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Folklorist Archie Green rediscovers one of America's oldest work songs during a field trip in which he meets an aging mill worker who sings "Factory Girl" from her deathbed. Dorsey and Nancy Dixon sing this old ballad, which gives a snapshot into working conditions in textile mills of New England.
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Piece Description
Folklorist Archie Green rediscovers one of America's oldest work songs during a field trip in which he meets an aging mill worker who sings "Factory Girl" from her deathbed. Dorsey and Nancy Dixon sing this old ballad, which gives a snapshot into working conditions in textile mills of New England.
Broadcast History
"Factory Girl" was originally broadcast January 1, 2005 on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.
Timing and Cues
Suggested Host Intro:
INTRO: When an iPod can store 10-thousand songs in your shirt pocket?And sharing a tune with someone halfway around the world is as easy as clicking the ?download? button, it may be difficult to appreciate a time when music was preserved by memory. Sung out-loud on the porch or in the parlor, and passed along to family and friends like a precious heirloom.
PIECE: (strum) Here?s a song called The Factory Girl. This is one I used to hear my sister Nancy do when I was a small kid?I used to hear her sing this song. And I liked it mighty well, and it goes like this. (Fade guitar under host and hold)
INTRO: Today as part of ?What?s in a Song,? folklorist Archie Green recalls the day he discovered a ballad that?s threaded its way across many generations.
MUSIC: lyrics of song begin
Musical Works
"Factory Girl" is sung by Dorsey and Nancy Dixon. This song can be found on a CD collection of textile workers songs called, "Babes of the Mill."
Related Website
Rob Wright
Posted on November 14, 2007 at 07:24 PM | Permalink
Review of Factory Girl
This piece is not uninteresting, however it is not at all what the synopsis makes it out to be. This is a short story of the process of writing a particular song and what that song is about. Unfortunately not what it was described as. Perhaps this is the wrong file?