O Brother, Where Art Thou' at 25 (Silver Liner Notes)

Summary

Podcast Summary: "O Brother, Where Art Thou at 25" – All Of It (WNYC, Silver Liner Notes Series)

Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Allison Hussey (Music Writer, Pitchfork)
Air Date: December 18, 2025

---

Overview

This episode marks the 25th anniversary of the influential "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. Host Tiffany Hansen and guest Allison Hussey reflect on how the soundtrack reinvigorated American bluegrass and folk traditions, catalyzed a “second folk revival,” and continues to shape perceptions of American roots music. Through listener stories, expert insights, memorable musical moments, and historical context, the episode explores why this soundtrack became a cultural phenomenon.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Connections & Cultural Ubiquity

• Allison Hussey shares her personal experience with the music as a North Carolinian:
  • "That kind of music was always sort of around. But then when the soundtrack blew up, it really felt like that kind of music was everywhere." (01:52)
  • Stories of recognizing local musicians in the film, deepening the sense of connection.
• Listener anecdotes highlight emotional resonance:
  • One listener sang "Down to the River to Pray" to her babies every night, evoking “sweet memories.” (05:10)

2. Distinctiveness & Risks of a Genre-Specific Soundtrack

• Unlike most blockbuster soundtracks, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is tethered to a single genre—roots and bluegrass:
  • "Sometimes that stuff can just fall on its face." (03:40)
  • Hussey explains its success as music “essential to the plot,” not just background. (04:00)
  • “What would O Brother, Where Art Thou be without its songs?” (03:54, Hussey)

3. Historical Moment & Collective Comfort

• The film and soundtrack landed post-9/11:
  • “It landed at the exact right time… there is just, like, really a lot of comfort there.” (05:50, Hussey)
  • “Apple pie, Mac and cheese, et cetera… supported the American identity itself.” (11:47, Listener text)
• Hussey discusses how the soundtrack transported listeners to “an idealized past that really never existed”—noting the tension between nostalgia and historical reality. (11:54)

4. The Making of the Soundtrack: Intent & Integrity

• The Coen Brothers intentionally made music a fabric of the narrative:
  • "Very, very intentional to have the music be... a really deep part of the... story from the start." (09:19, Hussey)
• Role of T Bone Burnett:
  • Chose and produced music with “unbelievably fastidious approach.” (09:49, Hussey)
  • Used the “Deca tree” microphone technique to recreate period sound (13:53)

5. Iconic Performances and Voices

• Dan Tyminski: Provided George Clooney’s singing voice for “Man of Constant Sorrow”—listeners “all knew it wasn't him singing.” (08:02, Listener Jeremy)
  • Hussey: "Dan Tyminski... I would say one of the best living singers and... figures in bluegrass." (08:07)
• Allison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris: “What a just power trio right there.” (17:58, Hussey, discussing "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby")
  • Hypnotic, intimate arrangements evoke physical closeness and emotional intimacy. (19:00)

6. Revivals and Legacy

• The soundtrack inspired a “second folk revival” (06:56, Listener text).
• Many songs on the album are more than a hundred years old, passed generationally, creating a sense of lineage and tradition. (20:03)

7. Fidelity to Source & Stories Behind the Music

• Some songs, like “Poe Lazarus,” were field recordings by Alan Lomax from chain gangs in Mississippi:
  • “You can hear the rocks breaking in the recording and a bunch of uncredited singers.” (21:36, Hussey)
  • T Bone Burnett traced and delivered royalties to James Carter, the original singer, who was later honored at the Grammys. (23:32)

