Remembering Michael Hurley: Folk Legend Performs in Democracy Now! Studio in 2020

AMY GOODMAN: That is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Struggle and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.

The legendary people singer Michael Hurley has died on the age of 83. Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1941, he had a exceptional profession that started within the ’60s within the Greenwich people music scene. He continued performing up till his sudden dying. Final week, Michael Hurley traveled from his dwelling in Astoria, Oregon, to Knoxville, Tennessee, to carry out on the celebrated Large Ears Competition. His final New York look was in November on the Brooklyn Folks Competition.

Michael Hurley recorded his first album in 1963 for the long-lasting Folkways label, the house of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and numerous others. The album was recorded on the identical reel-to-reel machine that taped Lead Stomach’s final classes. One music of be aware was “The Werewolf,” which might later be coated by Cat Energy, one in every of many musical acts that discovered inspiration in Hurley’s music.

Michael Hurley wouldn’t report once more till 1971, when he launched his main label debut, Armchair Boogie. Whereas it offered poorly on the time, the album is seen at the moment as a basic. The album additionally featured Hurley’s distinct art work. He was a notable watercolor artist and cartoonist.

Over the past half-century, Michael Hurley would go on to launch dozens of extra albums, many on small impartial labels, some even self-released. Whereas he by no means turned a family title, Michael Hurley’s music impressed many musicians. He turned generally known as the “Godfather of freak people.” Lately, his music popped up in some stunning locations, from the HBO sequence and movie Deadwood to the movie Depart No Hint, the place he carried out his music “O My Stars” at a bonfire.

Forward of final week’s Large Ears Competition, the organizers mentioned, quote, “Hurley’s music sounds outdated, prefer it has at all times existed, and concurrently singular, like one thing you’ve by no means heard anybody else play fairly like that earlier than,” unquote.

Nicely, in 2020, simply weeks earlier than the COVID pandemic, Michael Hurley stopped by our Democracy Now! studios. The preliminary plan was for him simply to report a number of songs. He ended up staying within the studio for over an hour for what turned out to be an impromptu live performance and dialogue about his life and music, although we weren’t arrange for a conventional interview. Michael Hurley started by performing his music “New River Blues.”

MICHAEL HURLEY: [performing “New River Blues”] As the brand new river flows within the night time
Someplace, honey, some outdated hog is stompin’ on the bathroom
Like a free, like a free stream of sunshine
My coronary heart jumps straight to you tonight

Trigger you’re fairly, lordy is aware of, and also you’re truthful
And you appear to be you form of linger there
Like a scorching, like a scorching burnin’ flame
My coronary heart jumps straight to you once more

For I knew, lordy is aware of, that you just’re youg
And the New River circulation ‘around the city
And the king-fisher fishin’ within the shoal
My coronary heart jumps straight proper out of my soul

A catfish, catfish on the underside
I’m up right here with the blues, lordy is aware of that I received ’em
I hope the moonbeams shine right down to you
So you would see your method the entire night time via

Because the New River flows within the night time
Someplace, honey, some ol’ hog is stompin’ on the bathroom
Like a free, like a free stream of sunshine
My coronary heart jumps straight to you tonight.

[performing “The Rue of Ruby Whores”]

I wakened on a summer time’s day
From dozin’ on a financial institution of clay
The recent and humid fog
The splashin’ of the water canine
Lo come a warfare canoe
And standing within the bow have been you

Inform me buddy in case you received the time
The place on this woods does develop the healin’ vine
And I used to be searchin’ for my love
Who used to stay within the hills above
And I don’t stay in any respect
No by no means since my final downfall

Over yonder within the briar patch
The animal lives there in a gap
And ne’er within the solar will stir
However come the autumn of evenin’ gray
Leaps and jumps away

Standin’ on the mountain aspect
Simply tryin’ to get slightly style o’ rain
My folks used to stay right here
And I really feel the identical as they do
For I did dwell right here too

There she be and she or he see me
Driftin’ in my daggone dream
They throwed my home windows and doorways
A century of distress
The Rue of Ruby whores.

[performing “Bad Monsanto”]

Monsanto, ruler of the earth
The air and water too
Have you ever ever figured
What you’re gonna do

Begin it over once more.

