Man OF Constant Sorrow

Jerry Garcia

The Pizza Tapes, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Tony Rice, 2000
Acoustic Disc 100% Handmade Music, Vol. 6, Various Artists (Jerry Garcia and David Grisman), 2002

Others

Emry Arthur, 192?
Single, Stanley Brothers, 1951
Single, Stanley Brothers, 1959
Sing Everybody's Country Favorites, Stanley Brothers, 1960
The Newport Folk Festival: 1960, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Mike Seeger), 1960
EP, Stanley Brothers, 1961
Sings Folk Songs From The Three Laurels, Obray Ramsey, 1961?
The Music of Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward, Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward , 1962
Folk Music of Washington Square, Various Artists (Roger Lubin), 1962
Old Time Country Music, Mike Seeger, 1962
Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, 1962
Folk Country, Waylon Jennings, 1964
Jackie Washington At Club 47, Jackie Washington, 1965
Angels Are Singing, The Stanley Brothers, 1966
The Flat-Picker's Guitar Guide - An Advanced Instruction Record, Jerry Silverman, 1966
Don Reno and Bill Harrell with the Tennesse Cutups, Don Reno and Bill Harrell with the Tennesse Cutups, 1967
Bob Dylan/Times They Are A-Changin', Bob Dylan, 196?
Ballads and Hymns Of The Ozarks, Almeda Riddle, 1972
Country Bluegrass from Southwest Virginia, Glen Neaves and the Virginia Mountain Boys, 1974
Stanley Brothers On Air, Stanley Brothers, 1976
Parksburg Landing, Ed Haley, 1976
Stanley Series, Vol. 1 #1, Stanley Brothers, 1982
Stanley Series, Vol. 1 #2, Stanley Brothers, 1982
Very Early Joan Baez, Joan Baez, 1983
Stanley Series, Vol. 2 #1, Stanley Brothers, 1984
Bleecker & MacDougal: The Folk Scene Of The 60s, Various Artists (Judy Collins), 1984
Stanley Series, Vol. 3 #1, Stanley Brothers, 1987
The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys 1949-1952, TheStanley Brothers, 1991
20 Bluegrass Originals, Stanley Brothers, 1987
Bound To Ride, Ralph Stanley, 1991
Bluegrass Breakdown, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 1992
Full Circle, Tony Furtado and Tim O'Brien, 1994
Tree On A Hill, Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers, 1994
All American Boy, Bobby Bare, 1994
Clinch Mountain Bluegrass, Stanley Brothers, 1994
Early Starday-King Years 1958-1961, The Stanley Brothers, 1994
1971-1973, Ralph Stanley And The Clinch Mountain Boys, 1995
The Music Of Kentucky: Early American Rural Classics 1927-1937, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Emry Arthur), 1995
Complete Columbia Recordings, Stanley Brothers, 1996
Stanley Series, Vol. 3 #4, Stanley Brothers, 1996
Rebel Records: 35 Years of the Best in Bluegrass (1960-1995), Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 1996
Songs of the Stanley Brothers, Various Artists (Tony Furtado and Tim O'Brien), 1997
Live in Japan, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, 1997
20 Bluegrass Favorites, Don Reno and Bill Harrell, 1997
Forever: An Anthology, Judy Collins, 1997
Vanguard Collector's Edition, Various Artists (Stanley brothers), 1997
Flatt On Victor Plus More, Lester Flatt, 1999
Riding That Midnight Train: Starday King Recordings 1958-1961, The Stanley Brothers, 1999
Sounds Like Bluegrass to Me, Tony Ellis, 1999
Newport Folk Festival, Various Artists (New Lost City Ramblers), 19??
The Folk Box, Various Artists (New Lost City Ramblers), 19??
Positive Friction, Donna The Buffalo, 2000
American Roots: A History of American Folk Music, Various Artists (Emry Arthur), 2000
There Is No Eye: Music For Photographs, Various Artists (Roscoe Holcomb), 2001
Too Late to Cry, The Stanley Brothers, 2001
Newport Folk Festival: Best of Bluegrass 1959-1966, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2001
Roots: An American Journey, Various Artists (Tony Furtado and Tim O'Brien), 2001
Storytellers, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Sharon Shannon), 2001
The Very Best of Ralph Stanley, Ralph Stanley, 2002
Lonesome Valley, Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 2002
Bob Dylan / The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan, 2002
Grammy Nominees 2002, Various Artists (Soggy Bottom Boys), 2002
American Roots: The Essential Album, Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 2002
Long Journey Home: Bluegrass Songs of the Stanley Brothers, Various Artists (Tony Furtado and Tim O'Brien), 2002
Life of Sorrow, David Grisman, 2003
Essential Bluegrass, Various Artists (Blue Highway), 2003
Smokey Mountain Bluegrass: 24 Traditional Favorites, Various Artists (Don Reno / Bill Harrell), 2003
An Untamed Sense of Control, Roscoe Holcomb, 2003
Treasury of Bluegrass: America's Music, Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 2003
Live at Lock 3, Brick Road Ramblers, 2003
Taken (TV series soundtrack), Various Artists, 2003
Rural Roots of Bluegrass, Wayne Erbsen/Laura Boosinger, 2003
On the Road, Monroe Crossing, 2004
Can't You Hear Me Callin': Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2004
No Direction Home: The Soundtrack: Bootleg Series, Vol. 7, Bob Dylan, 2005
Blockbuster Bluegrass, Various Artists (Mac Traynham), 2006
True Bluegrass Essentials, Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 2006
Lee Hammons: Complete Banjo Recordings, Lee Hammons, 200?
The Definitive Collection 1947-1966, The Stanley Brothers, 2007
Classic Bluegrass Collection, Vols. 1-4, Various Artists (Soggy Bottom Boys), 2007
Classic Bluegrass Collection, Vols. 1-4, Various Artists (Ralph Stanley), 2007
Songs from the Invisible Republic, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2008

Notes

Also played by Garcia with the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers in San Carlos on June 11th 1962 and with David Nelson at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo on November 10th 1962. Both performances circulate on tape. On the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers tape the song is sung unaccompanied by Garcia. He introduces it by saying that he has heard it performed this way by Roscoe Holcomb. Here are the lyrics as performed by Garcia;

I am a man of constant sorrow,
I have seen trouble all my days,
I bid farewell to old Kentucky,
The state where I was born and raised.

For six long years I've been troubled,
No pleasure here on earth I've found,
For on this world I'm bound to ramble,
I have no friends to help me now.

Maybe you can find some other lover,
For many years while I may lay,
Maybe then you'll find (?) (to love him?),
While I am sleeping in my grave.

Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger,
My face you never will see no more,
But there is one promise that is given,
I'll meet you on God's golden shore.

Sometimes occurs on recordings as I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow. Sometime occurs as Maid Of Constant Sorrow

The song was rewitten by Sarah Ogan Gunning in the 1930s as I Am A Girl Of Constant Sorrow. Recordings of this can be found on;

I Am A Girl Of Constant Sorrow Tossi Sings Folk Songs and Ballads, Tossi Aaron, 1960
Traditional Music at Newport, 1964, Part 1, Various Artists (Sarah Ogan Gunning), 1965
Girl of Constant Sorrow, Sarah Ogan Gunning, 1965
Female Frolic, Critics Group, 1968
Anthology of American Folk Songs, Barbara Dane, 196?
Rosalie's Songbag, Rosalie Sorrels, 196?
Dear Companion, Bonnie Dobson, 196?,
Tell It To Me, Ebenezer , 1975
Joan Baez, Joan Baez, 2001 (bonus track on CD reissue)