8. Broader Impacts and Related Films

• Brief comparison to other films (like "Sinners") and how music animates storytelling across genres. (22:59)
• Recognition that while most featured musicians gained new fame, Chris Thomas King (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”) didn’t experience the same burst, opening discussion on recognition within musical revivals. (25:20)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Genre Integration:
  “Music was such a part of the story... it really was essential to the plot of this whole movie.”
  — Allison Hussey (03:54)
• On Timing and Comfort:
  “It landed at the exact right time… there is just, like, really a lot of comfort there.”
  — Allison Hussey (05:50)
• On Soundtrack Authenticity:
  "They had a forensic musicologist tracking down information about where the songs came from and... making sure that the music was perfectly tailored to what was happening in the plot."
  — Allison Hussey (09:49)
• On Intimacy:
  "You're in this tiny space with these three women and you're hearing their foot, you know, creak on the wood floor or whatever, right? Whatever that sound is supposedly evocative of."
  — Tiffany Hansen (19:00)
• On Legacy:
  "A lot of the sounds, a lot of the songs... are now over a hundred years old and have passed through the hands of so many people... every version there's sort of like a new meaning."
  — Allison Hussey (20:03)
• Listener Curtis (on favorite scene):
  "The old black man is singing like a spiritual. Yes, that song really touched me.… they have a lot of comedy in the movie... I'm gonna watch it because 420 is coming up real soon..." (14:23)

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:49 — "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" excerpt
• 01:32 — Introduction of guest Allison Hussey
• 03:13 — Hussey’s childhood connection to the music and David Holt’s cameo
• 04:44 — Music’s narrative role in the movie
• 05:30 — Grammy recognition and the post-9/11 moment
• 08:02 — Clooney’s singing voice and audience reaction
• 09:19 — Coen Brothers & T Bone Burnett's intentionality
• 10:59 — "I'll Fly Away" excerpt
• 13:53 — T Bone Burnett’s recording techniques
• 14:23 — Listener Curtis on the film’s impact
• 16:24 — "Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby" excerpt (Krauss, Welch, Harris)
• 21:36 — Discussion of "Poe Lazarus" recording
• 23:32 — James Carter receiving royalties
• 25:00 — "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" & Chris Thomas King

---

Summary Table: Major Themes & Soundtrack Significance

| Theme | Description & Significance | |------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Genre authenticity | Introduced millions to “roots” and bluegrass | | Integration with narrative | Music was core, not decorative | | Emotional comfort and nostalgia | Provided post-crisis solace; invoked generational memories | | Technical and historical attention | Carefully curated, recorded with period-appropriate methods | | Intergenerational musical lineage | Songs older than a century, alive through reinterpretation | | Socio-cultural tensions | Idealized American past vs. historical realities | | Lasting legacy and genre revival | Reignited interest in folk, bluegrass, and field recordings |

---

For Listeners New and Old

Whether you missed the episode or the film, this summary captures the spirit of O Brother, Where Art Thou?'s enduring musical impact, the collaborative care behind its creation, and its relevance 25 years on. The dialogue, stories, and musical excerpts showcase both the artistry of the soundtrack and its role as a bridge across American cultural moments.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. This is all of it on WNYC. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. 25 years ago this month, one movie soundtrack inspired Americans to discover or rediscover a love for roots and bluegrass music. Of course, we're talking about oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?

[B]

In constant sorrow all through his days I am a man of constant sorrow I've seen trouble all my days that.

[A]

Is, I am a man of constant sorrow from oh, Brother, Where Art Thou. That movie starred George Clooney, John Turturro, and our previous guest, Tim Blake Nelson as Mississippi chain Gang escapees who became the Soggy Bottom Boys. The soundtrack was as popular, if not more popular, than the movie itself. Over 8 million copies sold, number one on the billboard charts. It even won album of the year at the 2002 Grammy Awards. Allison Hussey is a music writer who wrote a review of the soundtrack for Pitchfork. She's with us now in the studio to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the oh, Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack and as part of our silver liner notes album anniversary series. Hi, Alison.

[C]

Hi. Thank you so much for having me to be here.

[A]

Absolutely. All right, so let's just start back at the way back. Do you remember when you first heard it?

[C]

I've been thinking about that, and it's kind of. I mean, it's crazy to think that it's 25 years old now, but I didn't see it, like, right when it came out. But I grew up in North Carolina, have know, I've lived in New York City for about seven years now. And, you know, that kind of music was always sort of around. But then when the soundtrack blew up, it really felt like that kind of music was everywhere. And there was a lot, you know, there was a lot that was familiar there, and there was a lot of stuff that was new there. And I think that that made for just a really distinctive combination that a lot of people really connected with in a way that I don't think we've really seen since.

[A]

Did you see the movie or did you hear the music first?

