Light On Dark Water

Richard and Mimi Fariña: Pack Up Your Sorrows

Weekend Music

I picked this over several other clips on YouTube because it’s the song that is probably most strongly identified with them, and because the bit of dialog at the end is so charming. Mimi is the sister of Joan Baez, and actually I always like her voice better.


 

Theirs is one of the sweeter stories of the ’60s, at least at first glance, in part because he was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966. And much or most of their work exemplified the sense of poetic and (relatively) innocent wonder that appears in a lot of the music from that period. (As is suggested by the titles of their two studio albums, Celebrations for a Grey Day and Reflections in a Crystal Wind.)  But the story had a darker side, and I’m not just being cynical in believing that it would most likely not have ended well in any case. I read Fariña’s novel, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me, in college in the late ’60s. Allowing for the fact that I haven’t read it since and my memory is probably selective at best, I think there was an underlying corruption in it, as can be said (and as I have said often enough) of the whole ’60s bohemian movement.

Still, the music remains. Here’s “Swallow Song”:


 

Maclin Horton

11 responses to “Richard and Mimi Fariña: Pack Up Your Sorrows”

  1. Janet Cupo

    That’s Pete Seeger, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so young. What is that show?
    I could have sworn that I read that book, but I don’t remember a thing about it, so maybe I just remember the title.
    AMDG

    Reply
  2. Mac

    Yes, that’s ol’ Pete, I meant to mention that. The show was apparently called Rainbow Quest. I had never heard of it before noticing it in YT clips. Doubt if it was on broadcast tv in the deep south…:-)

    Reply
  3. Janet Cupo

    I’ve always wanted a dulcimer.
    AMDG

    Reply
  4. Mac

    Me, too. They’re really easy to play and although they’re not exactly versatile I like the sound.

    Reply
  5. Janet Cupo

    Here is a shameful story about a dulcimer. My friend Kathleen had two dulcimers and she offered to lend me one. So, I borrowed it and a year later I got it out from under the bed, wiped the dust off, and gave it back to her. So, I really don’t deserve one because I have even less free time now than I did then. However, she died about 7 years ago and I wonder sometimes where those dulcimers are.
    AMDG

    Reply
  6. Mac

    Reminds me of the time I bought a pennywhistle. I did learn one or two songs, sort of.

    Reply
  7. Janet Cupo

    Well, I have a nice wooden recorder, too.
    AMDG

    Reply
  8. Mac

    Which you know how to play?

    Reply
  9. Louise

    we have any number of unplayed and unloved instruments here.

    Reply
  10. Janet Cupo

    I did used to be able to play the recorder a bit, but not well. I remember that there was one song that was rather difficult that I used to practice, but I don’t remember what it was. This was when I only had one of the children’s plastic recorders. The wooden one needs some sort of special treatment, and I never could bring myself to do all I needed to do to play it.
    AMDG

    Reply
  11. Janet

    I was thinking about the refrain to this song in relationship to Descent into Hell.
    AMDG

    Reply

Leave a reply to Janet Cancel reply

Instagram / TikTok / X

Designed with WordPress