Sharron's debut album Beautiful Twisted was released by Australian psych label Camera Obscura in 2002 and received rave reviews around the world. It was listed in Rolling Stone Magazine's Critics' Top Albums of 2002. After touring with US psychedelic folk band The Iditarod, she collaborated with them on an album of wintry songs and soundscapes entitled Yuletide and released by avant/experimental label Elsie and Jack in 2003.
Sharron's second solo album, Songs of Love and Loss, was recorded at home in Oxford and at Dungeon Studios in the Cotswolds. The album features Jane Griffiths on fiddle and viola, Jon Fletcher on harmonica and occasional guitar, banjo and vocals, Colin Fletcher on bass, as well as BBC Folk Award-winning fiddler Jon Boden and Grammy-nominated early music violinist Giles Lewin. The album was finished in Providence and mixed with Jeffrey Alexander (The Iditarod, Black Forest/Black Sea). Songs of Love and Loss is a natural follow-up to Beautiful Twisted, in places darker and more discordant, in others gentler and sweeter.
Sharron has been featured in The Wire, New Folk Sounds, Arthur, Ptolemaic Terrascope and Broken Face. She has been interviewed on BBC Radio 3 for 'A Place Called England' discussing the future of English folk music and recorded sessions for BBC Radio Scotland and independent radio stations across the US. Her fans include veteran folk musician Archie Fisher and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
Song Of The Hanged Man
Sharron Kraus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see everything turned around
I am hanging from the highest point
To see the world from upside down
I've seen a river flow upstream
And swallows flying north
I've seen a rich man share with the poor
I've seen love in a torturer's eye
Seen broken bones mend on the wheel
I've seen a servant return home
And before him his master kneel
I've seen a mother rape her son
And a daughter kill her father
I've seen a priest confess to a whore
And a jailer set free by his prisoner
I've seen the moon overtake the sun
And the evening star rise in the morning
I've seen insects devour a kingdom
And lions heed a warning
I've seen a child lead an army
And I've seen a dead man weep
I've seen elephants in mourning
And I've heard monkeys speak
I've seen snow fall in the desert
And the sea set on fire
I've seen a dead tree sprout leaves
And bones rise from a pyre
The lyrics of Sharron Kraus's "Song Of The Hanged Man" convey the unusual perspective of someone who is hanged from the highest point, observing the world upside down. This position allows the singer to see things from a different angle and witness events and phenomena that would be impossible to see under normal circumstances. The first stanza describes the singer's physical position, walking the straight and narrow backwards to see everything turned around. The second stanza is a series of observations that the singer has made: a river flowing upstream, swallows flying north, a rich man sharing with the poor, a poor man knowing his worth, love in a torturer's eye, broken bones mending on the wheel, a servant returning home. These observations demonstrate the unusual perspective the singer has and that they have seen things that go against the norm.
The third stanza takes a darker turn, and the observations become more disturbing and surreal. The singer describes a mother raping her son, a daughter killing her father, a priest confessing to a whore, and a jailer set free by his prisoner. These images are shocking and disturbing, but they also highlight the concept of moral inversion that is present throughout the song. The singer has seen the moon overtake the sun, insects devouring a kingdom, and lions heeding a warning. The final two stanzas continue in this vein, presenting further examples of moral and natural inversion. The singer has seen a child lead an army and a dead man weep, elephants in mourning, and monkeys speak. They've seen snow fall in the desert and the sea set on fire, a dead tree sprout leaves, and bones rise from a pyre.
Overall, "Song Of The Hanged Man" portrays a world where the normal rules of morality and nature are inverted. The unusual perspective of the hanged man allows the singer to see things from a different angle and witness events that go against the norm. While the lyrics are sometimes disturbing, they also highlight the beauty and strangeness of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I am walking the straight and narrow backwards
I am purposely taking the opposite route of the commonly accepted path.
To see everything turned around
In doing so, I am gaining a new perspective on the world.
I am hanging from the highest point
I am metaphorically suspended in a position of vulnerability and danger.
To see the world from upside down
From this position, I can witness a different view of the world.
I've seen a river flow upstream
I have witnessed something that goes against the expected flow of nature.
And swallows flying north
I have seen an occurrence that defies traditional migration patterns.
I've seen a rich man share with the poor
I have witnessed an act of generosity from someone in a position of power.
And a poor man know his worth
I have seen a person of lower status recognize their own value.
I've seen love in a torturer's eye
I have witnessed a seemingly contradictory display of affection.
Seen broken bones mend on the wheel
I have observed a physical healing process that would normally be seen as impossible.
I've seen a servant return home
I have seen someone who was regarded as inferior or insignificant receive a positive reception.
And before him his master kneel
Their superior showed deference or respect for them in a surprising reversal of roles.
I've seen a mother rape her son
I have witnessed an act of violence and betrayal within a family dynamic.
And a daughter kill her father
I have seen familial connections be used to commit atrocities.
I've seen a priest confess to a whore
I have observed an unexpected confession or admission from someone who should be morally upstanding.
And a jailer set free by his prisoner
I have seen someone who was previously in a position of power become subordinate to someone they once controlled.
I've seen the moon overtake the sun
I have witnessed a natural event that is usually only seen in complete darkness.
And the evening star rise in the morning
I have seen something that only occurs when it is out of place or context.
I've seen insects devour a kingdom
I have witnessed an unexpected display of power or destruction from a seemingly insignificant source.
And lions heed a warning
I have seen a creature normally associated with fear or danger show a surprising level of obedience or submission.
I've seen a child lead an army
I have seen someone who is normally seen as inexperienced or unqualified be given a position of power.
And I've seen a dead man weep
I have witnessed a display of emotion from someone who is normally incapable of feeling.
I've seen elephants in mourning
I have observed non-human animals exhibiting emotions similar to those of humans during periods of grief.
And I've heard monkeys speak
I have experienced something that would normally be seen as impossible or fantastical.
I've seen snow fall in the desert
I have seen something that is out of place or contradicts the expected laws of nature.
And the sea set on fire
I have witnessed an event that is normally impossible and potentially terrifying.
I've seen a dead tree sprout leaves
I have observed a process of renewal or rebirth in something that was once thought to be finished or dead.
And bones rise from a pyre
I have seen an unlikely or impossible event occur, possibly representing a sense of resurrection or defiance of death.
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.