Banks of the Ohio

19th-century murder ballad

"Banks of the Ohio"[1][2] (Roud 157, Laws F5), also known as "Down on the Banks of the Ohio" and "I'll Never Be Yours",[3] is a 19th-century murder ballad, written by unknown authors. The lyrics tell of "Willie" who invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal, and once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman.

The song was first recorded by country musicians such as Clarence Horton Greene in 1927, and has been performed by many country and folk singers since. Olivia Newton-John released a version in 1971 and her recording reached No. 1 in Australia and No. 6 in the UK.

## Background

[edit]

The song is similar to other murder ballads in the idiom of songs such as "The Lexington Murder" and "The Knoxville Girl".[4] These ballads may be traced back to the British broadside tradition of songs dated to at least the end of 18th century, such as "The Oxford Girl" and "The Berkshire Tragedy" (Roud 263; Laws P35), songs that may have been based on real events. In these songs, the murderer posing as the narrator asked a girl to walk with him to talk about marriage; he then attacked and killed her, throwing her body into the river, a crime for which he would be hanged.[3][5][6][7]

"Banks of the Ohio" also has some superficial similarity to "Omie Wise" and "Pretty Polly", songs which are also generally narrated in the first person by a killer called Willie, but differing significantly in the narrative; the killer explains why he killed his love, and spends much of the song expressing his sorrow and regret. Musically, it is distinguished by a long refrain which calmly reflects the love and the hopes for the future which he felt before the murder.[8] This gives a different psychological tone to the song, and accompanying singers (or indeed the audience) the possibility of singing along in chorus.

Another, less-well-known version of the song is entitled "On the Banks of the Old Pedee".[9] The lyrics of "Banks of the Ohio" are sometimes adapted for a female singer.[10]

Commercial recordings of the song started in August 1927 with a country version by Red Patterson's Piedmont Log Rollers (as "Down by the Banks of the Ohio"),[4] and by Grayson and Whitter (as "I'll Never Be Yours") the same year as one of their first recordings for Gennett.[3] Other early country music stars who recorded the song included Ernest Stoneman (1928), Clayton McMichen (1931), The Callahan Brothers (1934), The Blue Sky Boys (1936), and The Monroe Brothers (1936).[4] The Blue Sky Boys partly rearranged the song and their version appears on the soundtrack of the 1973 film Paper Moon.[11]

## Olivia Newton-John version

[edit]

"Banks of the Ohio"

US single of the Olivia Newton-John recording

Single by Olivia Newton-John
from the album  If Not for You
Released| October 1971
Genre| Pop
Length| 3:15
Label| Decca
Songwriter(s)| Traditional
Producer(s)| Bruce Welch, John Farrar
Olivia Newton-John singles chronology
| "If Not for You"
(1971)  | "Banks of the Ohio"
(1971)  | "What Is Life"
(1972)

|
|

Official audio
"Banks of the Ohio" (Remastered 2022) on YouTube

Olivia Newton-John recorded an arrangement of the song by John Farrar and Bruce Welch in 1971, for her album If Not for You. It was released as the second single from the album after its title track "If Not for You", and it became her first number one hit in Australia, reaching the top of the Go-Set Chart in November 1971.[12] It was also successful in the UK, peaking at number 6, but failed to reach the top 40 in Canada and the US, peaking at number 69 and 94, respectively.[13][14] The distinctive bass backing vocals were provided by English musician and vocal session arranger Mike Sammes.[15]

In Newton-John's version, the prospective bride murders her male lover, after he refuses to marry her.

### Track listing

[edit]

1. "Banks of the Ohio" – 3:15
2. "Love Song" – 3:44

### Charts

[edit]

Chart (1971)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Go-Set)[12] | 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] | 66
Germany (GfK)[16] | 13
Ireland (IRMA)[17] | 9
New Zealand (Listener Chart)[18] | 3
South Africa[19] | 9
UK Singles (OCC)[20] | 6
US Cashbox[21] | 94
US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 94
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[23] | 34

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[24] | Gold  | 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Other recordings

[edit]

The song was recorded for the American folk music revival market by Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1953) and by the traditional singer Ruby Vass on a 1959 field recording made by Alan Lomax and issued on the LP (and subsequent CD) series Southern Journey.[citation needed] It was recorded several times by Joan Baez: in 1959 as the opening track for the album Folksingers 'Round Harvard Square; in 1961 in her album Joan Baez, Vol. 2; on the 1968 Newport Folk Festival album; and other recordings. It was included on the 2011 CD compilation Voice of the People.[25]

Lomax made a further field recording, in 1961, at his New York City apartment, featuring veteran singer Clarence Ashley, accompanied by Fred Price (fiddle), and Clint Howard and Doc Watson (guitars). The recording, filmed by George Pickow and with sound by Jean Ritchie, was later used by Anna Lomax Wood for the short film Ballads, Blues and Bluegrass.[26] Another recording by this group was issued on Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's reissued as Original Folkways Recordings: 1960–1962 (1994). Also for Folkways, Doc Watson performed the song as a duet with Bill Monroe in 1963.

