Today (December 18), Old Crow Medicine Show shared the official music video for their cover of “In the Jailhouse Now” from the benefit album Better Than Jail. Originally written and recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, “In the Jailhouse Now” is an example of the long tradition of prison songs in American roots music. Watch the video and learn more about the benefit album below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Better Than Jail dropped in October. The album features covers of classic prison songs from artists across the country, blues, and Americana spectrum. Silverada, Taj Mahal, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hayes Carll & Alison Moorer, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Lukas Nelson, and more appear on the album’s 12-song tracklist. It’s more than a top-tier album, though. Proceeds from Better Than Jail will benefit Equal Justice USA and Free Hearts. The foundations invest in community-based programs that decrease the use of jails and help incarcerated individuals stay connected to their families. Additionally, Better Than Jail advocates for reentry resources to help formerly incarcerated people free by helping them find employment and housing.
[RELATED: Old Crow Medicine Show: Traveling Through Time & Space]
Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor on “In the Jailhouse Now” and Better Than Jail
Ketch Secor, frontman and co-founder of Old Crow Medicine Show spoke about the project in a press release. “We are proud and truly humbled by the scope and magnitude of this project. Everyday life looks a whole lot different for the men and women behind bars, and, with our inclusion in Better Than Jail we seek to ally ourselves with those organizations shining a light in prisons across the country,” Secor said.
“The quintessential track ‘In the Jailhouse Now’ is one of country music’s most popular songs about the big house. During the global pandemic, prison activists – primarily wives, moms, and children of the incarcerated – gathered on the steps of our state capitol to demand a safer environment for inmates in Tennessee. We kept these family members in our hearts as we recorded this song,” he added.
Better Than Jail Tracklist
- “County Jail Blues”—The War and Treaty
- “I Fought the Law”—Steve Earle
- “Prison Bound Blues”—Bonnie Raitt
- “Hurricane”—Margo Price
- “The Color of a Cloudy Day”—Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
- “Parchman Farm”—Cedric Burnside
- “I Shall be Released”—Lukas Nelson
- “Sing Me Back Home”—Hayes Carll and Alison Moorer
- “Midnight Special”—Taj Mahal
- “I Got Stripes”—Raul Malo
- “I Made the Prison Band”—Silverada
- “In the Jailhouse Now”—Old Crow Medicine Show
Featured Image by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.