{"id":4258,"date":"2011-04-29T04:02:40","date_gmt":"2011-04-29T04:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/?p=4258"},"modified":"2011-04-30T13:54:27","modified_gmt":"2011-04-30T13:54:27","slug":"heaven-help-the-child-mickey-newburys-lost-masterpiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/2011-04\/heaven-help-the-child-mickey-newburys-lost-masterpiece\/","title":{"rendered":"“Heaven Help the Child”–Mickey Newbury’s Lost Americana Masterpiece"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

We grew up listening to Mickey Newbury’s masterpiece, “Heaven Help the Child,” <\/strong>at a time when, amongst other things, children were being drafted into war.\u00a0 The title song conveyed well the loss of innocence and a bit of the era’s angst, and it never fails to deeply affect us.\u00a0 And through that great song we came to know and appreciate Mickey Newbury, one of America’s under-appreciated songwriters who was revered by many, and in particular by his fellow songsmiths and singers (see tributes below).\u00a0 Unfortunately, Newbury’s output fell precipitously after attaining these lofty heights and, though he continued to release music, he gradually disappeared from the scene and passed away in 2002.<\/p>\n

Heaven Help the Child was released in 1973 and was the exclamation point on a three-peat of albums that started with 1969’s “It Looks Like Rain,” and was followed by 1971’s “‘Frisco Mabel Joy.”\u00a0 He wrote subtly brilliant songs and was an extraordinary singer.\u00a0 Given his prodigious talents, we have never understood why he wasn’t as well-known as Willie or Waylon, or at least as well known as Kris Kristofferson or Townes Van Zandt.\u00a0 The mystery remains.<\/p>\n

The original Heaven Help the Child album has never been released as a CD and went out of print.\u00a0 We have thankfully held on to our vinyl copy, though it’s a bit wizened.\u00a0 Fortunately for Americana music lovers, the smart citizens over at Drag City Records<\/strong><\/a> have finally realized the music-industry’s grave mistake and will re-release five of Newbury’s missing albums, including Heaven Help the Child, on May 17th.\u00a0 The re-releases are digitally re-mastered direct from the original analog tapes found in an Elektra Records vault (previously thought to have been destroyed by fire).<\/p>\n

In the meantime, we’ve hacked into a digital turntable (if you will) and converted our 1973 vinyl to 2011 digital for your listening pleasure so you don’t have to wait until May 17th (pops, clicks, early stops and warts included–and all, gratis).\u00a0 Below you can listen in to a few songs off of Heaven Help the Child.\u00a0 Just like in some of Patsy Cline’s best recordings, the Nashville strings and choral treatment may strike you as too “smooth” or peg your “Cheeze-O-Meter.”\u00a0 We can’t quarrel with you at a certain level.\u00a0 But just like in Patsy’s recordings, Newbury’s stellar songs and singing overcome.\u00a0 It doesn’t hurt that the likes of Chet Atkins (guitar) and Vassar Clements (violin) play alongside the strings.\u00a0 And oh, the boy could sing.\u00a0 Oh, how the boy could sing.<\/p>\n

Mickey Newbury–Heaven Help the Child<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/05-Heaven-Help-the-Child.mp3|titles=05 Heaven Help the Child]\n

Heaven Help The Child<\/em><\/strong>, the title track, wins a poignancy prize with lyrics tagging Park Avenue in 1912, 1920\u2019s Paris, the ubiquitous Newbury freight trains and, pertinently, war.\u00a0 This stanza always sticks with us:<\/p>\n

“War is hell to live with
\nI said to the general
\nAs we made the battle plan
\nOut for the day
\nThis will be the last one
\nOnly God be willing
\nWe will go back home
\nThis time to stay.”<\/p>\n

Oh that it were so.\u00a0 Instead we war and fight still.<\/p>\n

In addition to Heaven Help The Child<\/em>, check out Newbury’s Sweet Memories<\/strong><\/em> and San Francisco Mabel Joy<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Mickey Newbury–Sweet Memories<\/strong><\/p>\n

[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/08-Sweet-Memories.mp3|titles=08 Sweet Memories]
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Sweet Memories<\/em>, Newbury lamented a lost love, with this stanza resonating in particular:<\/p>\n

“My world is like a river
\nAs dark as it is deep
\nNight after night
\nThe past slips in
\nGathers all my sleep.”<\/p>\n

We feel the pain.<\/p>\n

Mickey Newbury–San Francisco Mabel Joy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[audio:https:\/\/www.thelefortreport.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/04-San-Francisco-Mabel-Joy.mp3|titles=04 San Francisco Mabel Joy]
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