Tony Rice recorded the song on his eponymous 1977 album. A Swedish version, recorded by Ann-Louise Hanson, is entitled "Tag emot en utsträckt hand".[27]

Other folk revival artists who recorded the song included the New Lost City Ramblers and Pete Seeger. Artists who returned the song to country music audiences included Johnny Cash with The Carter Family and Porter Wagoner. Other recordings were made by The Wolfe Tones, Arlo Guthrie (as "Arloff Boguslavaki", on the 1972 Earl Scruggs album I Saw the Light), Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers, Mike Ireland and Holler, Gangstagrass featuring Alexa Dirks also giving a faithful rendition on their 2014 album Broken Hearts and Stolen Money. Dolly Parton recorded the song in 2013, for her album Blue Smoke.[citation needed]

The song appears in, and gives the title for, the 2013 album Oh, Willie, Please... a collection of folk murder ballads, by alt-folk musical project Vandaveer. The band made a live 78 acetate recording in 2011.[28][29]

A Czech version, entitled "Náklaďák", was recorded by Petra Černocká, as a single in 1975[30] and was later recorded as the title track for her 1994 album.[31]

A German version, titled "Das Haus am Rhein" was released in Michael Holm's 1981 album "Im Jahr der Liebe".[citation needed]

A Slovenian version, titled "Dravski most" (The Drava Bridge) was recorder by Neca Falk in 1994. The lyrics were adapted by a well known Slovenian singer-songwriter Tomaž Domicelj.[32]

## Legacy

[edit]

The song and its title served as the theme song for, and title of, a long-running radio series broadcast of bluegrass music on WAMU-PBS and Bluegrass Country, hosted by Fred Bartenstein and produced for the International Bluegrass Music Museum, near the Ohio River in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Michigan bluegrass singer Missy Armstrong has recorded a play on this song entitled "Ain't Going Down to the River", in which the female singer recognizes that in too many songs, girls get killed at the banks of too many rivers.[33]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Laws F5
2. ^ Roud 157
3. ^ a b c Beckworth, Josh (2018). Always Been a Rambler. McFarland Inc. pp. 171–172\. ISBN 9781476631868.
4. ^ a b c Erbsen, Wayne (2011). Rural Roots of Bluegrass. Mel Bay Publications. p. 51\. ISBN 9781609745462.
5. ^ "Wexford Girl, The (The Oxford, Lexington, or Knoxville Girl; The Cruel Miller; etc.) [Laws P35]".
6. ^ "6. The Berkshire Tragedy (Cruel Miller; Lexington Murder; Butcher Boy; Bloody Miller; Wexford Girl; Oxford Girl; Knoxville Girl )". Bluegrass Messengers.
7. ^ "The Bloody Miller". Musical Traditions.
8. ^ "Banks of the Ohio - Johnny Cash". metrolyrics.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
9. ^ Bratcher, James T. (December 25, 1973). Analytical Index to Publications of the Texas Folklore Society. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 9780870741357 – via Google Books.
10. ^ "Banks of the Ohio - Dolly Parton". genius.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
11. ^ Spottswood, Dick (2018). The Blue Sky Boys. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496816429.
12. ^ a b "Go-Set Australian charts - 13 November 1971". www.poparchives.com.au.
13. ^ Viglione, Joe. "Olivia Newton-John – If Not for You". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
14. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7595." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
15. ^ Ewbank, Tim (2008). Olivia: The Biography of Olivia Newton-John. Hachette UK. ISBN 9780748110254.
16. ^ "Olivia Newton-John – Banks of the Ohio" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
17. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Banks of the Ohio". Irish Singles Chart.
18. ^ "Olivia Newton-John (search)". Flavour of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
19. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". www.rock.co.za.
20. ^ "Olivia Newton-John: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
21. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014).  Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
22. ^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
23. ^ "Olivia Newton-John Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
24. ^ "International" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 2 December 1979. p. 8. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
25. ^ "The Joan Baez Web Pages". Joanbaez.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
26. ^ "Clarence Ashley with Doc Watson: The Banks of the Ohio (1961)". YouTube. 2012-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
27. ^ Lennart Ljung (2015-08-11), Ann-Louise Hanson - Tag emot en utsträckt hand (1990), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2017-09-01
28. ^ "Vandaveer - Oh Willie Please (New Album) - PledgeMusic Launch Video". YouTube. 2012-04-22. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
29. ^ The 78 Project PRO (2012-03-19). "The 78 Project: Vandaveer - "Banks of the Ohio" on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 2014-06-14.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
30. ^ "Petra Černocká - Náklaďák (The Banks Of The Ohio)" – via www.45cat.com.
31. ^ "Diskografie Petra Černocká - Album Náklaďák". Písničky Akordy.
32. ^ "Neca Falk- Dravski most / Banks of the Ohio". YouTube. 16 October 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
33. ^ Armstrong, Missy (2019-04-19). "Ain't Going Down to the River". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-04-23.

