Newest Songs
Hell Bound Train
A cautionary tale of damnation and redemption
You know about the train that was "bound for glory". Well, this train was going the other way on the opposite track.
Jolly Roving Tar
A sea song from Newfoundland
I found this jolly sea song from Newfoundland on one of the old 'American Folksay' albums produced on Stinson records by Moses Asch, performed by Frank Warner.
No Peas No Rice
A Bahamian jazz song
A Bahamian song recorded in the 1930s by big band leaders such as Mart Brit and Count Basie and in the Bahamas by Blind Blake Alfonso Higgs.
Thorneymore Woods
A song of the noble poacher, and mean gamekeepers
An English poaching ballad as performed by Louis Killen.
La Bruja
Vampire story from Vera Cruz, Mexico. Boo!
La Bruja is a song and traditional dance in the Huapango tradition from the state of Vera Cruz. The dance usually involves a number of women with lighted candles on their heads.
The Devil and Bailiff McGlynn
The devil takes his due
What a fine old Irish tale. But it derives from a history that is not so jolly - the mass evictions and house levelings that took place during the Irish famine of the mid-nineteenth century. No wonder the mother in the story cries "May the devil take that awful Bailiff!".
Spotted Cow
A naughty little English folk song
Here is a traditional English song, at least I think so, I heard it from Steel Eye Span, that parcel of rogues who brought fuzz-tone electric guitar to English folk music.
Italian Carol
A christmas song from Italy
An Italian carol adapted by Pete Seeger from an old tradition in Naples in which shepherds come down from the Calabrian mountains for a festive stay in that city during the Christmas celebration.
Wild Women Don't Have No Blues
A blues for strong women
This song was recorded by Ida Cox in 1924, Ida was one of great, if lesser known, female blues singers in the era of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Sippie Wallace.
Mean Old Bedbug Blues
A blues from Bessie Smith
Each of these are classic blues performance in their own right and provide an interesting contrast between country blues and early jazz band styles. I always favored Bessie's rendition. I think her slower tempo with piano and guitar accompaniment captured the true creepiness of bedbugs.
Uncle Joe Gimme Mo
Calypso from Trinidad
This great Trinidadian Calypso song comes from an early recording by Wilmuth Houdini. I love the way these Calypsonians took "uncle joe and his old ban-jo", a common stereotype in minstrel shows, and transformed him into a rock star.
Monsieur Banjo
A creole song for kids
This children's song in Louisiana Creole. My version is an adaptation of Pete Seeger's English language version on 'American Favorite Ballads' and a French language version from the Magnolia Sisters on their delightful children's album 'Lapin Lapin'
Featured Songs
Hopalong Peter
An old time banjo song
This was recorded by J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers in the 1930's. I learned it from the NLCR.
Lord Bateman
A love ballad
This ballad is Child Ballad #53 (Lord Beichan). And, yes, it is long. As I've said before these old ballads are what people had for radio and TV back in the way-back-yander. So settle in for a story not a quick ditty.
Six Songs for Children
A little collection of kid's songs. I'm especially fond of 'Little Black Bull'
Here are six very short songs selected from Ruth Crawford Seeger's books of children's songs Most of these songlets last just a minute or less. Kids don't mind. You can sing it again. If they like the song you may have to sing it again.. and again... and again.
Sourwood Mountain
A traditional banjo song from way back in the holler.
I learned this banjo tuning, eBEBE, from Frank Lee's instructional video 'Old-Time Banjo - Clawhammer Style'. Frank didn't play Sourwood Mountain but, I swear, when I put my banjo in that tuning those strings just started playing Sourwood Mountain all on their own. I guess I better let them have their way.
Fod!
A really silly song
This song is a load of fun from Kenton County, Kentucky. I learned it from Mike and Peggy Seeger's 'Fly Down Little Bird' album. The first couple of verses remind me of "Rattlesnake Mountain and it is darned near as silly as that song.
Devilish Mary
An anti-courtship song
I can't find much information about the origins of 'Devilish Mary' but the song has been such a staple of the old-time music repertoire it must have long reaching traditional roots. Several versions have been collected by folklorists such as John Lomax and Max Hunter.
Make me a Pallet on Your Floor
A famous old blues/ragtime piece
This song has been a standard for blues, ragtime, jazz, folk and country musicians since before the turn of the century (the 20th, that is).
I Know Where I'm Going
An old Scottish love song.
This Scottish love song is so old nobody seems to know its origins. It has been performed more effectively by lots of people and is best sung in a female voice, but I can't resist an old favorite.
John Henry
Story of the steel driving man
If there is one single best known and best loved American folksong it is surely John Henry.
Hop Up Ladies
A mountain dance tune
'Hop Up Ladies' is a timeless old mountain song sung to an a fiddle tune 'McLeod's Reel'. It is suitable for children, grown-ups and anybody who wants to get up an dance around.
Backwater Blues - 2
A flood song
Bessie Smith recorded 'Backwater Blues' for Columbia on February 17, 1927. You can read more background about flood songs in my comments on Uncle Dave Macon's song of the same title: Backwater Blues.
Italian Carol
A christmas song from Italy
An Italian carol adapted by Pete Seeger from an old tradition in Naples in which shepherds come down from the Calabrian mountains for a festive stay in that city during the Christmas celebration.