Two songs, two such characters. The first writes a letter. The second, stars in a murder drama from centuries ago.

I heard "The Letter" by Don and Dewey only once, as a child rolling newspapers in the middle of the night (when the disc jockeys would play anything they liked).

I never forgot it.

Sonny Bono worked with Don and Dewey, hence this version by Caesar and Cleo (Sonny and Cher) prior to "Sonny and Cher".

It's a very short letter and a very mean letter. This is a different kind of violence than that of previous posts, but it's violence none the less.

The final two lines are incredibly cruel.

"The Letter" Caesar and Cleo (Sonny and Cher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZMWEJj5OE



"Barbara Allen" is thought to be the oldest English language song, predating Shakespeare by at least a century.

There are apparently thousands of versions of "Barbara Allen"; as it passed from locale to locale, verses were subtracted and added. That practice continued as the song came to America.

The Everly Brothers version is my favorite, recorded with the teenage brothers accompanied only by Don on guitar. It's from the album "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us". It's easy to imagine them singing "Barbara Allen" on their front porch.

It probably would have been my favorite version just because it's the Everlys, but I love it mostly because of the lyrics.

The final two verses of the version that made it to Kentucky elevate the song to masterpiece status.

They encompass everthing I hope for (but will never achieve) in a lyric.


"Barbara Allen" Everly Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPCIU3bpig