Americana: Murder Ballads and the darker side of US culture

Emigrating Scots did much to influence the formation of American culture, including spreading a love of the murder ballad.

During the 18th and 19th centuries these lurid accounts of brutal crimes (often the sexually motivated killings of young women) provided a grim tabloid titillation as they spread in print form and as songs.

Scottish playwright and musician Morna Young’s latest commission Americana: A Murder Ballad (which was due to have its world premiere at the 2020 Edinburgh Festival Fringe but has now been postponed after Fringe was cancelled due to the Coronavirus) uses the murder ballad form to interrogate school mass shootings.

Young, who was named Scots Writer of the Year in 2019, is fascinated by how we tell stories, in finding forms that suit the narrative and in addressing big questions – especially ones she finds complex and provocative.

Long-held traditions

In this case she is unravelling deeply ingrained, centuries-old traditions and ideas that have sentimentalised and romanticised violence and criminality – something that’s reflected in country music and other popular culture.

She has also looked at how a society can emerge that values gun ownership ahead of human life and little is done to halt the ongoing cycle of mass murders.

Americana: A Murder Ballad will be an exploration of fear – the fear that has led to US civilians owning an estimated 390 million guns.

The play will be presented by the multiple award-winning Pepperdine Scotland – which links leading Scottish playwrights to theatre students from Pepperdine University in California to create biennial Fringe productions.

Research on the ballads

Morna Young has worked with Aberdeen University folklore expert Dr Thomas McKean to find out more about the development of murder ballads and how they developed such a profound influence on American culture. Read Dr McKean's research here.