Have we done anything on murder songs? We should. This one isn’t exactly murder but the threat is refreshingly explicit.
I wonder how many real murders have been directly – inspired isn’t quite the word here – influenced shall we say – by songs? It must have happened a few times. Music has been a major player in various murder cults of course, and war of course, but individuals who committed murder under the influence of a song – how rare is that? Inquiring minds want to know.
Anyway, Sonny Boy II has his very own blues style, and I happen to think that he’s one of the greatest singers ever, not to mention maybe the best harp player, both instantly recognizable at any rate, and his band swings the blues good.
Good song! I didn’t know it.
My immediate answer to your query was Charles Manson and Helter Skelter. That’s an obvious one. They even called the book about it by the song name.
But a little internet searching led to this. Most of which I wasn’t familiar with, but Marilyn Manson and Columbine rings a bell. http://listverse.com/2014/06/24/10-attempts-to-blame-murder-on-music/
Also on Long Island in the 80’s there was a music (Metallica, AC/DC) angle to a teen murder. I dunno, I’m dead set against censorship from outside, but it does seem like some of the “artists” mentioned went out of their way to provoke disturbed people. To me there is a clear distinction between that and Sonny Boy, or Neil Young, Johnny Cash and “Hey Joe.”
The Northport Satanic Murders, by Ricky Kasso. Yes, he wore an AC/DC t-shirt when he was arrested, and was a fan of Ozzy, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. My taste for this sort of thing varies, depending on my sense of the “artist’s” motivation, but reading about this one it’s hard to see the music as any sort of cause. These guys were just messed up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Kasso
There has to be at least 50 versions of the Stagger Lee legend. Here’s my favorite:
Great one, Tom.