Odetta - Gallows Pole (at Carnegie Hall)ThesisThere are a few versions of “Gallows Pole” floating around the collective conscience. I submit that Odetta’s version, recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1960, is superior to the famous Led Zeppelin version, the unfamous, underdog Leadbelly version, and everything before, in between, and after, forever and ever amen.OdettaOdetta. 1960, Carnegie Hall. If you don’t know Odetta, here is a solid introduction. Her guitar is crisp, itself heartbreaking. And then she starts singing. Odetta’s voice has a depth and complexity unrivaled by most – if not all – of the folk revival. There’s no wankery here: pipes and guitar tell a story of betrayal, loyalty and questionable salvation. Haunting.StoryAs an execution song, Gallows Pole may be the most famous within the American (folk) canon. Its popularity – or, at least, recognizability – may result from Led Zeppelin’s 1970 version. But the song goes way back – back to Eastern (non-English) Europe. Indeed, some (who? I don’t really know) consider the English version a shell, claiming much of the story has been lost in translation, travel, and time.We’re left with this: the protagonist stands at the gallows, imploring the hangman to take pause as attendees, each a potential savior, approach. The protagonist greets each visitor with an inquiry of what they’ve brought to save her from execution. Each visitor, then, responds with a list, which varies from “nothing” to “a little of everything,” depending on the particular visitor and version of the story. Sometimes it is enough, sometimes not: in Led Zeppelin’s (typically misogynist) version, even the *best* of the protagonist’s sister does not suffice to spare him. Leadbelly rants about the unreliability of “so-called” friends. In Odetta’s version, the protagonist’s father seems to have not even tried, her mother could muster no silver or gold: her parents just stopped by to watch her die. The narrator’s sweetheart, however, brings his best. With this revelation, though, the song ends, leaving the listener to wonder whether the ransom works.Consider: loyalty / betrayalWho will watch you die?Who can save you?What is the difference between the two?Bonus: explain the differenceListen to Odetta’s version, followed by this:[Buy Odetta at Carnegie Hall]Porter is a DJ in Berlin. This is the first in his forthcoming series of posts on execution songs.