The third song, “Bury Me Face Down” by grandson, was new to me, even though the single came out in 2016. It quickly became an earworm, as have a number of the songs on the list.
As a matter of fact, I was really proud of the spectrum of songs filling the list. They span from folk songs and murder ballads through country and gospel and from rock to Goth to Industrial to classics. There are a couple of instrumentals from movie soundtracks alongside “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” by the Allman Brothers Band and “Dreams of Wounded Knee” by Native American recording artist Bill Miller.
Some songs, like “Pet Sematary,” were suggested by several people. Some songs, like “Long Black Veil,” were suggested by multiple artists, but I felt I could only choose one version. Even though I already had Johnny Cash on the playlist for “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” I felt like I had to go with his version instead of the cover by the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, which was also suggested. I personally like Hugh Laurie’s take on “St. James Infirmary,” but once someone chose Louis Armstrong’s classic, I was glad to include it.
When the contributors (including E. M. Markoff!) joined me for a party on Facebook last weekend, I suggested that everyone listen to the playlist as we conversed online. Even though we were scattered across the US and Canada, the comradery and common playlist brought us together. Songs about cemeteries can make you feel good.
See for yourself by checking out the playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4S0255SPm7grf5NShTbLgT?si=a183ec1bca4749e4
You can preorder Death’s Garden Revisited on Kickstarter until April 16: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lorenrhoads/deaths-garden-revisited-relationships-with-cemeteries