[C]

I definitely saw the movie first. I think it was my parents probably watching it on tv. But I remember, like, a big sort of connection was there's a guy at the very, very end sort of leading the parade when they catch Babyface. George Nelson named David Holt, and he's a North Carolinian musician who was like, one of the first concerts I ever went to as a child. He's like a folk musician and a mandolin player. And I remember my parents saying, like, look, that's the. You know, this guy that we went to the concert at the art museum is now in this movie. And it was sort of this, like. I just remember that connection of being like, oh, like, this is just such a. Like, big connection. And how did this guy that I.

[A]

Right.

[C]

You know, saucing the cat came back. Like, now he's. He's in a big movie.

[A]

I can think of some other soundtracks that did, you know, really well. Right. I'm thinking about Grease. I'm thinking about Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night Fever, the Sound of Music, Frozen.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

But when I think about those, I guess maybe with the exception of Grease, they're not so genre specific in the way that this soundtrack is. Um, why do you think that was so innovative and it actually worked? Like, sometimes that stuff can just, like, fall on its face.

[C]

I think that the big. The thing that made the big difference here was that music was such a part of the story. You know, it wasn't just sort of a set piece to sort of move things along. It really was essential to, you know, the plot of this whole movie. And, you know, what would oh, Brother, Where Art Thou Be without its songs? And, you know, the. You know, the whole sort of turning point in the movie is when they go to the radio station and they cut the record and, you know, their lives change. And. Yeah, and so I. You know, I think that. That. The fact that it's such an interesting story that is really sort of absurd and silly, but I think it ultimately does kind of end up being, like, a little bit heartwarming. It's just. Yeah, there's nothing like it.

[A]

Listeners, we're talking about oh, Brother, Where Art thou? Soundtrack, celebrating 25 years of that soundtrack. Do you have a favorite song? What do you. Why do you think the soundtrack was so successful? Did it change your opinion about bluegrass music, roots music, any of that? Call us. Text us 212-433-9692. You can also find us on all the social medias at. At all of itNYC. We got a text here that says, I sang down to the river to pray to my two babies every night. Sweet memories. I love that. That's really sweet, Alison. Wait, I read it. It won the Grammy Award for best album of the year. In what year? What year was that?

[C]

It won in 2002.

[A]

So it was okay, right? So it won in 2002. It beat out Outkast, by the way. Yeah. What was there, if there was anything happening at that moment in time that you think, like, this just landed at the exact right time.

[C]

Yeah. You know, nothing unusual happened in American history in the six months before February 2002. No, it was this album and this movie kind of landed, I think, in a moment where the country was just feeling, like, really shocked. And there is just, like, really a lot of comfort there. And I think, you know, it's. It's easy to sort of reach for something reassuring. You know, it's also easy to reach for something that is really good. But, you know, I think that, like, it's. I'm. I'm also trying to, you know, like, I'm not trying to talk Down Outcast at all, because I think, like, you know, they are true, the most brilliant musicians to ever come out of the south or, you know, the whole country. But, you know, I think that, like, O Brother or Arthel was something that a lot of people were just easy to. It was very easy for them to just sort of, like, latch onto, find a lot of meaning in it at a time where I think people were feeling a bit extra sensitive.

[A]

Another text here. I definitely recall the beginning of what came to be known as the second folk revival after that soundtrack. The first, of course, being in the 60s. The. There's always a periodic looking back in all art. Allison. I want to bring a caller into the conversation. Jeremy. Jeremy's in Middletown. Hi, Jeremy. Hi, Jeremy. You saw the film in theaters.

[D]

I did. I saw the movie when it came out in New York City. I was dating someone who lived in the city at the time. I live in Jersey. But it's just sort of an anecdotal thing. It was very funny, and perhaps it's New York City's educated film audience, but we're watching the movie. In the scene where George Clooney sings as a member of the Soggy Bottom Boys for the first time, he leans into the microphone, and the microphone kind of covers his mouth, and he begins to sing I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow. And the entire audience started giggling, because I think they all knew that it wasn't him singing.

[A]

Jeremy, thank you. I mean, fairly obvious that it wasn't him singing. Doesn't detract from it, though.

[C]

Right, right. And so, you know, that voice is Dan Taminsky, who is, you know, I would say one of the best living singers and, you know, figures in bluegrass music. He was a member of Union Station, you know, eventually had a hit with Avicii in 2013, which was pretty interesting. But I interviewed Dan Tominsky, I think it was, back in 2015, for another article I wrote, and I think he said something about his wife, said something along the lines of like, oh, my God, like, your voice coming out of George Clooney's mouth is just like, that's great. Love it.