Monsanto, ruler of the earth
The air and water too
Have you ever ever figured
What you’re gonna do
While you discover you’ve poisoned
Even you

Monsanto, have you ever no youngsters
To stay past your time
And stay to really feel the disgrace
Of your each crime
The GMO potato that McDonald’s buys
And now it ain’t even secure
To eat a multitude of fries

Monsanto GMO canola
Corn oil and all of the soy
Can’t even discover the junk meals
That you needn’t destroy
Together with your thugs within the authorities and on the FDA
“Til each chunk of meals we eat
It’s you now we have to pay

Monsanto, do you actually suppose
We will stay with out the honey bees
Can you modify Mom Nature
For revenue as you please
Alfalfa for the cows
It’s going within the cheese
Into the infants in our mom’s wombs
Monsanto, please
Monsanto.

[performing “Wildegeeses”]

And now I see the wind
Blowin’ from northwest
And I hear these honkers once more
On their rambling quest

Over Lord’s Valley I roll like a ball
And within the wind I hear them name
Wild goose, unfastened goose, I rely all of them

Yonder stepping that ol’ light-walkin’ wolf
Hungry as at all times
Lengthy legs and lengthy ears and tail
And a protracted, lengthy will

I had an outdated goose and I attempted to maintain her
However she awake and I the sleeper
She flew away left me the weeper

However there ain’t no chill chilly wind
Blowin’ via our love nest
And I really feel your coronary heart beat once more
Within the wilderness

I had an outdated goose and I attempted to say her
It’s solely within the wildness, are you able to title her
It’s solely within the wildness, are you able to tame her.

AMY GOODMAN: Fantastic! Oh my god!

MIKE BURKE: Mike, in case you can play yet one more?

AMY GOODMAN: Hello. I simply needed to say hello. I’m Amy. I didn’t understand that was you. It’s so good to fulfill you.

MICHAEL HURLEY: It’s good to fulfill you.

AMY GOODMAN: Wow! Unbelievable!

MICHAEL HURLEY: I’ve seen you a lot occasions, Amy, on the display.

AMY GOODMAN: Oh my god! The place do you reside?

MICHAEL HURLEY: In Astoria, Oregon.

AMY GOODMAN: Michael, do you suppose the music scene has modified within the final half a century?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Absolutely, yeah. There’s much more music. There are much more musicians, it looks like, too.

AMY GOODMAN: What was it like within the ’60s and ’70s once you began recording?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Nicely, for the distinction, I keep in mind after I began enjoying the guitar, like in my highschool, there was one man who performed the guitar, and it was so uncommon, that they despatched him round to the completely different lecture rooms to play the guitar for the scholars. And I began enjoying guitar, truly, after he did. After which, after I was studying, if I used to be driving round, like with my sisters or some buddies, we’d go to a distinct city or one thing, we’d see any person strolling down the road with a guitar, we’d chase them down and say, “What’s that guitar there? What do you play on it? You realize, break it out. Let’s see it.” And now it’s so completely different, that it nearly looks like each American should personal a guitar. It’s factor to provide any person. And —

AMY GOODMAN: Who most affected you once you began?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Oh, I feel Lead Stomach. And he was round in my locality.

AMY GOODMAN: In Bucks County?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Yeah, he got here on — he was in New York, you recognize, with, like, the folks neighborhood. However he typically got here to Bucks County, as a result of he was recorded by this man, Fred Ramsey, who ended up recording me. And people information have been round. and I began listening to a variety of John Lee Hooker, but additionally Hank Williams. And my dad and mom had a variety of — they’d a variety of jazz information, like Fat Waller and Jelly Roll Morton and Josh White. Josh White was one of many few blues singers who was out there on report, you recognize, within the ’40s and ’50s, apart from like labels like Folkways. However after I began to get actually focused on blues, there was possibly — might solely discover out instantly about, you recognize, 5 blues singers, you recognize, 5 those who made blues information, and that was the folks on the Chess label in Chicago, I feel, like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. And, in fact, rock ‘n’ roll was simply busting out round that point and Chuck Berry.

AMY GOODMAN: What was the primary music you sang right here this morning?

MICHAEL HURLEY: It’s my music referred to as “The New River Blues.”

AMY GOODMAN: Are you able to inform us about it?

MICHAEL HURLEY: It’s the New River in — I began singing concerning the New River in North Carolina, which is likely one of the few rivers that flows north on the East, and I feel goes up via West Virginia, and it empties into the Kanawha, which empties into the Ohio River. However there’s this New River. In North Carolina, there’s a New River Valley. And that river will be like a number of inches deep, or it might make a flood that’s taking shacks off of the banks and stuff. And I lived in there alongside the New River within the northwestern North Carolina for some time.

AMY GOODMAN: And so, what’s the music referred to as?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I name it “The New River Blues.”

AMY GOODMAN: Now discuss concerning the Monsanto music.

