Radie Peat | Willow Garden | Western AF

Radie Peat sings “Willow Garden,” an old murder ballad known also as “Rose Connelly.”

Watch all of our Ireland Field Recordings here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC4U9cLf4bPY&si=0GxCuLp-GycKvhqg

The Everly Brothers made it into the American bloodstream with their recording of “Down in the Willow Garden.” And now Radie of Lankum gives us her rendition.

This shoot was so exciting. This was one of those situations where I knew, without question, that no matter what Radie sang, it would be the closest thing to having my own heart ripped out of my body.

Its roots run deep into Ireland. One of those songs that travelled in the mouths of people and through time. Nobody quite knows where this song began, but the whispers kept it alive.

The story. A boy takes a girl down to the willow garden. There is talk of love. Of marriage. Then something turns. He poisons her, or puts a knife to her, depending on who is telling it. She falls. He throws her body into the river. The water takes her away.

Murder ballads. Songs that carry stories across generations. Something about them just comes off plain eerie. The words and thoughts of someone doing something atrocious can be almost scary. Radie’s is almost haunting. Like Rose herself was telling it.

We shot it in Ireland. Inside a bar called The Hive. Daylight outside. The place not yet open. Though it was during the day and the bar hadn’t opened yet, the place seemed to be open for ghosts and the songs they brought with them.

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More music from Radie Peat:
Website: https://www.radiepeat.com/
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Lyrics:
Down in yon willow garden where me and my love did meet. It was there we sat a courting when my love fell off to sleep.
Well I had a bottle of Burglar’s wine. My love she did not know. It was there I poisoned that poor little girl, down on the banks below.

I drove my sabre through her, it was a bloody knife. I threw her into the river, it was a dreadful sight.
For my father often had told me, that money would set me free, if I would murder that poor little girl whose name was Rose Connolly.

Now my father stands at his cabin door, wiping his tear dimmed eyes, for his only son soon shall walk to yonder scaffold high.
For my race is run beneath the sun, the devil is waiting for me. For I did murder that poor little girl whose name was Rose Connolly.
And now it’s time to leave you all, it’s time to say my goodbyes. For they are going to stretch me up, between the earth and sky.
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Recorded by: Mike Vanata & Will Ross
Mixed & Mastered: Will Ross
Editor: Manuel Deakins
Cameras: Mike Vanata
Executive Producers: Irvin Maddox, Arron Tschida, and Frank Stelter
Producers: Brian Harrington, Will Ross, Travis Blankenship & Mike Vanata
Special thanks: the Hive
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