The Music of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Mid guitar lesson the other day, my student (and Patreon patron) Kit mentioned the soundtrack to the 2000 award-winning film "O Brother, Where Art Though?" and we decided, during the conversation, I was long overdue in writing a lesson article on the movie's soundtrack (similar to my Black Widow and James Bond lesson articles).....so this writing exists to correct that oversight!

The soundtrack, which also won accolades for its soundtrack (including 2022 Grammy Awards for both "Album of the Year" and "Best Compilation Soundtrack" as well as several other Grammys, CMAs, IBMAs, & more) and hit #1 on the charts and sold over 8 million copies, was produced by legend T Bone Burnett.

Let's leap right in and look at each song (charts provided where there is musical accompaniment, though much of the album features a cappella performances - the term "a cappella", it should be noted, simply means there is no harmonic instrumentation supporting the singers).

1) "Po' Lazurus" 

1959 Alan Lomax field recording - a cappella performance

2) "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

recorded in 1928

verse

C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /

F - - - /F - G - /C - - - /C - - - /

chorus

C - - - /F - C - /F - C - /C - G - /

C - - - /F - C - /F C F C /F C F C /G - C - - - /

3) "You Are My Sunshine"

capo @2

E - - - /E - E7 - /A - - - /E - - - /

A - - - /E - - - /E - B7 - /E - - - /

repeat throughout

4) "Down to the River to Pray" 

Allison Krauss a cappella 

5) "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" 

capo @1

verse

E5 - - - /E5 - - - /E5 - - - /E5 - - - /

A - - - /A - - - /B - - - /B - - - /

E5 - - - /E5 - - - /

E5 - - - /E5 - - - /E5 - - - /E5 - - - /

A - - - /A - - - /B - - - /B - - - /

E5 - - - /E5 - - - /B - - - /B - - - /E5 - - - /E5 - - - /

6) "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" 

D5 throughout, with moving bass line and both D major (mixolydian) and D minor (dorian) conflicting emphases - this song requires an entire lesson (w/ tab) of its own.

7) "Keep on the Sunny Side" 

capo@1

verse

A - D - /A - - - /A - - - /E - - - /

E7 - - - /A - - - /E - - - /A - - - /

chorus

A - - - /D - A - /A - - - /E - - - /

A - - - /D - A - /A D A E /A - - - /

8) "I'll Fly Away" 

D - - - /D - - - /G - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /D - A - /D - - - /

repeat throughout

9) "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby" 

Harris/Krauss/Welch a cappella performance

10) "In the Highways" 

capo @1

verse

C - - - /C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /

C - - - /C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /

chorus

F - - - /C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /

F - - - /C - - - /G - - - /C - - - /

11) "I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)" 

chorus

D - - - /D - G - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

D - - - /D - G - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - A - /D - - - /D - - - /

verse

A - - - /A7 - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /A - - - /A7 - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

D - - - /D - A - /D - - - /D - - - -/

12) "O Death" 

Ralph Stanley a cappella performance

13) "In the Jailhouse Now" 

capo @2

below is basic structure - they take various liberties

verse

A - - - /A - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

A - - - /A7 - - - /D - - - /D7 - - - /

D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /D7 - - - /

B7 - - - /B7 - - - /E - - - /E7 - - - /

chorus

A - - - /A7 - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

E - - - /E - - - /E - - - /E - - - /

E7 - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

D - - -/D - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

A - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

E - - - /E - - - /A - - - /A - - - /

14) "Indian War Whoop" 

basic structure, but various liberties in recording 

G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /

G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /G - - - /

C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /C - - - /

15) "Lonesome Valley" 

The Fairfield Four a cappella performance

16) "Angel Band" 

verse

C - - /C - - /F - - /C - - /

C - - /C - - /C - - /C - - /

C - - /C - - /F - - /C - - /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

chorus

G - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

G - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

F - - /F - - /C - - /C - - /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

F - - /F - - /C - - /C - - /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

====

If you find this lesson to be of value, please consider leaving a small donation!

Monthly support: https://www.patreon.com/skinnydevilmusic​ or https://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic​ (Pay What You Will)

One-shot support: https://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic​ or www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47 (Pay What You Will)