Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. Today I would like to talk about the song Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues, performed by Chris Thomas King and used in the soundtrack for the movie O' Brother Where Art Thou, which was released on December 22, 2000. The song was originally written by the late Blues Musician Skip James in 1931. The song however found new popularity with it's part in O' Brother Where Art Thou.
Directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, O' Brother Where Art Thou is actually a take on the "Odyssey" which was written by Homer around the 7th Century B.C. The movie revolves around three escaped prisoners, Ulysses Everett McGill, Pete, and Delmar, and their journey to a promised treasure before it is lost forever. All of this while being on the run from the authorities.
Throughout their quest the three escapees run into all manner of strange characters, but the one who sticks out to me is a man named Tommy Johnson. Tommy, played by Chris Thomas King, is a hitchhiking musician who had claimed that he had sold his soul to the devil in return for his talent on the guitar. The gang was hesitant to believe him but after hearing him play commented "Hot damn Tommy I believe you did sell your soul to the Devil!).
Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues makes it's appearance when the crew find themselves sitting around a campfire one night, talking about what they will do with their share of the treasure. Tommy and his guitar steal the scene, earning complete silence from the listeners with nothing but the sounds of a crackling fire and chirping crickets.
The movie only captures about a minute of the song so I attached the full song for you to enjoy and listen to while I talk about why I enjoy it as much as I do.
The song has a folk style form, beginning with an introduction of guitar playing and using chords that instantly place you in a state of blues. As the singing begins the melody becomes just a voice with the accompaniment of a guitar. I believe that was how this song was intended to be heard, just like it is displayed in the movie. There are no choruses, the artist instead takes you through verses of powerful lyrics that tell the troubles of the killin' floor where he worked. Though the dynamics of this song are soft, it is still so powerful with the emotions that it evokes from the listener.
Overall, I don't think there could have been a more perfect song for this movie. The setting taking place in Mississippi during the Great Depression, the character of Tommy Johnson drawing inspiration from real life musician Robert Johnson who claimed that he had made the same deal with the devil, and even the the musician that they chose. Everything about this selection and this scene just seemed to work perfect for me. I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and if you get some free time go watch or re-watch the movie and enjoy it like I have.
Sources
O' Brother Where Art Thou, Joel and Ethan Coen, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, 2000.
This song is very soulful and it fits this movie very well. To me the tone of the song speaks to a person who had to endure a lot and is worn down but isn't completely destroyed by it. Specifically, the singer went through a bad relationship and is comparing the experience to a slaughterhouse. This fits with the theme in the movie where the main characters are on the run from the law and Mcgill is trying to get his relationship back. Great job on the post!
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