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Go Dig My Grave

by Susanna

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    Digipack + booklet with gorgeous art by Arne Bendik Sjur

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1.
2.
Cold Song 05:29
3.
Invitation to the Voyage (Charles Baudelaire) My sister, my child How sweet and how mild It would be to go there, we two To live for the day, To love and to die In the land that resembles you! For the wet suns there In that watery air Have a magic I always hold dear, A secret that lies In your dangerous eyes And shines through the veil of your tears There all is beauty, all is measure, Richness, serenity and pleasure In our quiet room The tables would gleam With the polish of sedulous years; Rare flowers, vague amber, Pervading our chamber Would mingle their scents in the air; The ornate ceilings, And mirrors revealing The boundless splendour of the east Would whisper in secret Their news to the spirit In its own gentle native speech There all is beauty, all is measure, Richness, serenity and pleasure Ships made to plough the deep See where they lie asleep In these canals with canvas furled It is to satisfy Your slightest wish that they Have come from the ends of the world. See, from the glowing west The setting sun has dressed Canals and fields in its soft gown Of hyacinth and gold, As that warm light enfolds The quiet country and the sleeping town. There all is beauty, all is measure, Richness, serenity and pleasure
4.
Rye Whiskey 06:33
Rye Whiskey (Traditional) On top of yon mountain I wandered alone, Drunk as the devil and a long ways from home Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, Rye whiskey, I cry ; If I don’t get rye whiskey, I surely will die I went on youn mountain; I set on a log, My liquor jug beside me And sicker than a dog. Poor drunkard, poor drunkard, How bad I do feel ; Poor drunkard, poor drunkard, How bad I do feel. I’m a-going on yon mountain, I’ll build me a still; I’ll make you a gallon For a two dollar bill. Poor drunkard, poor drunkard, How bad I do feel ; Poor drunkard, poor drunkard, How bad I do feel. If the ocean was whiskey And I was a duck, I’d dive to the bottom And drink my way up. Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, Rye whiskey, I cry ; If I don’t get rye whiskey, I surely will die
5.
Willow Song (Anonymous) The poor soul sat sighing By a sycamore tree, Sing willow, willow, willow, With her hand in her bosom And her head upon her knee, Oh, willow, willow, willow, Oh, willow, willow, willow, Shall be my garland. She sighed in her singing And made a great moan, Sing willow, willow, willow, I am dead to all pleasure, My true love he is gone Oh, willow, willow, willow, Oh, willow, willow, willow, Shall be my garland. Sing all a green willow, Willow, willow, willow Aye me, the green willow Must be my garland. The fresh streams ran by her And mumur’d her moans Sing willow, willow, willow, Her salt tears fell from her And soften’d the stones. Oh, willow, willow, willow, Oh, willow, willow, willow, Shall be my garland. Come all you forsaken And mourn you with me. Sing willow, willow, willow, Who speaks of a false love? Mine's falser yet than she. Oh, willow, willow, willow, Oh, willow, willow, willow, Shall be my garland. Sing all a green willow, Willow, willow, willow Aye me, the green willow Must be my garland. Sing all a green willow, Willow, willow, willow Aye me, the green willow Must be my garland.
6.
Go Dig My Grave (Traditional) Well I be gone these lonesome days I’ll return again, here’s what I’ll say Go dig my grave both wide and deep Place a marble stone at my head and my feet O Lord O Lord O Lordie me! She went upstairs to make her bed and not one word to her mama said Her mama she went upstairs too says ‘Daughter, oh daughter what troubles you’ ‘Oh mama dear, I cannot tell that railroad boy I love so well. He courted me, my love away and now with me he will not stay.’ O Lord O Lord O Lordie me! Her papa he come home from work says ‘Where’s my daughter, she seems so hurt’ He went upstairs just to give her hope And he found her hanging from a rope O Lord O Lord O Lordie me! He took his knife and he cut her down and in her bosom these words he found ‘Go dig my grave both wide and deep Place a marble stone at my head and feet and on my breast put s snow white dove to tell this world I died for love O Lord O Lord O Lordie me!
7.
Lilac Wine 03:09
Lilac Wine (James Shelton) I lost myself on a cool damp night Gave myself in that misty light Was hypnotized by a strange delight Under a lilac tree I made wine from the lilac tree Put my heart in its recipe It makes me see what I want to see And be what I want to be When I think more than I want to think Do things I never should do I drink much more that I ought to drink Because it brings me back you Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love Listen to me, I cannot see clearly Isn't that he, coming to me nearly here? Lilac Wine, I feel unready for my love
8.
Wilderness 02:43
Wilderness (Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner) I travelled far and wide through many different times What did you see there? I saw the saints with their toys What did you see there? I saw all knowledge destroyed I travelled far and wide through many different times I travelled far and wide through prisons of the cross What did you see there? The power and glory of sin What did you see there? The blood of Christ on their skins I travelled far and wide through many different times I travelled far and wide and unknown martyrs died What did you see there? I saw the one sided trials What did you see there? I saw the tears as they cried They had tears in their eyes Tears in their eyes Tears in their eyes Tears in their eyes
9.
The Three Ravens (Old English folk ballad) There were three Ravens sat on a tree Downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe They were as blacke as blacke could be with a downe Then one of them said to his mate, Where shall we our breakefast take With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe Downe in yonder greene field, There lies a Knight slain under his shield His hounds they lie downe at his feete So well do they their Master keepe His Hawkes they flie so eagerly, There's no fowle that dare him come nie Downe there comes a fallow Doe, As great with yong as she might go She lifted up his bloody head And kiss'd his wounds that were so red She got him up upon her backe And carried him to earthen lake. She buried him before the prime She was dead her self ere even song time God sent every gentleman, Such hawkes, such hounds, and such a leman.
10.
Perfect Day 04:07
Perfect Day (Lou Reed) Just a perfect day Drink Sangria in the park And then later When it gets dark, we go home Just a perfect day Feed animals in the zoo Then later A movie, too, and then home Oh, it's such a perfect day I'm glad I spent it with you Oh, such a perfect day You just keep me hanging on You just keep me hanging on Just a perfect day Problems all left alone Weekenders on our own It's such fun Just a perfect day You made me forget myself I thought I was Someone else, someone good Oh, it's such a perfect day I'm glad I spent it with you Oh, such a perfect day You just keep me hanging on You just keep me hanging on You're going to reap just what you sow You're going to reap just what you sow You're going to reap just what you sow