MICHAEL HURLEY: Nicely, that’s one factor that actually bothers me, is Monsanto’s oppression of the farmers and getting this Roundup glyphosate in all of the meals. And so, I’ve at all times been making an attempt to eat wholesome meals and stuff. And also you in all probability know so much about Monsanto. And I wrote the music for — to see what I might do about it, you recognize. We had an election in Portland, Oregon, tried to get the regulation to be that Monsanto must label their meals, “This incorporates the GMO.” And I made a — I rounded up a variety of songs from different writers, you recognize, songwriters, and so I made slightly assortment of anti-Monsanto songs from my — that one which I had and others, those who — I requested lots of people to jot down songs about it. So I had slightly assortment, about six tunes, and I name it Doc GMO. And that’s on the Bandcamp. You’ll be able to obtain that without cost.

AMY GOODMAN: Michael, might you carry out “Hog of the Forsaken”?

MICHAEL HURLEY: That’s a — I can play it on the fiddle.

[performing “Hog of the Forsaken”]

An’ the Hog of the Forsaken
He be takin’ all of your dues, boy
Standin’ on the nook with the
Hip shakin’ blues, boy
That entire hit with zydeco
It gained’t go to this point
However the Hog of the Forsaken received
Boogie
Boogie
Boogie blues, boy

An’ the Hog of the Forsaken
Obtained no cause to cry
He received to chew the angels
Fallen from on excessive
Waitin’ for no reply
Bakin’ woeful pie
Pie of eyesight, pie blue-black
Whoa that pie, the pie of bye-n-bye

An’ the Hog of the Forsaken
He’ll depart you yet one more likelihood,
Which in case you gained’t be takin’
He’ll depart it for the ants
Sings out within the wilderness
Sings for buddy and foe
He sings of those and people occasions
In addition to the occasions to go

The Hog of the Forsaken
Obtained no cause to cry
He received to chew the angels
Fallen from on excessive
Waitin’ for no reply
Bakin’ woeful pie
Pie of eyesight, pie blue-black
Whoa that pie, the pie of bye-n-bye.

It’s the very first thing I can’t consider proper now.

AMY GOODMAN: That ended up being on the credit on the finish of Deadwood, the film?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Yeah, I haven’t seen that film but, however it was additionally in that sequence, of the TV sequence, the HBO sequence.

AMY GOODMAN: Yeah. May I be actually grasping and ask for “O My Stars”?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Certain.

[performing “O My Stars”]

Kiss me as soon as, oh, kiss me twice
Give me a style of paradise
I don’t want the blues at all times on my shoulder
Give me a chilly beer as I become older

O my stars, the way you undo me
O my stars
O my stars, you undo me

The solar’s happening and the sky completely different colours
Child, run see all of the completely different hues
I really feel all proper however these occasions are unhealthy
Mama run right here, assist me with these blues

O my stars, the way you undo me
O my stars
O my stars, you undo me

Appears I’m weary each night
I’ve to work day by day
However darlin’ once you throw your arms round me
I’m the place I wanna be

O my stars, the way you undo me
O my stars
O my stars, you undo me

You see that spider going up the wall
Going up there to get his ashes hauled
He taking that journey alongside the mighty prime
He studying them women the outdated spider rock

O my stars, the way you undo me
O my stars
O my stars, you undo me.

AMY GOODMAN: Bravo! That was magnificent!

MICHAEL HURLEY: That’s one in every of my most appreciated songs, I feel. It’s one in every of my — I play that almost each set that I play after I play out.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s lovely. The place’d you write it?

MICHAEL HURLEY: In Boston, after I lived there.

AMY GOODMAN: Who’d you write it about?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I feel I used to be simply writing songs.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you will have one other favourite that you just play in all places?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I’ve received this music “Knockando” I play so much.

AMY GOODMAN: Sure. The place’d you write “Knockando”?

MICHAEL HURLEY: In Amherst. I’ve a songbook that I put out a number of years in the past with lyrics of my songs, about 20 songs, I feel. And I wrote — on the backside, I put the initials of the state that I wrote it in. So, for this, I might have needed to say “MA.”

