Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Milly Raccoon’s version of the traditional song “That Girl I Left Behind Me,” from her forthcoming album Frankincense and Myrrh. The album was produced by Milly Raccoon and Misa Arriaga, recorded and mixed by Misa Arriaga at Music City Studio B in Nashville. It was mastered by Casey Wood. The album will be released on July 7 but this song will be available on May 19.
“That Girl I Left Behind” is Milly Raccoon on vocals and fiddle; Frank Rische on resonator mandolin; Mark Thornton on guitar; Misa Arriaga on bass and drums; and Nat Smith on cello. Brilliant string playing, long winding old time jams, and a timeless song about the girl with the rosy cheeks and the curly hair that a was left behind characterize this work by Milly Raccoon.
This melody under this title traces back to Elizabethan England (1568-1603) when it was sung by British soldiers. It remained a wartime song for the next five centuries, with new lyrics added for each new wartime era, notably the American civil war and World War I.
It was also famously performed by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys in the mid-20th century. Before carrying that English title, it was an ancient Sean-nós Irish tune, entitled ‘An Spailpin Fanach,’ Gaelic for ‘The Wandering Laborer.’
My version of this song consists of my own lyrics about having trouble finding my way in life, as though I am in my own personal battle with social anxiety and lack of focus, and the reprise of the traditional chorus now refers to a version of myself I felt I had left behind, as opposed to a war-torn romance.
I am fascinated by melodies that pervade through hundreds of years and lyrical transformations, and am honored and moved to have become part of the legacy of this song by writing and recording my own version. — Milly Raccoon
You can order the music here: https://millyraccoon.bandcamp.com/