I wrote Cruel World a few years back. I got the tag from a conversation with a dear friend in Asheville; we were discussing how things were not what they once were. We were talking about Tower Time, the world, our lives, and other things not quite right. Thinking back, I remember realizing how she was indeed a mountain Cassandra. This was a time before the Washington regime. Before Helene.
I drove over the mountain from Tennessee regularly to visit, hang out with friends, go to restaurants, or go to classes at Mother Grove. Asheville, North Carolina is a beautiful city with a diverse population, different kinds of people from the straight and mundane, to the artists, musicians and mystics. It is all of these in an eccentric, eclectic package. I love it there.
I haven’t visited in a while. It is a long drive from Central Arkansas to that City in the Mountains. I think about Asheville with a smile every time I play this song. I frequently sing it when we perform, even though I had never gotten around to recording it – until a few days ago. Just a bit of my lost Dark Americana.
It’s Awful, But It’s What You Have
I have no lessons herein for you, no gems of wisdom. Just a song about a true “Mountain Cassandra” and the words she half whispered to me, “You’ve chosen your path. It’s awful but it’s what you have.”
Thank you for those haunting words, Byron.
Cruel World
I live alone, up here on this Cold Mountain
Sometimes I drive down to Asheville Town.
I asked the Witch if she would tell my fortune.
She just smiled and laid her cards on down.
She looked at the cards and gave me a sad little laugh,
She said look around you at a World gone completely mad.
You have chosen a dark and lonely path.
It’s awful but it’s what you have.
(Chorus)
I know I’m not the only one who’s hurtin’
I’m not the only one singin’ the blues.
There is an army of the lonely,
This Cruel World demands her bloody dues
This Cruel World demands her bloody dues
She said I know what I’m talking about.
I walk the same dark path as you
The shadows hide a dark and lonely path,
It’s Awful, but it’s what we have
It’s Awful, but it’s what we have
I know I’m not the only one who’s hurtin’
I’m not the only one singin’ the blues.
There is an army of the lonely,
This Cruel World demands her bloody dues
This Cruel World demands her bloody dues“Cruel World” (c) 2025 Lyrics, vocal, guitars, bass, and recording by Louis Garou. You can find it here on bandcamp
Louis writes a bit more about Tower Time in his March 13, 2025 blog “Sacred Ashes“. And you can listen to his song “No Goin’ Back“. As he describes it, “it’s just about dealing with life”.
For more information about Louis, including his collected articles here on Pagan Song, his bio, and links to Louis’ sites on the web, check out Louis’s author page here on Pagan Song.
lead photo of ruin by Liudmyla Shalimova
Please subscribe to the Pagan Song blog, to receive our blog post each week. Don’t miss any of the musical magic!
Visit our homepage to see the full list of the musicians who write for the Pagan Song blog.
Pagan Song has a fan club on Patreon. Join for as little as $3 a month for exclusive features! Click for info.