about

Susanna 'Go Dig My Grave'

Susanna has never been one to shy away from the great questions in her music. With ‘Go Dig My Grave’, her 12th album, she explores historic musical gaps by combining music from the Great American Songbook and old English traditionals with baroque instrumentation and her own, characteristic vocal interpretations. Add some Henry Purcell, some Lou Reed, and Susanna’s own composition, and the unique complexity of Susanna’s artistry is evident: ‘Go Dig My Grave’ is a profoundly personal collection of dark songs with deep roots through centuries of American and European musical heritage.

An unnerving combination of existential despair and musical beauty, ‘Go Dig My Grave’ presents a selection of songs straddling issues of lost love, abandonment – and a merciless thirst for liquor. ‘During trips to the States over the past years I’ve picked up a few records from Folkways– an amazing label which presents a wide variety of American folk songs,’ says Susanna. ‘One of my favorites is a Jean Ritchie album, and her version of ‘Go Dig My Grave’. I was struck by the tragic story of the song, and knew immediately that I wanted to sing it.’ The album is strongly centered around Susanna’s voice and personal expression, bringing to mind sometimes her older sisters in folk, Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins, and sometimes referencing historic artists like opera singer and experimental musician Klaus Nomi.

The combination of songs and genres is in many ways an exploration of music itself. From the resigned and slow rhythm of the longing ‘Rye Whiskey’ to the metaphoric English ballad ‘The Three Ravens’, Susanna makes connections between the acute pain of American history and the poetic qualities of the more abstract European art. Ending with a version of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’, slightly more lighthearted than the rest of the album, Susanna leaves the listener with a hopeful sense of the transformational qualities of musical expression itself. ‘I’m attracted to sad songs, and how people through all ages have used music, songs and singing as a way to process hard times in their lives,’ says Susanna. ‘There are a lot of similarities in how the stories are told in the old English ballads and the American folk songs – even if the newer songs have more of a straightforwardness to the tragedy’.