[performing “Knockando”]

I had a drink of Knockando
Oh sure I actually did
The flames that lit, they have been blue
As they recalled the pink

And I had a glass of Knockando
That is what I mentioned
You’re the fireplace, spirit fireplace
Your soul is burning good
Are you able to hear the cracklin’ coronary heart
Of the outdated pine wooden

Now in all places that I’ll roam
I’m grieving all of the whereas
From the valley the place I longst to be
I wander in exile

And I had a glass of Knockando
That is what I mentioned
You’re the fireplace, spirit fireplace
Your soul is burning good
Are you able to hear the cracklin’ coronary heart
Of the outdated pine wooden

Knockando what I dream of
In the dead of night and bloody floor
Knockando ain’t it good for you
I’ll see you throughout

And I had a glass of Knockando
That is what I mentioned
You’re the fireplace, spirit fireplace
Your soul is burning good
Are you able to hear the cracklin’ coronary heart
Of the outdated pine wooden

Go ye to the little black hill
Go once more you’ll
Sufficient for me, sufficient for you
And a glass of Knockando

And I had a glass of Knockando
That is what I mentioned
You’re the fireplace, spirit fireplace
Your soul is burning good
Are you able to hear the cracklin’ coronary heart
Of the outdated pine wooden.

AMY GOODMAN: What do you end up most within the temper for as of late along with your songs?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I simply — I’ve to play what I like. I’ve to play what I’m focused on on the time. So — 

AMY GOODMAN: Do you will have any favourite songs that others have written that you just wish to carry out?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Oh, yeah. Yeah, plenty of them. We name them covers.

AMY GOODMAN: Who do you wish to cowl?

MICHAEL HURLEY: It’s random, fairly random. May very well be something. I performed a number of covers final night time. A
buddy of mine advises me on a regular basis that after I’m performing, to not play so many covers. “Play,” she says, “what you’re — play your authentic songs. That’s what folks need to hear.” However typically what I really feel like enjoying is these — I prepare these covers, you recognize. I hear issues that I need to be taught, and I be taught them, and I need to play them.

AMY GOODMAN: Is there any you’re within the temper to play proper now?

MICHAEL HURLEY: One in all my favorites proper now’s, like — this was a music by The El Dorados within the ’50s. I like that period, so, you see, occurs to go some…

[performing “What’s Buggin’ You Baby”]

What’s buggin’ you, child?
How come you hum such as you do?
Why should you elevate a storm
And get your grew in a stew?

What’s buggin’ you, child?
You’re imply and also you’re fast on the bit
Don’t make wind, gone possibly
Don’t miss once you should hit

Each time I flips a dime
You begin blowin’ your prime
It have to be as a result of that’s your method
Everywhere in the lot

What’s buggin’ you, child?
Make with the news for the crew
Give out to your child
Child, child, what’s buggin’ you?

AMY GOODMAN: Thanks a lot, Michael Hurley! How do you’re feeling when your songs get coated, particularly by a bunch of youthful artists?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I like that so much. These days, I actually just like the — Yo La Tengo did a music of mine referred to as “Polynesia.”

AMY GOODMAN: How about Cat Energy enjoying “Sweedeedee”?

MICHAEL HURLEY: That’s actually good. I like the best way — after I hearken to her play “Sweedeedee,” I am going to a complete completely different place than my model of it. She takes you proper to a complete ’nother place. And I like — 

AMY GOODMAN: When did you write it?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Oh, about ’68, 19— I feel, 1968.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you keep in mind the place you have been?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Boston.

AMY GOODMAN: Are you able to play just a bit snippet?

MICHAEL HURLEY: It begins out with this monolog factor. I don’t know if Cat Energy does that. However after I heard her first do it, I didn’t even realize it was “Sweedeedee” ’til a few minute and a half.

[performing “Sweedeedee”]

My little lady causes me a variety of hassle typically
She worries me so unhealthy, I don’t know what to do
Take a stroll, determine the rolling of my ft come to ease my thoughts
I’ll simply go away, and I gained’t know the place I’m going

I gained’t know the place that I’m going to
However she bugger me, she bugger me, man, she’d bugger you
With you within the morning, child
“Til the first light
I do know you don’t need my coronary heart
Making an attempt to make me go away
Seem to be anyone received slightly exhausting luck someday
I do know one factor for certain, child: been having mine
Child, I been having mine.

You wash the garments, Sweedeedee, and hold ’em on the road
I can see by the best way you wash the garments, your cooking have to be effective.

That’s what that’s like.

AMY GOODMAN: What message do you will have for younger musicians?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Make authentic materials. Make what you want, follow it, and simply do it for enjoyable. For those who don’t prefer it, then no person else goes to love it. For those who prefer it, in all probability different folks will prefer it, too.

