How 'Georgia on My Mind' and 'Louis Collins' are Connected

Have you ever wondered how two iconic songs like 'Georgia on My Mind' and 'Louis Collins' are connected? The answer lies in the story behind the latter song, which was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell. While 'Georgia on My Mind' is a classic tune that has been covered by many artists, 'Louis Collins' is a lesser-known song that has its roots in a real-life murder case.

The song's inspiration came from a newspaper article about the murder of Louis Collins, which took place in Yazoo City, Mississippi, in 1897. According to the article, Collins got into a fight with someone named Louis Thomas over a woman and was ultimately stabbed in the neck by Collins' own hand. The incident led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in Collins' death.

Miles Mitchell, one of the witnesses to the crime, described how three or four men subdued Collins and held him down while he was being shot by Robert Kent. The song's lyrics seem to reflect this event, with lines like 'Is for the angels laying him away' and 'Until yesterday, we all thought John Hurt was the only source for this song.'

In reality, however, there were other sources of the song before John Hurt recorded it. In 1933, John Lomax made a recording of an unidentified prisoner in the Tennessee State Penitentiary singing 'Bully of the Town,' which turned out to be mislabeled as 'Louis Collins.' This discovery sheds new light on the song's origins and highlights its connection to the real-life murder that inspired it.

Despite its lesser-known status, 'Louis Collins' has been covered by many artists over the years, including Mississippi John Hurt, who recorded an arrangement of the song in the 1940s. In fact, Hurt's version is often considered a classic of American folk music and has been praised for its simple yet effective chord progression.

The chord progression of 'Louis Collins' is notable for its use of G chords with a low bass note, which gives the song its distinctive feel. As blues guitarist Donald Garwood notes in his book, Hurt's arrangement of the song features a low G bass with his C chord, creating a sense of tension and release that propels the song forward.

In conclusion, 'Louis Collins' is more than just a lesser-known song by Hoagy Carmichael - it's a connection to a real-life murder case that inspired its creation. Through its use of simple yet effective chords and lyrics that reflect the event, 'Louis Collins' has become an important part of American folk music history.

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