How "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" Got Sent Into Space

[@thorniestorange]

I wonder what blind willie Johnson would think if he knew his music has traveled farther than anyone else’s.

[@brendanmccabe8373]

Thorniest Orange well radio signals have been sent into space before hand but physically yeah

[@DisRespectoids]

type trippy bruh

[@levivans5261]

Brendan McCabe there’s always that one technical realist... of course he meant physically farther than anyone else...

[@brendanmccabe8373]

Levi Vans it wasn’t the only song on the record

[@NatetheNerdy]

@@brendanmccabe8373 Well saying as radio signals get weaker as they go, to the point where you can only tell they're there but are unable to listen to it, and since gold doesn't really corrode, his song will be one of the farthest understandable songs if it isn't already.

[@Kuchenblech_Mafioso]

Blues and space. Doesn't get much better than that for me

[@TealScarab]

Agreed

[@KilgoreTrout-vo7uy]

You should watch Cowboy Bebop then.

[@SammyCee23]

@@KilgoreTrout-vo7uy Yes

[@danziker]

@@KilgoreTrout-vo7uy See You, Space Cowboy ;)

[@the6strings]

👏👏👏

[@smithjohnson3144]

“With nowhere else to go, He laid himself down. On the cold wet ground In the remains of his home. Dark was the night. Cold was the ground when Blind Willie Johnson Died.” Damn.

[@samuelpersi3197]

where is this from?

[@isaiah9987]

@@samuelpersi3197 6:25

[@blackflagsnroses6013]

@@samuelpersi3197this same video

[@patrickvandermullen8816]

I remember him with my hart. God speed for him.

[@andrewsteadman7428]

I find it kinda sweet how an obscure and blind gospel singer went so far. Blind Willie Johnson was at most times homeless and music was a way for him to escape it. You can feel the tension, anger, and sadness in lots of his recordings, including Dark was the Night. I think it would have blown his mind that his music is literally in the heavens.

[@BSIII]

Listen to Dark Was The Night on acid... the pure emotion from his slide guitar and humming is deep. The thought that it was floating through space, possibly outlasting our species and planet, hearing every emotion and nuance in the recording had me balling like a baby.

[@derpy.1]

FINALLY SOMEONE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG!

[@Htwn4]

Derpy Slurpy song is beautiful

[@michaeljoseph9722]

That ist what i thought too !!!

[@jessepinkeye2339]

Vsauce did this before. I think that was called "lonely"

[@jeremiahteniente1744]

Johnson is the greatest blues/gospel artist whoever lived, he lived hard and died dirt poor, living like a bum upon his death. This man was the blues, he lived it and you hear it in all his recordings. Thanks for the vid.

[@adonaiyah2196]

It was Vsauce's video that introduced me to this remarkable man, and ultimately, the enigmatic genious of men like William Johnson, who though overlooked in their time, are garnering respect for their craft in the modern age

[@RatelHBadger]

I first heard of Willie Johnson many years ago. I find his life career and posthumous success incredibly tragic and fascinating.

[@catchnether1647]

I first heard it on a delta blues compilation cd I bought about a year ago

[@sadaffleck7353]

Literally Across the universe

[@CPorter]

I'm glad your talking about music from the 20s and 30s now.

[@okumay]

Polyphonic making a serious video: One thing fascinates me the most. Polyphonic Q&As: hEEere gooes tHe iNtrOO, ddaAda

[@rckstr1123]

It's Polyphonic o' clock. BLUM BLUM BA DUM. BLUM BLUM BLUM BUM BA DUM.

[@adonaiyah2196]

I hope Polyphonic introduces Johnson's astounding, awesome music to the masses

[@thatguythatlivesonearth]

Dark was the night, and cold the ground On which the Lord was laid His sweat like drops of blood ran down In agony he prayed "Father, remove this bitter cup If such Thy sacred will If not, content to drink it up Thy pleasure I fulfill" Go to the garden, sinner, see Those precious drops that flow The heavy load He bore for thee For thee he lies so low Then learn of Him the cross to bear Thy Father's will obey And when temptations press thee near Awake to watch and pray

[@TheFancifulFish]

Blues music is one of the most expressive forms of music. So raw and powerful

[@michaelharleman3975]

Will you do a video on Echoes by Pink Floyd?

[@JohnDuraSSB]

I 2nd that request!

[@jakeperks9775]

Pink Floyd needs an entire Polyphonic Playlist special...

[@MikeJBeebe]

Adding my "YES, PLZ!" to the list!

[@adairbock6737]

I hate to be this guy, but why do they have so many fans? They have a couple good songs, but why are they considered better than The Who?

