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The Ballad of Bo Xilai

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China is beating us in the race to build a high speed rail network – a contest many of us did not know we were in, not to mention losing. But there you have it – Chinese trains go faster on an ever expanding network of rails with robust growth among passengers. Before long they’ll be schlepping more people around their country on steel wheels than we do in ours using the old standbys – rubber tires, wings and airport rage.

But no matter how advanced they become in the bullet train department, one area where China will have a tough time overcoming us is in the realm of grisly railroad legends, particularly folk songs like “The Wreck of the Old 97” and “Casey Jones.” Don’t get me wrong – I believe the Chinese people are capable of any achievement, but they’ll need a sudden surge in faulty equipment and careless operators to catch up to the standard we’ve set for putting the throttle down and saying “to Hell with it all” if it means the train will come in on time.

Train_wreck

We are still the world leaders in Reckless Bravado.

The most recent Chinese character to emerge with that Casey Jones brand of swagger isn’t a railroad man at all, but the convicted, disgraced politician Bo Xilai. Apparently he embezzled, lied, bribed people and tried to cover up the fact that his wife murdered a British businessman. Driving a train into the ditch is apparently the only thing he didn’t do.

Come all you peasants if you wanna chat
about a reckless guy and a bureaucrat
Bo Xilai was that fellas name
And the party hierarchy’s where he played his game.

The Party people told him “You’re the man”.
He had proletariat in the palm of his hand.
He had the charm and skill and a rockin’ wife
with political ambition and a sharpened knife.

Bo Xilai. What an up-and-comer!
Bo Xilai. Indulging every urge.
Bo Xilai. Getting busted is a bummer
It’s a drag to be the loser in a party purge.

What’s your favorite tragic ballad?

56 thoughts on “The Ballad of Bo Xilai”

  2. There are so many old beautiful ballads about sad deaths, it’s hard to choose just one. This one, The Golden Vanity, has been sung by a lot of different people with slight variations. I like this version by The Chad Mitchell Trio partly because its upbeat tune belies the tragic death of the cabin boy.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j29s2GKj_7A

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  3. I’ll show some mercy and not post everything that comes to mind, including these that could cause serious ear worms: Big John,Tell Laura I love Her, and Teen Angel! Don’t know if they qualify as ballads in the traditional sense, but that’s where my head’s at this morning. Should be a fun day on the trail.

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    2. Love that. Have never heard that version.

      2 other “modern” songs that have the effect of a ballad for me:

      Nanci Griffith’s There’s a Light Beyond These Woods Tonight (Mary Margaret) and one from TLGMS about the men killed fighting a forest fire. I have no idea of the title or the artist, but would be greatly obliged if someone could help me out on this one.

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  5. Good morning. The first tragic ballad that comes to mind is John Henry. Of course there are many others. I think MIG might have had Chuck Suchy’s song about Hazel Miner in mind for her pick. If so, that would also be one of my top favorites.
    http://youtu.be/g6vcvYJCkic

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    1. Dale and Jim Ed played that? I don’t remember it I think Jim Ed would be able come up a scary sound effect to go with that one.

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      1. Oh, yes! I know that one as “The Bonny Swans,” sung by Loreena McKennit. Lovely and creepy, as so many good old ballads are.

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        1. Never mind, I bet that’s what BiR posted. I’m having trouble at this new job, being able to access things online. Haunting song, anyway.

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  15. Afternoon-
    Good songs!
    There was a song from TLGMS about the cowboy lassoing the train to save the baby on the tracks? Anyone know what I’m taking about?
    Can’t come up with a name, but I remember the lone, wailing singer. Haha–

    Does this song count?

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  16. I thought I couldn’t think of a response, but then I remembered: “The Sinking of the Reuben James” by Woody Guthrie. Pretty upbeat, catchy tune for a song about a deadly naval attack. Sorry, I can’t access Youtube at the new assignment to post a video (or to watch the ones everyone else is posting :P), but I’m sure you all can use your Google-fu to find it.

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  19. Thanks Jim, that is it.

    I was flailing about for the name this morning and a google of “Harriet” pulled up a past post by Jacque. Go figure.

    I’ll also offer up the Death of Queen Jane as I have it on a frail and precious old cassette by Joan Baez. Can’t figure out the link on the smartphone, but it exists on youtube.

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  22. There’s no train. But, if you have two hours or so, you could go through YouTube’s collection of videos of Long Black Veil and not find a bad version of it. Here’s one you may not remember:

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  28. in the process of looking at ballads i got to looking at the work of townes van zaandt and i was looking at the stuff he had on you tube and listened to steve earl and emmylou harris talking about their experience and i played bring me dead flowers and i realized i learned this one up in banff form a friend i met up there. i was hanging out at the bar in the banff springs hotel and there was this guy who got asked to play in between sets and he was good. he wrote some new ones he sang for us and he sang some old one too. i thought i may have heard one or two of them while we were there and then i started hearing a couple of them on the radio sung by popular folks on the radio. well i congradulated him in the back of my mind and wished him well with his new musical career as a dsong writer. i didnt realize until years later he was a famous guy while i was sitting next to hi shooting hte breeze those 3 or 4 nights years ago, nice guy unassuming and flying way under the radar. its always been a smile looking back. i feel like the words come to the poet in spite of himseldf sometimes. townes van zaandt was certainly in that boat but the nights i got to hang with him he was as deserving a soul as there was on this earth.

    poncho and lefty

    mudd and gold

    his two ballads that come to mind

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