Katie Cruel

"Katie Cruel" is a traditional song, Roud 1645, arranged by Dalton and the fourth track on In My Own Time, 2:22. It is likely Scottish in origin, related to "Licht Bob's Lassie", about a woman following a soldier. It was first printed by Eloise Linscott in Folk Songs of Old New England in 1939, from Lucy Allen of West Newton, Massachusetts, and Peggy Seeger's notes trace it to Oklahoma. Brooks said it was recorded live, with Dalton playing claw-hammer banjo and singing, and Bobby Notkoff added the violin. NPR's Stephen Thompson wrote in 2006 that it is unsettling to hear Dalton, who died homeless and haunted, sing of bridges burned and backs turned.

An alternate cut circulated on YouTube in 2023, covered by Far Out, with its source unstated. Covers include the New Christy Minstrels ("Miss Katy Cruel", 1965), Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ("When I First Came to Town", on Henry's Dream, 1992, adapted from Dalton's version), Agnes Obel (2011), Lady Maisery (2013), Lisa LeBlanc (2014) and Lankum (The Livelong Day, 2019, learned from Dalton), as well as Jerry Garcia, Peggy Seeger, Odetta and Linda Thompson. No recording date or play counts were found.