SONG: Death Don’t Have No Mercy
WRITTEN BY: Traditional; arranged by Reverend Gary Davis
PERFORMED BY: Reverend Gary Davis (et al., including the Grateful Dead, Dave Van Ronk & Bob Dylan)
APPEARS ON: Reverend Gary Davis: Harlem Street Singer; Live at Newport; Heroes of the Blues - The Very Best of Reverend Gary Davis (Shout Factory)
A while back I posted one of my wife Eberle Umbach’s essays on my blog, Robert Frosts Banjo; the essay's one of a ongoing series by her & her writing partner Audrey Bilger that we’ve called Women’s Art is Women’s Work. This particular essay had the picturesque title, “My Juggy My Puggy My Honey My Bunny,” & discussed euphemism in the19th century, particularly as this related to various sexual “unmentionables.” In the course of the essay, Eberle discussed how 19th century folk, while apt to euphemize sex, had far fewer taboos about death than we do; various memento mori, many of which we’d find shocking, were commonplace. These days, especially in the United States, people try to cast a blind eye toward death—our parents & grandparents are taken to various “homes” to pass their final days, & the whole process is—in theory—as sanitary as possible.
The song “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” comes from an earlier world—in this view, Death is a real entity—akin to the personified Death of Medieval artwork. He has human characteristics—he’s “always in a hurry,” “never takes a vacation,” & so forth. In addition, Death doesn’t come to the nursing home or the hospital—“ He’ll come to your house & he won’t stay long.”
There’s a great starkness to this song, & Reverend Gary Davis’ powerful vocal adds a great urgency & immediacy to the desolately realistic lyrics—because for all the personification, the song is presenting the uncomfortable & undeniable truth that death comes to all, in its own time.
Of course, the Reverend Gary Davis was a master guitarist, a true virtuoso in the Piedmont blues fingerpicking style, which stresses syncopation &, with its alternating bass & index finger, actually hearkens back to some early banjo playing styles. That mastery is on display on all his recordings of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”—to him, the solos were the guitar’s "talk" (Davis favored a jumbo guitar, which he called Miss Gibson in a nod to the manufacturer). Having said that, it’s worth noting that Davis never dazzles simply for dazzles sake—his solos on “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” carry the song forward, & partake of the overall air of starkness & immediacy.
If I might be excused to make this song “topical” for a moment, I wonder sometimes if our culture weren’t so determined to make death & illness invisible if we’d have so much consternation about health care reform. Is the scenario of “I’ve got mine, & let the other guy fend for himself” in part a product of a peculiar U.S. obsession with eternal youth & a somewhat Darwinian disdain for the sick & disabled? Is it really so shortsighted as “That won’t happen to me”? The Reverend says it will—he says it pretty strong.
The lyrics are transcribed from the version on Harlem Street Singer; the vidclip is from one of the 1960s Newport Folk Festivals—the lyrics vary a bit, but not in any really material ways.
I find this one of the most moving pieces of music I know; hope it has some meaning for you as well.
Death Don’t Have No Mercy
Death don't have no mercy in this land
Death don't have no mercy in this land
He’ll come to your house & he won’t stay long
You look in the bed, & somebody will be gone
Death don't have no mercy in this land
Death will go in any family in this land
Death will go in every family in this land
Well he’ll come to your house & he won’t stay long
Look in the bed & one of the family will be gone
Death will go in any family in this land
Well he never takes no vacation in this land
Old Death don't take no vacation in this land
Come to your house, & he won stay long
Look in the bed & your mother will be gone
Death don't take no vacation in this land
Well he’ll leave you standing and crying in this land
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land
He comes into your house and he won't stay long
You look in the bed, & somebody will be gone
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land
Death is always in a hurry in this land
Death is always in a hurry in this land
Come to your house, & he won't stay long
Look in the bed & your mother will be gone
Death is always in a hurry in this land
Well, he won’t give you time to get ready in this land
Well, he won’t give you time to get ready in this land
Come to your house, & he won't stay long
You look in the bed, & somebody will be gone
Death won’t give you time to get ready in this land
I first heard this done by Hot Tuna on the first album in 1970. It's a haunting and impressive song, and I'm glad to finally hear Rev. Gary Davis's original version (I'd never heard it before). Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roy--I don't know Hot Tuna's version--glad you liked the Reverend Davis' take.