[A]

Yeah, she gave that a thumbs up.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Yeah. Right. We're talking with Alison Hussey, who's a music writer, about the 25th anniversary of the soundtrack for oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? Alison, another text here. Having grown up with bluegrass, the more you listen, the more you love. What do you think? Of course it is a soundtrack. It came from a movie. What do you think? What do you know about what the Coen brothers original intent was for the soundtrack movie relationship and how they, you know, work together.

[C]

And, yeah, it was very, you know, very, very intentional to have the music be, like, a really deep part of the sort of fabric of the story from the start. You know, the Coens pulled in T Bone Burnett to, you know, handled the soundtrack. T Bone eventually called on Gillian Welch to be an associate producer. And, you know, now we know her to be just megastar.

[A]

Amazing. Amazing, right?

[C]

Just one of my all time favorites. And the Coens and T Bone both just had this, I would say, unbelievably fastidious approach to how they wanted to do the soundtrack and how, you know, I don't think every song necessarily was like, exactly of that era, because I think. I think the song I'll Fly Away actually was first recorded sort of a few years after the movie is actually set. But, you know, they had a forensic musicologist tracking down information about where the songs came from and, like, really making sure that the music was perfectly tailored to what was happening in the plot and that there was, I would say, like, probably back and forth between what was happening in the music and on the screen.

[A]

Let's listen a little bit.

[B]

Some bright morning when this life is over I'll fly away to that home On God's celestial show I fly away.

[A]

I mean, look, I could listen to that all day long. But here we are talking about the soundtrack for oh, Brother, Where Art Thou, Alison. I think that immediately transports me to not even the movie. I don't know, just sort of that, you know, you mentioned. And we have a text here that says, you, guest is so right. The film soundtrack was the American comfort food the nation needed. Apple pie, Mac and cheese, et cetera, supported the American identity itself. So I think it's that it kind of transports you to that place of good feeling. Yeah.

[C]

And, you know, I think that in some ways, that can be complicated too, because it's, you know, sort of this idea of being transported to this idealized past that really never existed. I mean, you know, another big plot point in Obero, the Roar Thau is like a clan rally, and they're trying to lynch somebody. You know, that's the truth of that era is, you know, not always like the slapstick comedy that we see in the movie. But, yeah, I think that it is just, again, just something really easy people can reach to for. For comfort, because it does remind them of, you know, their grandparents. I think, especially. I heard that all the time of just like, oh, I just remember hearing these songs with my grandparents. And, you know, it just really set a lot of people at ease.

[A]

Couple of texts here, too. Bluegrass music is so, so special. The oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack is just the tip of the iceberg. So many amazing bluegrass artists like Billy Strings, AJ Lee, more people we should listen to. Another text says the soundtrack is great because of the fantastic and legitimate source music that was pulled together as you were talking about by T Bone Burnett and others. T Bone Burnett, for people who don't know. I'm pretty sure people know who we're talking about, but he's a mega force. So I'm curious how you see his fingerprints on this.

[C]

I mean, they're all over the place. I think one of the things that I don't think necessarily stands out to most average listeners, but throughout the recording process, he even worked to arrange microphones in the way that microphones were often arranged in recording studios or radio studios.

[A]

Where people gather around. Right. There's a single microphone. People gather round.

[C]

Actually wasn't. It wasn't a single microphone. It was called the Deca tree method. And so they had multiple microphones set up kind of in, like, these, like, branches to sort of capture this sound, you know, I think at a time when the, you know, these different kinds of microphones just were maybe a little bit more difficult to get in some areas.

[A]

I believe it. All right, so, Alison, let's bring another caller into our conversation here. Curtis in Irvington. Hi, Curtis.

[D]

Hey.