[@evancain4906]

@@adairbock6737 because they have more than just a couple good songs. They have many, many great songs. Their albums are true art that tell the story of life and death and what our modern society is like. Their music has helped millions of people around the globe get through troubled times (myself included) and their music also educates and excites people about what is and what could be. Bands like “The who” are very good in their own right but most people would agree that Pink Floyd’s music is a representation of what it is to be human. It’s pure art and will go down in history alongside Mozart and Beethoven, and will be remembered forevermore. I strongly encourage you to listen their “big four” albums (dark side of the moon, the wall, animals, wish you were here) in their entirety and listen to the words and music and maybe you will hear the true greatness the rest of us hear. Their music is what keeps me alive, if Pink Floyd didn’t exist, then I wouldn’t want to exist either.

[@TreyPDB]

please go viral and get a TV show with a massive budget and 2 hour runtime

[@wingracer1614]

Oh please no. It would just be another corporate controlled, ad filled, over hyped, superficial pile of steaming crap. He's doing just fine right here where he is.

[@SamuelKristopher]

@@wingracer1614 yes yes, exactly this. Besides, I love these videos cause I can watch one or two before I go to bed. I'm not gonna watch two hour episodes, even as good as polyphonic is

[@justinallen3457]

Why? TV is dead...

[@kamrynrist6049]

lol normie

[@BSIII]

Tv is garbage. Why do people like being forced to watch garbage?

[@decode_d]

Can you do a video analyzing While My Guitar Gently Weeps? It's a great song.

[@tomservo5007]

correction: Willie's stepmother was having the affair not the father. After his father beat her, she threw lye in Willie's face.

[@perfectbeat]

That's even worse. What a sorry spitefull b!*#h.

[@shirleysonsproductions6187]

Why would he be punished?

[@trk4973]

River Hord to hurt the father. She couldn't hurt the father so she hurt his son, a truly pathetic woman.

[@akshaykumarjha9136]

Did she ever regret it? I mean I can see a scorned person doing something like this, but I would not be able to live with the guilt of it especially in front of me. I would have committed Suicide!

[@thomasgary1219]

River Hord Supposedly it was an accident it is believed she meant to throw the poison in the dads face not young willie nonetheless extremely tragic

[@middle_pickup]

I'm not one to cry often, but this moved me to tears. What a tragic story. I didn't know his story, but I had heard his music before in passing. Thanks for the video. I'm going to study his work for sure.

[@neugey]

Gotta send our music out into space before Universal burns it all.

[@gnarwhal7562]

Lmao savage af

[@ATLS702]

Mike N top comment

[@RatelHBadger]

Been hanging out on Rick Beato's channel I see.

[@jackdaw99]

The documentary about those gold discs is the best thing I’ve ever seen on TV. It’s called _The kiss that would last a billion years_ and I highly recommend it.

[@yonawurzburger5327]

Can you send a link?

[@jackdaw99]

Zrubavella Portermacher I wish I could but I don’t have a link. I’m sure you’ll be able to find it if you search for it though!

[@sauceobtainer2849]

This song touches me so much but it's really eerie

[@Msax50]

Extraordinary power of this man’s faith. Hundreds of versions of Dark was the Night and none that I have heard come close. RIP Willie

[@PondOfGlue]

This song has always moved me to the point of tears inevitably always welling up. I could never pinpoint why until now. I left this video feeling like a freight train hit me, and similarly, welling up with tears that this song itself induces. I’ve always adored the idea of this gorgeous song careening through the cosmos long after we’re all gone. Willie may not have become a preacher like he dreamed, but he sure got closer to “God” than any other human being to ever exist.

[@knightwing5169]

Polyphonic, will you ever make a sequel video about Johnny B. Goode, the only rock song ever sent into space?

[@michaeljoseph9722]

Yes please !!!

[@scottcrosby-art5490]

Very few songs give me the chills as much as this..

[@MMsVinyl]

Yes the video I have been waiting for!

[@adonaiyah2196]

Me too!

[@machinescapes]

Same

[@maayan460]

This is perhaps the greatest content regarding the great Willie Johnson

[@michaelctanner]

Noah, you‘ve outdone yourself yet again! Thank you ever so much for your excellent vids...

[@lovely-mk4rt]

This deserves more than a thumbs up. This was a significant video. History and honor, to the music and times of America in the making.

[@tobyj4664]

This song brings out a sort of emotion and feeling that I can’t explain, but it’s super solemn and nostalgic.

[@benhogg5488]

Please do a video on Ritchie Blackmore and his neoclassical influences and how it much influenced metal and rock !

[@avi_s0ncin0]

That would be awesome! Ritchie is by far in my top 10 guitarists!

[@JumpydeerbobHD]

I love coming back to this video, your style of telling these stories is incredible. This one in particular makes me cry everytime tho ahah

[@K00KYMONSTER]

Thanks for covering my favourite blues musician his story is so painful. My favourite song is let it shine. Such a beautiful song

[@Northwest360]

You have a great way of fitting in the sponsors. It doesn't feel so forced which is nice 👌🏻

[@Obiwannabe]

He died of malarial fever and syphilis. That he suffered with for over a year.