## External links

[edit]

* Banks of the Ohio radio and Internet series[usurped]

* v
* t
* e

Olivia Newton-John

* Albums
* Singles
* Videography
* Tours
* Awards and honours

Studio albums|

* If Not for You
* Olivia
* Let Me Be There
* Long Live Love
* Have You Never Been Mellow
* Clearly Love
* Come On Over
* Don't Stop Believin'
* Making a Good Thing Better
* Totally Hot
* Physical
* Soul Kiss
* The Rumour
* Warm and Tender
* Gaia: One Woman's Journey
* Back with a Heart
* 2
* Indigo: Women of Song
* Stronger Than Before
* Grace and Gratitude
* Christmas Wish
* A Celebration in Song
* This Christmas
* Liv On
* Friends for Christmas

Compilations|

* If You Love Me, Let Me Know
* First Impressions
* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits Vol. 2
* Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992
* The Definitive Collection
* Magic
* Gold
* 40/40: The Best Selection
* Hopelessly Devoted: The Hits
* Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. 1)
* Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. 2)

Live albums|

* Love Performance
* Highlights from The Main Event
* One Woman's Live Journey
* Olivia's Live Hits
* Two Strong Hearts Live

Soundtracks|

* Grease
* Xanadu
* Two of a Kind
* A Few Best Men

EPs|

* Hotel Sessions

Video releases|

* Olivia Physical
* Olivia in Concert
* Twist of Fate
* Soul Kiss
* Olivia Down Under
* The Main Event
* Video Gold
* Live at the Sydney Opera House

Singles|

* "Till You Say You'll Be Mine"
* "If Not for You"
* "Banks of the Ohio"
* "What Is Life"
* "Just a Little Too Much"
* "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
* "Let Me Be There"
* "Long Live Love"
* "I Honestly Love You"
* "If You Love Me, Let Me Know"
* "Have You Never Been Mellow"
* "Please Mr. Please"
* "Something Better to Do"
* "Let It Shine"
* "Come on Over"
* "Jolene"
* "Don't Stop Believin'"
* "Every Face Tells a Story"
* "Sam"
* "Making a Good Thing Better"
* "You're the One That I Want"
* "Hopelessly Devoted to You"
* "Summer Nights"
* "A Little More Love"
* "Deeper Than the Night"
* "Totally Hot"/"Dancin' Round and Round"
* "I Can't Help It"
* "Rest Your Love on Me"
* "Magic"
* "Xanadu"
* "Suddenly"
* "Physical"
* "Make a Move on Me"
* "Landslide"
* "Heart Attack"
* "Tied Up"
* "Twist of Fate"
* "Take a Chance"
* "Livin' in Desperate Times"
* "Soul Kiss"
* "The Best of Me"
* "The Rumour"
* "Reach Out for Me"
* "When You Wish Upon a Star"
* "The Grease Megamix"
* "Grease: The Dream Mix"
* "I Need Love"

Featured singles|

* "You Have to Believe"

Other songs|

* "Me and Bobby McGee"
* "If"
* "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
* "If You Could Read My Mind"
* "Angel of the Morning"
* "Everything I Own"
* "God Only Knows"
* "The Air That I Breathe"
* "Love Is Alive"
* "Ring of Fire"
* "Slow Dancing"

Concert tours|

* Physical Tour
* One Woman's Journey Tour
* Heartstrings World Tour
* A Summer Night with ONJ
* Summer Nights
* Two Strong Hearts Live

Related articles|

* Toomorrow (soundtrack)
* Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You
* Max Born
* Pat Carroll
* John Farrar
* Tottie Goldsmith
* Chloe Lattanzi (daughter)
* Matt Lattanzi (first husband)
* Emerson Newton-John (nephew)

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