And in San Francisco Mabel Joy<\/em>, Newbury gave us a sordid, sort-of Romeo & Juliet saga, the entire lyrics of which are worth setting out below:<\/p>\n

“Lord his Daddy was an honest man
\nJust a red dirt Georgia farmer
\nHis Momma lived a short life
\nHavin’ kids and bailin’ hay<\/p>\n

He had fifteen years
\nAnd he ached inside to wander
\nHe jumped a freight in Waycross
\nWound up in L.A.<\/p>\n

The cold nights had no pity
\nOn that Waycross, Georgia farm boy
\nMost days he went hungry
\nThen the summer came<\/p>\n

He met a girl known on the strip
\nAs San Franciscos Mabel Joy
\nDestitution’s child
\nBorn of an L.A. street called ‘Shame’<\/p>\n

Growing up came quietly
\nIn the arms of Mable Joy
\nLaughter found their mornings
\nIt brought a meaning to his life<\/p>\n

Lord on the night before she left
\nSleep came and left that Waycross country boy
\nWith dreams of Georgia cotton
\nAnd a California wife<\/p>\n

<\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n

Sunday morning found him standing
\n‘Neath the red light at her door
\nRight cross sent him reeling
\nPut him face down on the floor<\/p>\n

In place of his Mable Joy
\nHe found a Merchant mad Marine
\nWho growled, “Your Georgia neck is red
\nBut Sonny, you’re still green”<\/p>\n

He turned 21, in a grey rock
\nFederal prison
\nThe ole judge had no mercy
\nOn that Waycross, Georgia boy<\/p>\n

Staring at those four grey walls
\nIn silence Lord, he’d just listen
\nTo that midnight freight
\nHe knew could take him back
\nTo Mabel Joy<\/p>\n

Sunday mornin’ found him lying
\n‘Neath the red light at her door
\nWith a bullet in his side, he cried
\n“Have you seen Mabel Joy'”<\/p>\n

Stunned and shaken, someone said,
\n“Son, she don’t live here no more”
\nShe left this house four years, today
\nThey say she’s lookin’ for
\nSome Georgia Farm Boy”<\/p>\n

We hope that you’ll visit Drag City<\/strong> and check out some of these great albums of Mickey Newbury’s.<\/p>\n

If you won’t take our word on him, then check out the high praise of Newbury from some of our best<\/strong> below:<\/p>\n

Steve Earle<\/strong>: \u201cMickey is the godfather of all of us Texas writers.\u201d
\nJohn Prine<\/strong>: \u201cMickey Newbury is probably the best songwriter ever.\u201d
\nSam Phillips<\/strong> (Presley-style, not the chanteuse): \u201cOne of the greatest songwriters and performers\u2026 a rare talent.\u201d
\nWillie Nelson<\/strong>: \u201cHe was one of the best writers we\u2019ve ever had and one of the best friends I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d
\nRodney Crowell<\/strong>: \u201cWhen I first arrived in Nashville, I was really transformed by Mickey, and for many years, I emulated Mickey Newbury.\u201d
\nWaylon Jennings<\/strong>: \u201cIf you don\u2019t like to hear Mickey Newbury, you\u2019re not American.\u201d (Waylon also sang, in his great Luckenbach, Texas<\/em> song, of \u201cHank Williams\u2019 pain songs and Newbury\u2019s train songs\u2026.\u201d)
\nJohnny Cash<\/strong>: Mickey\u2019s neighbor on Old Hickory Lake referred to Mickey as a \u201cpoet\u201d and in 1971 on national TV, Johnny introduced him as \u201cone of the finest writers in the country.\u201d
\nJoan Baez<\/strong>: \u201cThere was something very special about Mickey. He wrote endlessly… beautiful, heart-wrenching, sad scores of music, and I\u2019m not sure where all that came from; he was very pleasant. I just considered him a friend.\u201d
\nKris Kristofferson<\/strong>: \u201cGod, I learned more about songwriting from Mickey than I did any other single human being. To me he was a songbird. He comes out with amazing words and music… I\u2019m sure that I never would have written Bobby McGee<\/em>, Sunday Morning Coming Down<\/em>… if I had never known Mickey. He was my hero and still is.\u201d<\/p>\n

R.I.P. Mickey Newbury.<\/p>\n

And finally, check out this great video vignette below.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=N7U3Y8p4A_8&feature=player_embedded<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We grew up listening to Mickey Newbury’s masterpiece, “Heaven Help the Child,” at a time when, amongst other things, children were being drafted into war.\u00a0 The title song conveyed well the loss of innocence and a bit of the era’s angst, and it never fails to deeply affect us.\u00a0 And through that great song we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t