AMY GOODMAN: Ultimate query: How does it — how does it really feel to return from rural Oregon to New York Metropolis?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Nicely, it’s at all times — I’ve virtually been coming in New York all my life, you recognize? I can keep in mind being 4 or 5 years outdated, following my household across the streets. And I might fall behind. They’d say, “What occurred to him? He’s not with us.” After which they’d discover me method again trying up on the tall buildings and pondering they have been falling over as a result of the clouds have been going by. And I can — in Bucks County, it was at all times form of there to go to, so I went so much. However it’s at all times a tradition shock, and this time, too, like, particularly driving via, approaching from Jersey Metropolis and going via all the commercial advanced that’s laid out. I feel we got here in on Freeway 80 or 380 — 380 and 80, we got here. And simply trying on the density and the immensity of all the commercial stuff, you recognize, the digital stuff and the tanks and the fuel and no matter, it’s at all times a shock. And the subway is even at all times a shock, you recognize. Like final night time, that might be the primary time I’d been within the subway for possibly two years or one thing. And the inhabitants itself is — all these items — in rural Oregon, you don’t get the sense of how many individuals we’re.

AMY GOODMAN: What was the Village music scene like within the ’60s? Are you able to describe it to folks? The place have been you in New York Metropolis?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I didn’t — there’s just one 12 months that I lived within the metropolis via, however I might go to it at will. I hitchhiked into the town so much from Bucks County. And the primary scene I used to be focused on, you recognize, concerning the beatniks period. And that was — earlier than it was all people singers there entertaining, there was beatnik poets.
And that was the sport within the Village. Like, if the cafes didn’t have people singers, at first they’d beatnik poets. That’s what the vacationers got here to see.

AMY GOODMAN: Like Allen Ginsberg.

MICHAEL HURLEY: Nicely, he was one in every of them, yeah. I by no means noticed him, however I noticed a variety of the opposite ones, you recognize, particularly Jack Micheline. Bunches of them, a variety of them that you just wouldn’t by no means hear of once more. Shortly after that, it started to be a variety of people singers.

AMY GOODMAN: Are you able to play “Portland Water” for us?

MICHAEL HURLEY: [performing “Portland Water”]

The Portland water swillin’ chilly
Swill my physique however not my soul
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
They mentioned it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

Up within the canyon lookin’ down within the river
And the wind come blow and it make me shiver
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
They mentioned it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

You see these Indians lookin’ down within the water
They are saying the river is the spirit daughter
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
They mentioned it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

Nicely, I went to the zoo and I noticed the puma
My dwelling, my good house is Moctezuma
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
Stated it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

Nicely, I walked down Hawthorne, turned up outdated Belmont
Simply tryin’ to discover a honey, that’s all I would like
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
They mentioned it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

Nicely, sure, I walked down Hawthorne the place do my fishy go
Line up outdated Belmont, I holler hi-de-ho
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
Stated it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon

Nicely, the women are smilin’ and the beer is nice
However the police will shoot you lifeless on the road
Put a name as much as Portland on the general public phone
Stated it certain is rainin’ within the state of Oregon.

AMY GOODMAN: You need to sing a closing music for us?

MICHAEL HURLEY: Certain. Let’s see right here.

[performing “Let Me Be Your Junebug”]

Let me be your Junebug
Inform your dragonfly come
Let me be your Junebug
Inform your dragonfly come
I might do extra draggin’
Than the dragonfly executed

Let me be your little crow
Inform your raven come
Let me be your little crow
Inform your raven come
I might do extra crowin’
Than the raven executed

Let me be your raccoon
Inform your grizzly come
Let me be your raccoon
Inform your grizzly come
I might be extra grisly
Than the grizzly executed

Let me be your mole
Inform your large rat come
Let me be your mole
Inform your large rat come
I might do extra diggin’
Than the large rat executed

Let me be your daisy
Inform your dandy bloom
Let me be your daisy
Inform your dandy bloom
Dandy within the center
I might discover some room.

AMY GOODMAN: Good. Yay! Michael, thanks a lot for spending this time at Democracy Now!

MICHAEL HURLEY: It’s pleasing. I’ve been watching Democracy Now! fairly a bit during the last 10 years, I feel.

AMY GOODMAN: How did you uncover it?

MICHAEL HURLEY: There’s a buddy of mine noticed me play in Portland and introduced me to one in every of your stay auditorium exhibits in Portland about 10 years in the past. Now, I’d by no means heard of you, however I noticed you try this present in Portland, after which adopted on radio and —

AMY GOODMAN: Was it on the Bagdad Theatre?

MICHAEL HURLEY: I don’t know. I don’t keep in mind the theater. Was a reasonably large auditorium-type theater. You had a pair of shoes on you. You continue to do, I see.

AMY GOODMAN: The legendary people singer Michael Hurley in our Democracy Now! studio in January 2020, simply weeks earlier than the COVID pandemic was declared. Michael Hurley died this week on the age of 83.
I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.