[E]

How's everyone doing? I love the movie. I have the movie, Actually have the dvd. I'm holding it. After I get off the phone, I'm gonna watch the movie. Regarding the soundtrack, I like the very last song where the. The devil finds them at the house and the flood comes and the. The old black man is singing like a spiritual. Yes, that song really touched me. You know, I like that part of the soundtrack. I mean, I love the movie and I'm a black guy and because of like, like you mentioned the lynching scene with the kkk, with the, with the clan. It really touched me. But it makes me laugh when they say the color guard is colored. You know, they have a lot of comedy in the movie. And yeah, I'm gonna watch it because 420 is coming up real soon in a few hours and I'm on vacation. That's one of the reasons why I keep a DVD player handy because I have a nice collection of DVDs and old brother for art thou is in my DVD collection and I'm gonna watch it right now.

[A]

Love it. Curtis, thank you so much for your reflections and yeah, love that. We are talking with Alison Hussey, who's a music writer. She wrote about the soundtrack for oh Brother, Where Art Thou? It's coming up on the coming up. When is the actual date?

[C]

I think it is maybe a little bit later this month is the actual like 25th.

[A]

25Th anniversary. Ish. Right. Of the release of the soundtrack for oh Brother, Where Art Thou on the we're going to take a quick break here, but on our way out, I wanted to listen to a little music if we could. I'd like to listen to Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby and then we'll, we'll end on it and then we'll talk about it when we come back for the break. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart.

[B]

Go to sleepy little baby. Go to sleepy little baby. Your mama's gonna wait and your dad gonna say stay. Don't leave nobody but the baby go to sleep. Your little baby go to sleep. Your little baby go to sleep. Your little baby.

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart, talking about the soundtrack for oh Brother Where Art Thou. Coming up here on the 25th anniversary of that soundtrack. We're talking about it with a music writer, Alison Hussey, who wrote for, wrote a review of it for Pitchfork. Alison, before we had our little break there, we heard about another Alison. We heard from another Alison, Alison Krauss. We talked about Gillian Welch, Allison Krauss, another unforgettable voice on this soundtrack.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The song was down to the river to Pray. Just tell, just tell us your thoughts when you hear that music with Didn't.

[C]

Leave Nobody but the Baby. Like that song.

[A]

Oh, right. Sorry I said the wrong title. You're right.

[C]

No, I mean I could talk about any single one of them.

[A]

Yes, sorry. You were right.

[C]

But you know where where do you even start? I mean, so it's Allison Krause, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris and like what a just power trio right there. If you listen, I think that, you know, some listeners might miss this, but if you listen to it closely, it's not just them singing totally acapella, there's these like weird sort of like singing saw and this may be sort of like distorted banjo plank in the background. And it really just does this amazing thing that I think a lot of sort of old Appalachian and folk music can do, which is just like raise the hairs up on the back of your neck and really just hypnotize you in a way that feels almost literal. And that is kind of what happens in that scene in the movie because it's the, the sirens and the, you know, the guys are taking their break in the river and they get seduced and then Pete gets taken away. I hope I'm not spoiling a 25 year old river for everybody.

[A]

Uh oh, Curtis. No, Curtis has already seen the movie. You know, it has an intimacy to it and I think the music in general has an intimacy to it. Where. And this I think is a little bit the case with radio, you know, where. And that it instantly kind of draws you in. We're in your head, we're in your earphones. You know, you're in this tiny space with these three women and you're hearing their foot, you know, creak on the wood floor or whatever, right? Whatever that sound is supposedly evocative of. And I wonder if there's something to that in terms of its continued popularity because we did mention, right, that it spawned a sort of second revival of folk and lot of, you know, and a lot of music in this genre. Is it that? Is it more than that? Is it a lot of things? I'm gonna guess it's a lot of things, Right.

[C]

But yeah, I don't, yeah, that's, that's a good question. And it's kind of hard to know where to start. I mean, I think, you know, part of the appeal of this, you know, sort of any type of folk music is that it goes back just years and years and years. And a lot of the sounds, a lot of the songs on the soundtrack are now over a hundred years old and they have passed through the hands of so many people. And you know, in every version there's sort of like a new meaning that can go into it or, you know, a new twist or somebody can kind of put their old, their own spin on it. And I sort of think that it feels like a. Like something that's just been passed down from. For one person to the next. No, I don't think that, like, that's not a unique thing to say about folk music, but I think that, like, being able to sort of very genuinely feel that that lineage. You know, in the movie, there was Ralph Stanley, who was sort of like one of the elder statesmen of bluegrass at the time, and he, you know, passed away, I think, within the last decade or so. But, you know, that. You really get to see that. That tradition and feel it.

