Southern Gothic: More Than a Microtrend
Photo by Olivia Burrett
Mosquito-ridden marshes, wisteria, and watered-down sweet tea. The bittersweet scent of magnolia trees accompanied by the shrieking of ten thousand cicadas. A “Jesus Saves” sign tacked to a telephone pole. These are things I hold near, dear, and awkwardly to my heart as someone born and raised in the southern United States. Iconography of my childhood–pieces of a culture I never thought I would miss until I ultimately moved away. It seems that the longer I spend from home, the more I find myself reaching for the slightest taste of what was once most familiar to me. Often, this need for nostalgia creeps into my writing, as it is doing right now, and musings of a broken region filled with broken people fill up my pages. When writing doesn’t do the trick, I’ll read. Toni Morrison, Harper Lee, and Anne Rice often take turns being plucked from my bookshelf, not to be put down for hours on end. Of course, those activities take more concentration and energy–if I’m going to write, it ought to be good, and if I’m going to read something, I must retain it. There is only one activity that I can take lazy pleasure in; the one delight that allows me to soak up all that I miss (and all that I fear): music.
When I set out to write this article, I had intended to curate a list of Halloween song recommendations, given that the holiday is right around the corner. This ultimately proved challenging, as I wanted to go beyond the classics. “Thriller” and “Time Warp” are great, but they aren’t necessarily deep cuts. The unsettling can present itself in many different forms, and as I jumped between ideas, one specific genre of horror and history stuck out. Upon researching (and feeling homesick), I realized that something could still be written in honor of the season, just not in the traditional way I had planned. What could be more appropriate a focus than the misunderstood, “microtrend-ified,” and bone-chilling Southern Gothic?
Southern Gothic has been around far longer than the X film franchise and TikTok would have most believe. It is much more than a Pinterest board filled with editorial photoshoots of women in prairie dresses or highly saturated interiors of churches that are probably in the Midwest anyway. The genre first emerged as a literary movement. It was a new and untraditional way of highlighting the deep-rooted issues that have long permeated the region. Class disparity, racial discrimination, religious trauma, and many other topics have all been represented in the haunting narratives of many an author–and many a musician. Often, these stories and songs use disturbing imagery to evoke a deep discomfort in the minds of those consuming them. The paranormal and uncanny serve as vessels for real-world problems that surround the narrator and their environment. In my opinion, this niche of horror is the most memorable, perhaps because the tales are derived from truth.
With all of that scene-setting out of the way, I have below a few songs that I believe best represent the Southern Gothic. Sometimes eerie, always meaningful, the music of this genre will transport you to a world where the creepiest monster may just be your neighbor five miles down the road.
House Of The Rising Sun-The Animals
The most famous recording may be sung by Brits, but the song originates from a traditional American folk tune. Honestly, it’s perfect for anyone who loves Interview with the Vampire.
Last Time (I Seen the Sun)-Alice Smith, Miles Caton
This is just a taste–no pun intended–of the “Sinners” soundtrack. The film, as well as its music, serves as an excellent example of everything that Southern Gothic is and stands for.
Seven and a half ethereal minutes of haunting imagery, rejecting faith, and making peace with death.
Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan)-Bessie Smith
This one isn’t necessarily “Gothic” per se, but the blues are a foundational element to the genre, and this song conveys the tone of the deep South in that raw, classic sense that many have gone on to emulate. (Also, I did promise a deep cut.)
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia-Reba McEntire
Don’t let the upbeat melody deceive you. It is quite literally dubbed a “Southern Gothic Murder Ballad.” A classic, this song draws on small-town lies and the corrupted judicial systems that let innocent men die and guilty men walk free.
