Album: Clinch Mountain Bluegrass (1951)

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• In constant sorrow all my days
  
  I am a man of constant sorrow
  I've seen trouble all my days
  I bid farewell to old Kentucky
  The state where I was borned and raised
  (The state where he was borned and raised)
  
  For six long years I've been in trouble
  No pleasure here on earth I find
  For in this world I'm bound to ramble
  I have no friends to help me now
  (He has no friends to help him now)
  
  You can bury me in some deep valley
  For many years where I may lay
  Then you may learn to love another
  While I am sleeping in my grave
  (While he is sleeping in his grave)
  
  Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger
  My face you never will see no more
  But there is one promise that is given
  I'll meet you on God's golden shore
  (He'll meet you on God's golden shore) Writer/s: John Allen, Scott Mills, Traditional, Victor Carrera
  Publisher: ACUM Ltd., Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 16

• Mario from TucsonAnything done by the Coen brothers must be seen through the lens of irony. If they are alluding to Greek mythology they do it tongue in cheek. The actual song itself, the haunting A Man of Constant Sorrows, arises from the deeply moving Christianity of the Appalachian Scotch-Irish. Please, Americans, try to dig through the shallow soil of pop culture and find the rich treasure of your country.
• Fred from Boise, IdahoThat's an interesting story. I'm not sure of the accuracy as Rosemary only had one brother who survived to adulthood, Nicholas Joseph, who happened to be the father of George. She did have a younger brother named Andy, but he died in a swimming accident at age 15. I'm not quite sure who was singing in Southwest Ohio with you but he was likely not a brother to Rosemary.
• Jamie Bowles from Nashville, Tn, UsaI can attest to the fact that Rosemary definitely did NOT get all the musical talent in the family!
  I was in the best Country band in Southwest Ohio in 1990, with Joe Clooney (Rosemary's kid brother), and he SINGS HIS AZZOFF. And plays great drums while doin' it. If George has never been out to see his Uncle Joe work, he's missin' out.
• Camille from Toronto, OhOne of THEE best moments in Grammy history was the reaction of the lead singer, Dan Tyminski, when they announced 'Man of Constant Sorrow' to be 'Best Country Collaboration with Vocals' (2001). You could tell he was beyond amazed; he started to stand up, but the moment overwhelmed him and he sat back down, shaking his head, his big smile beaming across his face. It was as if he couldn't quite believe it. I'll never forget seeing that on TV.
• Jim from West Palm Beach, FlThe song is a real life reflection of a bluegrass musician from Kentucky of the early 20th century. He was miner and logger who was robbed, shot and ended up blind. His only means of income was his music.
• Eisso from Groningen, NetherlandsOf course the Odyssey is not a novel, but an ancient epic. Indeed, Odysseus (Ulysses) is called all the time 'the much-troubled' as an epitheton, but this song isn't really based on the Odyssey, it's only associated with it by the 'Brother'-movie.
• Thomas from Somerville, AlGood song, Good movie. It really opened up the bluegrass genre to American music. A task that needed doing.
• Henry O. Godwinn from Wheeling, WvI really like this version. Bob Dylan's cover is just too whiney (and I like Dylan). Dan Tyminiski from Union Station actually sang it. Don't know if Clooney can sing but I kinda doubt it.
• Sarah from Nashville, TnKentucky bluegrass fiddler Dick Burnett wrote the song in 1913. Emry Arthur first recorded it in 1928, but it was made famous by Ralph Stanley and the Stanley Brothers in 1950. Bob Dylan and Waylon Jennings recorded a version (as did Peter, Paul, and Mary). Rod Stewart didn't record his version until 1969. As a child of bluegrass, this song has been around for a while. I remember hearing it played as a very young girl.
• Gabe from Arlington, VaOn "The Rod Stewart Album" Rod is listed as the writer. Obviously, they should have listed him as the arranger for that version, and not the writer.
• Allan from Vanderhoof, CanadaI've heard that Clooney was being approached after the movie came out by people thinking he was singing because he did such a great job lip-syncing. As anyone who has tried to sing along with their favourite song on the radio can testify, good syncing ain't easy. Kudos to George.
• Tim from Charlotte, NcThe Emry Arthur version was recorded in 1929.
• Tim from Charlotte, NcThis is a traditional Folk Song. The earliest recording I could find was by EMRY ARTHUR on the album "Man Of Constant Sorrow
  and Other Timeless Mountain Ballads
  Classic Recordings of the 1920s and 30s" on the Yazoo label.
  
  It also appears on Bob Dylan's first album in 1962 (which was mostly folk covers) and the "No Direction Home" soundtrack. Also recorded by Joan Baez, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Rod Stewart, and many others.
• Ørjan from Bergen, NorwaySong released by Rod Stewart in 1969 on the album "An Old Raincoat Wont Ever Let You Down"/"The Rod Stewart Album" (UK/US)
• Linus from Hamilton, On, CanadaThis was so popular in Australia that it reached #96 on the Triple J Hot 100
• Dennis from Anchorage, AkI heard a great story that George Clooney sang this while they were shooting the scene and even though he knew he sounded awful he pretended to think he'd done a great job just to tease the producers. He has said in interviews that his aunt (big band great Rosemary Clooney) got all the musical talent in the family.

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