[@AlexanderGreensmith]

Excellent display of the video essay genre. An artist the KZbin generation would not, but should know about. Thanks to you.

[@andrewcline8024]

I wasn't first I wasn't last But boi I clicked fast

[@adupswillbeback3390]

3/4 lines reported to fbi

[@nicsheehan642]

Your channel is genuinely the best on KZbin, absolutely brilliant video, especially for someone like myself who had a passion for the delta blues

[@sUbScRiBeRswItHoUtvEdEo]

Dark was the night is actually the perfect song to listen to while drifting through space. Anyone who finds the voyager will surely be in for a good time. It's such a shame that the person who made that amazing song was not appreciated in his time

[@bluemarais2897]

Ive always been a fan of the blues but the eerie sounds of this song combined with the simplicity of old record techniques is perhaps the song that started it all for me

[@lm17tube]

I've been following your channel for a while now, you never disappoints and this video is great. first time I heard about this project was on the Win Wenders documentary The Soul of a Man, it's great too... thank you so much for such inspiring content! greetings from Brazil

[@HJ-pm2dx]

thank you for covering the subject and creator of this beautiful piece.

[@mirelkraja6357]

What a great video! I'm glad that Timothy Ferris was one of the astronomers tasked to make decisions about which song would be on the disc. As a human, I'm honoured for the soul of humanity to be represented by Willie Johnsons art. 1:32 golden

[@zim4750]

Thank you for doing this video and for give this man a voice in this era, i feel like the mighty Blind Willie Johnson has been underrated for too long now. I admire this man beyond razonability, not just because he was a fighter in life beyond any reasonable doubt, but because he was and always will be the preach of rock and roll. Ironically, all the glorie that he never knew in this earth as a human will mean nothing when he becomes a real start, upthere with the eternal, while we, along with all our creations and all that we ever could loved, becomes another speck of dust in the universe. Stay true to yourselfs, peace.

[@neotrevisani3199]

Please do more videos about these old blues players !

[@LorcaLoca]

This song is so powerful. I'm so happy it was picked.

[@beatrix-persephone]

I thought this was gonna be about johnny b goode but this is much better

[@seanohare7149]

Same When I saw blues and space I was like I know who it will be

[@seanohare7149]

@James Currie rock stemed from blues

[@georgelacatus1495]

Fantastic video, this is by far the best channel on KZbin

[@Basementsongs]

A great video again and I‘m so glad that i found your channel again after almost a year. If you read this I would like to make a video idea: I guess it would be a very nice video to analyse the song „Man of the Wilderness“ from the styx, as it is very diverse in its sound. Anyways keep it up and I‘m happy to see new videos of you every now and then. Keep it up.

[@bpabustan]

I own the Complete Blind Willie Johnson double CD released by Columbia. For all intents and purposes, BWJ is a musical paradox. He plays guitar and sings like a typical bluesmen but his lyrics are anything BUT the Blues. Many Blues scholars maintain he is a Gospel/Spiritual singer in a blues form. ONe reason Cold Was The Night was not sung with the lyrics, some scholars assert is the fact that this hymn is so popular among the Black Christians, those who will be able to hear it know off the bat it's that hymn. Aside of course from the ones you said on the video. My heart aches for a lot of these bluesmen, most of them died in obscurity or without proper medical attention because they are poor and worse they are black.

[@ricadeirov]

I'm glad this song got a more in-depth look, I always found it interesting since I knew it was sent to space, and the sad life story of the man behind it..Great content as always. ❤

[@adairbock6737]

This is such a good song, and is the darkness (so to speak) to Johnson’s “Let it shine on me.”

[@RaverHates]

Thanks for introducing me to all these classic musicians

[@williedynamyte]

I have listened to his collection the whole collection. It's amazing. It's dark yet religious. Bewitching. Not something you can listen to casually.

[@JoycePinto]

His story is so sad… thank you for this video!

[@sarah-eg6fl]

dude my heart hurts that guy deserved so much better 🤧🥺

[@RebSike]

Blind Willie Johnson deserves so much more recognition

[@WildOhana]

I first heard of this story from an episode of West Wing. I think the episode has to do with funding for NASA, and the funding is not granted. Leo consoles Josh and tells him about how songs were sent into space. He tells him about Blind Willie Johnson, whose music was chosen to be sent out to space, and how he died young and penniless. The episode ends with the song “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground”.

