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O Death, also known as O, Death, Oh Death and Conversations with Death, is a traditional American folk song. Indiana University Press' The Journal of Folklore Research features articles in a 2004 issue asserting that "O, Death" is Lloyd Chandler's song "A Conversation with Death", which he performed for several years while preaching in Appalachia.^[1]^[2]

Recordings

Country blues banjo player Moran Lee "Dock" Boggs recorded the song in the late 1920s.^[3] A recording from the 1938 National Folk Festival (United States) held in Washington, D.C. is on file with the Library of Congress.^[4] Various folk music artists included O, Death on musical collections throughout the 1970s and '80s.^[5] It is sung in the 1976 Barbara Kopple documentary Harlan County, USA.

Among the most famous recordings is Ralph Stanley's version in the 2000 Coen brothers film (and soundtrack album) O Brother, Where Art Thou?, for which Stanley won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2002.^[5] The soundtrack's producer, T-Bone Burnett, originally asked for a banjo version emulating Dock Boggs, but Stanley convinced him otherwise with an a cappella rendition in the style of the Appalachian Primitive Baptist Universalist church.^[6] The song also appears in episode 7 of the second season of television series Fargo, inspired by another Coen brothers film of the same name. The version used in the episode was recorded by Shakey Graves and Monica Martin of PHOX.

O, Death has appeared twice in American television series Supernatural, both times in connection with the show's personification of Death, portrayed by Julian Richings. The 2010 episode "Two Minutes to Midnight" featured a version by Jen Titus; Lisa Berry performed the song in character as Billie in the 2015 episode "Form and Void".

Other versions

Kaleidoscope, on Side Trips (1967).
Faun Fables, on reissue of Early Song (2004).
Sam Amidon, on All is Well (2008).
Gangstagrass, on Broken Hearts and Stolen Money (2014).
A Hill to Die Upon recorded an extreme metal variant with harpist Timbre on Holy Despair (2014).
Joshua Eustis (formerly of Telefon Tel Aviv), under the moniker "Sons of Magdalene" on Move to Pain (2014).^[7]
John Cygan as protagonist Silas Greaves in the video game Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (2015).
Bitter End, on "Illusions of Dominance" (2015).
Rising Appalachia with a spoken word interlude by Theresa Davis, on Wider Circles (2015).
Amy van Roekel, for the video game Until Dawn (2015).
Camper Van Beethoven performed the song although greatly changing most of the lyrics and melody.
Jennifer Titusa well-known name around the CW, about singing the song. She recorded a preview of the song on her iPhone and sent it to him. Donovan was extremely impressed, and upon a slight re-write of the lyrics to fit the show better, Titus came into the studio and recorded the official version. CW Staff members recorded the humming heard in the song and Leonard Richardson, the executive in charge of music on the CW, mixed the track.Source. The song is later heard during Death's entrance in Chicago in 5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight.
Lisa Berry In 2015 actress recorded a version of the song that was layed over a special extended trailer made by the Supernatural production team, titled The Family Business... In 11.02 Form and Void, the character Billie (portrayed by Lisa Berry), a reaper performs a rendition of the song.

Lyrics

As a folk song, lyric variations of O, Death are common. Presented here are the lyrics sung by Ralph Stanley in his Grammy-winning performance in O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

O, Death
O, Death
O, Death
Won't you spare me over another year
Well what is this that I can't see
With ice cold hands takin' hold of me
Well I am Death, none can excel
I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell
Whoa, Death someone would pray
Could you wait to call me another day
The children prayed, the preacher preached
Time and mercy is out of your reach
I'll fix your feet til you can't walk
I'll lock your jaw til you can't talk
I'll close your eyes so you can't see
This very hour, come and go with me
I'm Death I come to take the soul
Leave the body and leave it cold
To draw up the flesh off of the frame
Dirt and worm both have a claim

O, Death
O, Death
Won't you spare me over another
My mother came to my bed
Placed a cold towel upon my head
My head is warm my feet are cold
Death is a-movin' upon my soul
Oh, Death how you're treatin' me
You've close my eyes so I can't see
Well you're hurtin' my body
You make me cold
You run my life right outta my soul

Oh Death please consider my age
Please don't take me at this stage
My wealth is all at your command
If you will move your icy hand
The old, the young, the rich or poor
All alike to me you know
No wealth, no land, no silver no gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul

O, Death
O, Death
Won't you spare me over til another year
Won't you spare me over til another year
Won't you spare me over til another year

Preceded by Solitary Man by Johnny Cash	Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for Ralph Stanley 2002	Succeeded by Give My Love to Rose by Johnny Cash

External links

References

^ Smith, Hazel (April 25, 2005). "HOT DISH: The Preacher and the Song". CMT.com. Country Music Television. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ Lindahl, Carl (May–August 2004). "Thrills and Miracles: Legends of Lloyd Chandler". Journal of Folklore Research. 41. Indiana University Press: 133–171. doi:10.2979/JFR.2004.41.2-3.133. ISSN 0737-7037. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ "Wichita Eagle - Song 'Oh, Death' dates back to the late 1920s and was also recorded by Bessie Jones & Georgia Sea Island Singers for the Library of Congress".
^ http://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.3281
^ ^a ^b Wichita Eagle, Op. cit.
^ "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 57.
^ https://sonsofmagdalene.bandcamp.com/track/o-death

[cmt-1] Smith, Hazel (April 25, 2005). "HOT DISH: The Preacher and the Song". CMT.com. Country Music Television. Retrieved 2008-12-28.

[lind-2] Lindahl, Carl (May–August 2004). "Thrills and Miracles: Legends of Lloyd Chandler". Journal of Folklore Research. 41. Indiana University Press: 133–171. doi:10.2979/JFR.2004.41.2-3.133. ISSN 0737-7037. Retrieved 2008-12-28.

[3] "Wichita Eagle - Song 'Oh, Death' dates back to the late 1920s and was also recorded by Bessie Jones & Georgia Sea Island Singers for the Library of Congress".

[4] ttp://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.3281

[Wichita_Eagle,_Op._cit.-5] Wichita Eagle, Op. cit.

[6] "Old-Time Man" interview by Don Harrison June 2008 Virginia Living, p. 57.

[7] ttps://sonsofmagdalene.bandcamp.com/track/o-death

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@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 *[[Amy van Roekel]], for the video game ''[[Until Dawn]]'' (2015).
 *[[Camper Van Beethoven]] performed the song although greatly changing most of the lyrics and melody.
+*[[Jennifer Titus]]a well-known name around the [[CW]], about singing the song. She recorded a preview of the song on her iPhone and sent it to him. Donovan was extremely impressed, and upon a slight re-write of the lyrics to fit the show better, Titus came into the studio and recorded the official version. CW Staff members recorded the humming heard in the song and  Leonard Richardson, the executive in charge of music on the CW, mixed the track.[http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/death-becomes-cw-promo-maven_5938 Source]. The song is later heard during [[Death]]'s entrance in Chicago in [[5.21 Two Minutes to Midnight]].
+*[[Lisa Berry]] In 2015 actress recorded a version of the song that was layed over a special extended trailer made by the ''Supernatural'' production team, titled ''[https://vimeo.com/141091877 The Family Business...]'' In [[11.02 Form and Void]], the character [[Billie]] (portrayed by Lisa Berry), a [[reaper]] performs a rendition of the song.
 ==Lyrics==