In honor of July Fourth, today’s Weird Wanderer Playlist spotlights spooky Americana tales from the beyond. All of these songs include U.S. locales in either the title or lyrics and focus on some ethereal phenomenon, be it spirits on the western plains or devils trying to thwart an otherwise lovely day. Altogether, this makes a perfect set of tunes for those unusual travels you have planned this holiday weekend.
“Hotel California” by the Eagles
Anyone who’s ever listened to a classic rock station has heard it, but only on closer examination do you appreciate the creep factor oozing from every pore of this West Coast cautionary tale. The storyteller admits that the mysterious hotel might be the afterlife, even though he’s not sure if it’s Heaven or Hell. Disembodied voices waft through the hallways, and simple amenities like champagne and mirrors assume a decisively eerie air. And the “beastly” lyrics easily conjure a litany of Cthulhu-worthy imagery. Just remember if you ever visit this bedeviled villa, you don’t have to worry about check-out time.
“Friend of the Devil” by The Grateful Dead
From Nevada to Utah, the song’s narrator eludes the authorities and parties with a demon all while wistfully musing about his wives in two other states. If that’s not true roadtrip mischief, then nothing is. As musicians–and the Grateful Dead in particular–are apt to do, the so-called devil in this song is probably an illicit substance, but I prefer to go with the literal translation myself.
“Ghost Riders in the Sky” by Johnny Cash
A solitary Ghost Rider might remind you of a certain flame-haired Marvel comic book character, but when you’re talking multiple riders, that means you’ve got a Johnny Cash song. Boasting a herd of accursed cattle and the cowboys doomed to pursue them, “Ghost Riders in the Sky” represents the Old West in the spooky Americana department. The tune acts as a fire-and-brimstone harbinger, warning the errant to change their ways. Red-eyed Holsteins with smoking brands? Jaywalkers and shoplifters beware.
“Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead” by Warren Zevon
Beyond the title, there’s not too much supernatural in this song, but it’s still a perfect anthem for all the weird wanderers out there. Macabre maestro Warren Zevon assumes the perspective of a man plagued with thoughts about how to spend his afterlife in the Colorado city. Is he already dead? Or does his rote life and tenuous sanity simply make him feel dead? The audience can’t be certain. But this quirky tune balances the weird and wonderful of Zevon’s oeuvre so well that it hardly matters.
“Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen
With the most somber and terrifying inspiration on this list, the Boss’s title track from his 1982 album looks to the real-life Starkweather homicides in crafting lyrics about an unrepentant man recounting his ghoulish crimes. Harmonica-drenched instrumentals and drawling vocals, “Nebraska” sounds like the darkest folk song you’ve ever heard. Not typical Top 40 fare, but certainly spooky enough to make the cut.
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band
For otherworldly reasons unknown, Charlie Daniels’ Devil is “way behind” on accruing souls, thereby rendering him willing to make a deal with capricious antihero Johnny. To whom the devil must report is never clear, but I suppose even Hades has its quotas. The song features a fun twist in that Johnny manages to out-fiddle the underworld ruler, earning himself a golden instrument in the process. It might not be an honest day’s work, but it’s southern rock appropriate for the holiday weekend.
“The Witch Queen of New Orleans” by Redbone
Another true story, “The Witch Queen of New Orleans” refers to well-known Louisianan practitioner Marie Laveau. Countless songs and books, including Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, have memorialized Laveau’s mysterious life and magical exploits. With “Witch Queen”, Redbone released an uber-funky 1970s homage to the lady, and though the song sounds extraordinarily dated now, the ditty remains another example of weird lore crossing over… into the mainstream.
So there they are, seven songs dedicated to spooky Americana. Enjoy the tunes, and happy holiday haunting!