[@dana.9377]

Blind Willie Johnson will live forever

[@420happyhippy]

I love your content. I put you up there with Vsauce!! Very awesome! Keep on keeping on... much love. From: Baltimore, Maryland❤❤❤

[@MapleMilk]

This is that Cowboy Bebop feeling Drifting through space for all eternity The ground is bare but it's cold there

[@cafenervosa5129]

Before i watched this video I had no idea who blind willie Johnson was but now I will definitely check him out

[@Goatchild90]

Loved that song the second I heard it

[@n9sferatu261]

First time i ever heard this song was in devils rejects. Blind willie johnson is truly the creators of the "anthem to humanity"

[@matheusnobre5880]

Thank you for this video, I absolutely love all things regarding this song!

[@devin_improductif6254]

that made me cry, thanks

[@lorenzogiani7190]

I'd like to point out something a bit more obscure; the impact of the diddley bow on his music; the one-string melodies make it tangible. He's a direct document of the link between african music and american music.

[@cmtexaslonghorn13]

I wish more people would see this

[@markmorey9581]

The PBS documentary series AMERICAN EPIC, about how ordinary American people spread their own music and that of others through the technology of recording ended with the image of Voyager drifting through space with Blind Willie Johnson on the soundtrack. It was a wonderful choice.

[@shirleycotterhill9366]

This man had a horrible childhood. His mother died when he was seven years old and his stepmother often had fights with his father. His stepmother had abused him and he became blind because of it. His house burned down and he continued to live in his small house of ruins but his makeshift bed full of scraps of paper was enough for him to call it a day. This man, who sang songs of sadness with his small guitar died being sick and alone. But he's no longer alone. He's now surfing through the stars with many others to represent us in an endless journey to find life. We have lived through the years and we continue to do so and because of this, we made this possible. When the world finally ends and when we are all gone, they'll still be there. When someone or something finds us, it's proof that we existed. Life on a gigantic rock so alone in the universe that aimless goes around circles can make the worst things memorable. -Leszas

[@saviosilva6970]

This is amazing! I thank you for this video.

[@bluesrocker91]

Ry Cooder's version was used at the end of the movie Paris, Texas... Fitting for a man doomed to wander the earth for the rest of his life, never finding what he's looking for.

[@vertigohi114]

I’ve always wanted you to talk about this!

[@paulbrinson5471]

This is my favorite song.

[@rickyhunt4075]

You passed half a million subs comgrats

[@NarrenHeits]

every video you have is worth to watch!!

[@TK-fk4po]

Such a great tune. I really love Ry Cooder’s version of it too.

[@bobsemplle8957]

This song always gives me a chill listening to it but it is one of my favorites. Off topic but I would like to make a suggestion for echoes by Pink Floyd

[@ChewyOnLock]

made me cry

[@voodoopls2856]

I love this video. Thanks for making it.

[@LuisRamirez1]

"Blind Willie Johnson's... 0:52 *Let's take a closer look* "

[@callmesokleap9554]

I am getting goosebumps

[@sound7846]

i love this song! never knew it was in space

[@1zzonked]

Would love to see more blues

[@woodybalfour8213]

Chills

[@mochabean680]

God this is so beautiful yet so sad

[@AndrewHarshy]

I’m gonna cry

[@GetOutsideYourself]

It's a perfect choice.

[@theludicrouslime]

Wouldn’t these songs sound weird when they’re played back because the atmospheric composition of an alien world would affect how the frequencies travel?

[@AdrianRP1995]

Well, maybe an atmosphere similar to ours is necessary for intelligent species to thrive. We don't really know how life in other planets, work, so this is just a nice attempt.

[@bluesrocker91]

How would aliens know the correct speed to play it at?

[@patrickkinnear8625]

@@bluesrocker91 there are hieroglyphic instructions on it, and a record player.

[@ShreyasGowri]

Sending this record is more for us than it is for any alien life that may or may not find it

[@toweringhorse2054]

Despite his immense hardship he still held his faith in the Lord. May we all strive to be like Johnson, blind to the world’s injustices, yet have eyes that see his mercy and compassion. Johnson is most deserving of being listed on the Voyager golden disks, an aspiring preacher that is given the opportunity to fulfill his mission to the heavens above. God bless that man, he’s fulfilled his purpose and been granted the torch to illuminate the most universally human experience; struggle.

[@randomname2805]

If only they could've sent Dark Side of the Moon

[@brianmiller1077]

The first two lines of Georgia Lee by Tom Waits is "Dark was the night and cold was the ground"

[@pvthitch]

This story is featured in an episode of The West Wing.

[@zmbx]

Hol up did you say Beaumont Tx bc I live out there o shit 0:0

[@hunterwyeth]

I’d love to hear an essay on the genius of Chris Thile

[@mayuritathe8158]

One thing I know Texas people are amazingly talented

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan to name a couple more.

[@whisperingbardasmr6569]

Pantera

[@Giraffeentourage]

The West Wing showed me this song and I have never regretted checking this out :/ so sad

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

Can you do Radiohead or The Doors next?

[@rowanmurphy4986]

Let's go boys