Album of the Day

“Mary Don't You Weep” has been performed by artists ranging from the Swan Silvertones to Bing Crosby to Pete Seeger, but few have brought the 19th-century spiritual to life better than Prince. With its message of hope and perseverance, the song was an anthem of the Civil Rights era, and Prince included it on the home studio recording recently released as PIANO & A MICROPHONE 1983. A raw, intimate recording cut right before the performer achieved international stardom, its spare vocal-plus-keyboard arrangement only amplifies the song's power. Underlining that impact, Prince's version of “Mary Don't You Weep” is featured during the end credits of Spike Lee's new film, BlacKkKlansman, and the track is our Song of the Day.