The Knoxville Girl
Encyclopedia
"The Knoxville Girl" is an Appalachian murder ballad
. It is derived from the 19th century Irish ballad The Wexford Girl, itself derived from the earlier English ballad "The Oxford Girl". Other versions are known as the "Waxweed Girl", "The Wexford Murder". These are in turn derived from Elizabethan era
poem or broadside ballad, "The Cruel Miller".
Although the lyrics are less explicit than those for "The Wexford Girl", the song is generally considered to be creepier or spookier in its rendition.
Intro lyrics:
Possibly modelled on the 17th century broadside William Grismond's Downfall, or A Lamentable Murther by him Committed at Lainterdine in the county of Hereford on March 12 1650: Together with his lamentation., sometimes known as The Bloody Miller.
Related or derived broadsides include:
Murder ballad
Murder ballads are a sub-genre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath...
. It is derived from the 19th century Irish ballad The Wexford Girl, itself derived from the earlier English ballad "The Oxford Girl". Other versions are known as the "Waxweed Girl", "The Wexford Murder". These are in turn derived from Elizabethan era
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
poem or broadside ballad, "The Cruel Miller".
Although the lyrics are less explicit than those for "The Wexford Girl", the song is generally considered to be creepier or spookier in its rendition.
Intro lyrics:
- I met a little girl in Knoxville,
- A town we all know well,
- And every Sunday evening,
- Out in her home I’d dwell.
Possibly modelled on the 17th century broadside William Grismond's Downfall, or A Lamentable Murther by him Committed at Lainterdine in the county of Hereford on March 12 1650: Together with his lamentation., sometimes known as The Bloody Miller.
Related or derived broadsides include:
- "Hanged I Shall Be" (Philip Henry's Diaries and Letters, 20 February 1684, ed. M. H. Lee, 1882, p.323)
- "Rose Connelley", (various spellings, also known as "Down in the Willow GardenDown in the Willow Garden"Down in the Willow Garden", also known as "Rose Connelly" is a traditional Appalachian murder ballad about a man facing the gallows for the murder of his lover: he gave her poisoned wine, stabbed her, and threw her in a river. It originated in the 19th century, probably in Ireland, before becoming...
").
Recorded by
- Earliest recording in 1924
- The Blue Sky Boys (1937)
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Sampled by
- Plan B in the bootleg mash-up "Paint It Blacker" (2007) as a reference to violent music existing before modern rap.
Parodied by
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, as "Yonkers Girl". - GG AllinGG AllinKevin Michael "GG" Allin was an American punk rock singer-songwriter, who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. GG Allin is perhaps best remembered for his notorious live performances, which often featured transgressive acts, including coprophagia, self-mutilation, and...
on his album "Carnival of Excess," as "Watch Me Kill"