[A]

We feel that tradition. We know that a lot of these songs are, you know, have come from the hills. There's also some original music on there, and there's also some field recordings that were on the soundtrack. Yeah, right. So just before we listen here, just tell us a little bit about Poe Lazarus.

[C]

Yeah, so Poe Lazarus was recorded by Alan Lomax as part of his, you know, pretty famous travels through the south, and especially recording at Mississippi State Penitentiary, which a lot of people know as Parchman Farm, which was, you know, a pretty brutal place. And, you know, among his. The many recordings he did there, he recorded this man, James Carter, singing as part of a chain gang. You can hear the rocks breaking in the recording and a bunch of uncredited singers. And that song is, you know, the first thing you hear in the movie, I think, is the sound of, like, the. The hammers smashing against the rocks.

[A]

Yeah, let's hear. We have. I mean, we have to hear some now. I think it's interesting, Allison, to talk about this film, too, in the context of another film that was released this year that was set in Mississippi, Sinners.

[C]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. I could yap for let's hear days.

[A]

Let's hear it.

[C]

No, just like, just the idea of. I was just talking to a friend about this the other day. You know, the idea of music as something that is this, like, intergenerational, almost like interdimensional force. You know, the way, like, I loved the way Sinners used, like, Buddy Guy, you know, talk about, you know, so.

[A]

We'Re talking blues now just to put people in.

[C]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

We're putting people in context here.

[C]

You know, I think that much like the Cohens and Tebow and Burnett working really hard to make sure that things fit really well, I think that, you know, Ryan Coogler and his whole crew really did a lot of work to make sure that the music really helped bring the movie to life. And, you know, it's a cool movie. There's Sinners Is, you know, they've got a lot of amazing stuff going on, but, like, the music is such a massive animating force. And again, like, I don't think Sinners would be what it is without it. But to go back to Pole Lazarus, just to entice kind of the fastidiousness kind of. Once the soundtrack really started catching on, Thie Bone Burnett actually worked with an investigative reporter and somebody who was affiliated with Alan Lomax's association for Cultural Equity to find James Carter and to be able to give him his chat, like his royalty check. So he got a $20,000 check. His family was able to receive royalties, and he also got to go to the Grammys with his family. So just like. I think that that also just really speaks to how many layers there are to this movie that this. Yeah, this happened.

[A]

One of the songs from Sinners that you wanted us to play is Hard Time Killing Floor Blues. It sounds like it could be on the. The soundtrack, you know, for oh, Brother.

[C]

Wait, this was Hard Time Killing Floor was inno brother. Oh, right. I think you're right. It does sound like it could kind of fit into Sinners. Correct. It's Chris Thomas King, so.

[A]

Correct me, it's Chris Thomas King. You wanted us to play it because it sounds like it could be in Sinners and any other reason.

[C]

Well, I think that Chris Thomas King is really interesting because, you know, we talk about the O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack really making a huge difference for a lot of the musicians who were on it. And I don't think that Chris Thomas King, who's just a really talented musician out of New Orleans, I don't think that he necessarily saw the same sort of, like, catapult into sort of semi celebrity that the other musicians had. And I've always kind of wondered about that, and, you know, not necessarily wanting to assign anything to, like, malice, but it's just. I don't know, it's just always kind of interesting how just different things shake out. But I do think that this is kind of a buried treasure on the soundtrack. It's this really sort of calm, but also still a little spooky song. A song by Skip James, and just another really interesting tune that also fits in with this story about American music kind of in the early 20th century, but just a different angle on it.

[A]

We've been talking with Allison Hussey, who's a music writer, who wrote a review of the soundtrack for oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? For Pitchfork. We've been reflecting here on the 25th anniversary of the oh Brother, Where Art Thou Soundtrack. It's part of our Silver Liner Notes album Anniversary Series. Allison, thanks so much for your time. And I think we should probably go out here on Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.

[C]

Great. Sounds good.

[A]

Thank you.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

NYC now delivers breaking news, top headlines, and in depth coverage from WNYC and Gothamist every morning, midday and evening. By sponsoring our programming, you'll reach a community of passionate listeners in an uncluttered audio experience. Visit sponsorship.wnyc.org to learn more.