The album marks Susanna’s return to her collaboration with Swiss baroque harp player Giovanna Pessi. Pessi first appeared alongside Susanna on the album ‘Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos’, released on Rune Grammofon in 2007, and played a major role on the critically acclaimed ECM album ‘If Grief Could Wait’, a deep-dive into the sorrow-stricken music of Henry Purcell, Leonard Cohen and Susanna herself. This time the two have invited the talented young accordion player Ida Løvli Hidle and the great Norwegian fiddle player and folk singer Tuva Livsdatter Syvertsen to form a quartet. The result is a dynamic band that easily masters subtle shifts from the simple folk feeling of songs like Elizabeth Cotten’s ‘Freight Train’ to the icy beauty of Purcell’s ‘Cold Song’ and the complex, centuries old lament of ‘The Willow Song’.

A brand-new composition by Susanna also features on the album. ‘Invitation to the Voyage’ is written to a poem from Charles Baudelaire’s, ‘The Flowers of Evil’, banned in 19th century France for its treatment of decadence and eroticism. With this piece, Susanna continues a musical tradition of interpreting Baudelaire’s words, following the likes of Alban Berg and Henri Dutilleux. The song plays on the historic soundscape that characterizes much of the album, echoing the lyric symmetry and modal harmonies of the European ballad tradition, and is sparsely orchestrated by Pessi’s soft harp and ominous coloration from the fiddle and the accordion. ‘Quite recently I started to read Baudelaire’s ‘Flowers of Evil’. I fell in love with the beautiful poems and got the urge to sing some of them,’ says Susanna. ‘This one is the first of the songs I have written to this poetry, and a wonderful mysterious world has opened up to me.’

The Norwegian artist Susanna is a rare and distinct voice in international art pop, and has been releasing music since 2004 with bands like ‘Susanna and the Magical Orchestra’ and under her full name, Susanna Wallumrød. She is known for her transforming of songs by AC/DC, Dolly Parton, Thin Lizzy and ABBA among others, but also for her strong originals and collaborations with artists like Jenny Hval, Ensemble neoN and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. Her previous album ‘Triangle’ received notable international praise for its originality and musical ambition.

Produced by Deathprod and Susanna, ‘Go Dig My Grave’ was recorded at the world class Rainbow Studio in Oslo and is released on Susanna’s own label SusannaSonata. It is one of several extensive projects for Susanna in 2017, among them a notable work commissioned for one of Norway’s most important jazz festivals, Vossa Jazz. An hour-long piece inspired by the surreal pictures of the Dutch 14th century painter Hieronymus Bosch was premiered at the festival in April, and Susanna’s brand-new band, The Brotherhood of Our Lady, continues to play live in Norway through the fall of 2017.

credits

released February 20, 2018

Susanna: vocals
Giovanna Pessi: baroque harp
Ida Løvli Hidle: accordion
Tuva Livsdatter Syvertsen: hardanger fiddle and vocals
Arranged by Susanna, and in collaborations with the musicians
Produced by Susanna and Helge Sten

Recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, Norway, by Jan Erik Kongshaug
Mixed at Rainbow Studio by Jan Erik Kongshaug with Helge Sten and Susanna
Mastered by Helge Sten at Audio Virus LAB Oslo, Norway


Art by Arne Bendik Sjur, used with permission from the artist
Cover design by Johanna Blom

SONATACD040
P + C 2018 SusannaSonata All rights reserved www.susannasonata.com
www.susannamagical.com

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Susanna Oslo, Norway

The Norwegian artist Susanna has released albums as Susanna and the Magical Orchestra/Susanna/Susanna Wallumrød since 2004 on labels like Rune Grammofon/ECM/Grappa Musikkforlag and since 2011 on her own label SusannaSonata. Critically acclaimed for both her own songs and her highly personal interpretations of other people's songs. ... more

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