The news about the passing of Bess Lomax Hawes got me thinking about some of my favorite American folklore songs. I have to say that my favorite is “Katie Cruel”, a traditional American folklore song rife with themes of regret, bridges burned, and being misunderstood that is likely of Scottish origin. The American version of the song is said to date back to the Revolutionary War period.

While many musicians have covered the song over time, from Jerry Garcia and Nick Cave to Bert Jansch and Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes, the most well-known and best version of the song comes from Karen Dalton. The song appears on her 1971 album, In My Own Time. Dalton struggled with drugs and alcohol for years before dying in 1993 after an eight-year battle with AIDS. With the hindsight of knowing her personal torments, they add even more poignancy to this version of the song.

After the jump, listen to the second best cover of “Katie Cruel” by White Magic.

Brooklyn, NY psychedelic folk group White Magic started covering the song in 2004 and released it as a single on Drag City in 2006.

Related article: Who Covered It Best: “Mrs. Robinson”

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