“The Lawson Murder (Charlie Lawson)”
Description
Charlie Lawson goes mad on a Christmas evening and shoots first his wife and then, despite their pleas, his six children. He prepares them for burial, bids goodbye, and kills himself also. The family is buried in a common grave
Notes
As is typical of songs from the early era of recorded music, the authorship of this is uncertain. D. K. Wilgus credits this to Wiley Morris of the Morris Brothers. But Richard Dress informs me that Walter "Kid" Smith of the Carolina Buddies also claimed to have written it -- and, of course, his recording came first; the Morris recording actually postdates the first field collection (Brown).
Whoever wrote it sure came out with it fast, since the song was released only months after the murder.
It has become quite popular with bluegrass performers in recent years, starting with the Stanley Brothers. - RBW
Historical references
- Dec 25, 1929 - 43-year-old Charles D. Lawson shoots his family and himself
Cross references
- cf. "The Dark Knight" (plot)
- cf. "William Beadle" (plot)
Recordings
- [Walter "Kid" Smith and the] Carolina Buddies, "Murder of the Lawson Family" (Conqueror 15537, 1930)
- Spencer Moore with Everett Blevins, "The Lawson Murder" (on LomaxCD1705)
- The Morris Brothers, "The Story of Charlie Lawson" (Bluebird B-7903, c. 1938)
- E. R. Nance Singers, "The Lawson Murder" (Brunswick 542, 1931)
- Glen Neaves, "The Death of the Lawson Family" (on Persis1)
References
- Laws F35, "The Lawson Murder (Charlie Lawson)"
- Warner 114, "The Lawson Family Murder" (1 text, 1 tune)
- BrownII 298, "The Lawson Murder" (1 text plus mention of 2 more)
- Darling-NAS, pp. 206-207, "The Lawson Murder" (1 text)
- DT 729, LAWSNMRD
- Roud #697
- BI, LF35