Maggie's Farm

Hartford had a small scene --just a few seconds --in the Coen's masterpiece O Brother, Where Art Thou? --he was part of a depicted parade marching Baby Face Nelson off to jail or the chair. Playing a 1930s deep south rural, he was a-marchin' and a-fiddling, had his cap on sidewize so the bill wouldn't hit his bow, grinnin' like a possum eatin' doodoo, and doing a crazy little hop step on the downbeat of the tune --which was itself crazy, a sort of rondel or chantey in a minor key played way flat. man he poured a lot into that few seconds on the screen. Not too long later was when he passed away. He was way too young to go --he had some chronic lymphoma that finally got him, bless him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGTOXtJt_2E&feature=related

Re Hartford passing so young, this will strike you as a 'goodbye' song for a folk funeral.

The Kossoy sisters are identical twins --they are in their 70s and tho they sound like young angels here i bet they were pretty near that when they made this recording, as a plethora of renditions ensued from the "O Brother" songs, one of which was this song, by Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch and Alison Krause in the film.

The Kossoy sisters i believe have made two albums, only 50 or so years apart from each other. They really took a break between those two albums.

Anyhoo it's funny about these 'down home' mountain music southern roots folk singers and banjo pickers --Hartford is from New York City and the sisters are from near Boston!

Halleleuyah, maybe there's still an olde America in here somewhere after all!

if you like harmony sweet and angelic, this song'll do ya mighty fine.