ReplyDeleteFabulous picture of the Rev. Gary!
ReplyDeleteI like the line "Death will go in any family in this land", i.e., death doesn't care if you're rich, poor, black, white, good, or evil. As alluded to in a different post, we all wind up at the foot of Canal Street!
Great song, great reading of the song. I've always been fond of the Dead's version, and ditto re Hot Tuna. That first album of their's is a killer.
Interesting that the last three entries have been related but written by different people. We don't plan this, folks!
real song
ReplyDeleteReverend Gary Davis is awesome! Also the Dead's version on the live album "two from the vault" (1968 I think) is really good with Jerry G singing the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Rob: I've been traveling so I didn't see your comment in a more timely manner--yes, I know the Dead's version; I believe it was the first version of the song I heard. It's a lot different from the Rev's, but a good cover.
ReplyDeleteI once heard a version of this song by Bob Dylan, it was amazing. Doesn't equal Rev.Gary Davis' one but it really was outstanding to me. Unfortunately, I've searched albums, internet, everywhere, I can't find it anymore. If anyone has a link to the Death don't have no mercy by Bob Dylan, it would be awesome. Thaks ;).
ReplyDeleteits off of the minnesota hotel tape
DeleteJami, I hunted around for it and couldn't find it either. I'll bet it's great, though.
ReplyDeleteBobby's version appeared on the legendary and rare bootleg known snappily as the BONNIE BEECHER'S APARTMENT "MINNESOTA PARTY TAPE", MINNEAPOLIS, recorded in May 1961.
ReplyDeleteMore details at http://www.bobsboots.com/CDs/cd-m28.html and, erm, even better (!) at http://www.expectingrain.com/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=51668
A visceral, powerful, timeless song, no doubt, sublimely delivered by the Reverend.
ReplyDeleteInteresting what you say about the "Taboo" aspect of Death in Western (so-called) "Culture." The cause of this is simple. It's the demise of Proper Religion - which, thanks to nefarious forces from without and within, has been in its final death throes for the past one to two centuries.
Death has always brought pain and agony; for those left behind by the departure of a loved one to those simply contemplating their own inevitable future farewell to this mortal coil.
Back when some remnants of Religion remained though, this suffering was a "double-edged sword." With that pain came the overwhelming comfort that Eternal Paradise awaited on the 'other side' for a Spirit when the temporary phase of existence in human form was inevitably ended.
Under aethesism - a thing fought for tooth and nail for centuries using the vilest methods by the insidious satanic Freemason Sect (from the days of their "Knights Templar" incarnation) and a thing unquestionably swallowed by most of the modern masses - there is no such cognisance of Spirit. There is no such comfort.
The same lack of fear of Death as evident in this song survives even today though in much of Asia where the Karmic element of death ("when it's my time to go, I'll be gone") is accompanied by the supreme solace of the next life/ Paradise that awaits.
I recently had to attend a funeral in SE Asia and the differences to a Western funeral were striking. There the rites are usually extended to 4 or 5 days and consist of of a series of Buddhist ceremonials in the house - where the body of the deceased is laid out - followed by long social get-together of family and friends where lots of food and drink are devoured. On the final day, a cremation rite takes place at the temple. The process tries to soothe the immediate pain of loss felt by the bereaved but mostly aims to celebrate the life of the departed and make the spirit of the deceased ready for the things to come. The most striking thing though for me was the acceptance of the painful sad loss amongst the bereaved and their unrelenting belief in the better things that lie in store for the Spirit of their departed loved one.
I also recommend the version by the late John Martyn on his album "The Church with One Bell". Gone too early. Indeed, death doesn't have no mercy.
ReplyDeleteI started humming this song tonight, found this website and what a treat to hear rev davis play it, I've only knew the tune from hot tuna.
ReplyDeleteBlack music: created more jobs than mitt romney an' lifted more people out of poverty, too.
Sounds like some of those haunting slavery songs--Soon Ah Will Be Done comes to mind. The intricate guitar work, the wailing, and the dramatic ending of the peace, the Da....da.....shing make it a real blues performance piece. Interesting concept, like what the Jubilee Singers did for Negro Spirituals. I can revisit this mucho.
ReplyDelete