MP3 AUDIO RECORDING: This haunting ballad emerged from a poem written by songwriter Grace Cosgrove (probably not the one you found on Wikipedia). After reading the poem (in 1983), Chris was inspired to add the chorus and write music. This vintage recording, released in 1984 on Chris' album-length cassette ANYONE'S REVOLUTION, was made using an 8-Track board -- bouncing a number of tracks around to accommodate all the inputs. The sound quality, therefore, is not ideal, but you can clearly feel the power of this song. At this time, Chris was working with a small ensemble named THE SPECKLED BAND -- a nod to the racial diversity of the group as well as to Sherlock Holmes.

In 2022, Chris added a bridge to BLACK-EYED SUSAN which was first performed on April 9th at the CHRIS OLEDUDE BENEFIT BIRTHDAY BASH. To hear the unedited, livestreamed performance of this song -- and others -- subscribe to Chris' Patreon.

Thank you for your interest in BLACK-EYED SUSAN! Please enjoy the song!

(And if you ever meet Grace Cosgrove, please tell her that Chris is looking for her!)