) 04:41, 27 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Saga Song[edit]

The intro describes it as a "saga song" as if that is a thing, but there is no wiki page for that term. It seems that either a linked page should exist or there should be a brief clause explaining what that means. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.255.145.95 (talk) 20:16, 11 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It would be nice to discuss the version by The Band in the Cover Versions section[edit]

It's likely that many later cover artists were inspired to do so by the seminal 1968 Music from Big Pink version.

External links modified[edit]

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Long black veil[edit]

Bobby Bare was barely (sorry for the lame pun) mentioned yet his was the version played on radio stations all through the seventies and eighties, even on the 12 seconds of country they played on AFN for troops stationed in Germany. 2601:245:1:5BE0:9D72:1178:8AE1:1BD3 (talk) 17:46, 26 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Inaccuracies regarding B-side and original single release.[edit]

There are a few notable inaccuracies in the article regarding the April 20, 1959 (Columbia 4-41384) single release of Lefty Frizzell’s recording of “Long Black Veil”.

1) The song is titled “The Long Black Veil” on the label of the master release. “The” is included on each release of the single that year. This can be cited to the media themself available in photograph on sites like Discogs and in the Library of Congress.

2) None of the pressed singles released in 1959 have the B-side “When It Rains The Blues”. Every release of the single actually includes “Knock Again, True Love”, even the Philips release in Netherlands.

I hope these can be fixed in near future. 2600:6C60:6F00:2A3:19D3:4527:398:8B4 (talk) 23:58, 4 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]