Patrick Sky - Tumblr Posts

Do you have any thoughts on "Luang Prabang" by Dave van Ronk? It's such a catchy song, but I always want to know more about the wooden medals the song references.

thanks for the work!

Suggested Song

"Luang Prabang" Dave Van Ronk, 1985 "Luang Prabang" was written by Dave Van Ronk sometime before or around 1971, the oldest release I could find is from April 1973, where Patrick Sky and Dave Van Ronk both perform it live on the radio (timestamp 33:05) However, the song was first recorded in 1971 by Patrick Sky, Van Ronk's friend, for his Satirical album "Songs That Made America Famous". Still, it wasn't released until later in 1973 because they had trouble finding a record company due to the edgy and over-the-top nature of the songs featured, to put it lightly. It wouldn't be until later in 1985 when Dave Van Ronk would release a version himself.

"Luang Prabang" is based on a Traditional English tune, "Byker Hill" first published in 1812 in "Rhymes of Northern Bards", and collected around 1810. It was first recorded in 1958-9 by Sandy Paton. Byker Hill and Walker Shore, the places featured in the song, were coal mines and quarries near Newcastle, making this song a coal miners song.

Here's a modern rendition of the song for example. "Luang Prabang" is specifically an anti-Vietnam-war song. Luang Prabang is a real city in Laos. the U.S.A. also dropped 2 million tons of bombs on Laos through the 1960s and 1970s, "the bombs fell like rain." The Song details, sardonically, the physical toll on the American soldiers. The Wooden medal reference is another joke like this. It's basically saying the medal is worthless, not even a bronze medal. The joke is there to contrast the other repeated lyrics like "Now I'm a fucking hero". The only things the character singing got from the song are physical mutilation, the death of everyone else around him, and a wooden medal. It's grim and funny like most songs protesting the war in Vietnam.