A 'Murder Ballad' Playlist - NYTimes.com I learned to play guitar at summer camp by singing traditional folk songs around a campfire. Something about the haunting, story-driven nature of those songs engaged me in a deep way, at an early age. But it wasn't until long past my formal musical training and a career as songwriter, rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the band Talking to Animals that I was introduced to the genre of the murder ballad. Julia Jordan, a playwright and friend, approached me to collaborate on a new musical inspired by this old, musical form. As I began exploring murder ballads and murder songs, I was struck by the alluringly dark, narrative qualities of these tunes. They spoke to me in that familiar way, as if I were back at my summer camp, inspired to play guitar and write songs for the first time, all over again. Here are some of the murder ballads and songs that I love, that showed me a way into an old tradition, that inspired my work on our new musical, "Murder Ballad," at the Manhattan Theater Club through Dec. 16. "Knoxville Girl" (The Louvin Brothers): I love their sweet voices singing those brutal lyrics over the simple major chords. It's deceptively sweet. 97 Bonnie and Clyde" (Tori Amos, originally performed by Eminem): Tori Amos nails a creepy arrangement with haunting vocals that bring a whole new twist to this song. John Wayne Gacy Jr. (Sufjan Stevens): Just a truly gorgeous song that gets under your skin and into your bones. "Delia's Gone" (Johnny Cash): Johnny Cash is the master murder balladeer "Pumped Up Kicks" (Foster the People): A great pop hook that you wouldn't guess at first listen is about murder. "Henry Lee" (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with P J Harvey): I just love anything these two artists could possibly do. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (Nirvana): I love Kurt Cobain's soulful delivery of this classic song. "Frankie and Johnny" (Sam Cooke): Who doesn't love a good murder ballad about a vindictive broad! "Shankill Butchers" (The Decemberists): The Decemberists wrote a song that seems to have been around forever. I love songs of warning. It reminds me of a campfire song. "Down in the Willow Garden" (The Chieftains and Bon Iver): Bon Iver was meant to sing murder ballads.