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.
Little Birdie
An essential mountain banjo song with its own tuning.
Every country banjo player, oldtime and bluegrass alike, does Little Birdie. I learned this tuning and style from Art Rosenbaum in "The Art of the Mountain Banjo" - Mel Bay. Art credits Pete Steele as the inspiration for his version. I also take some inspiration from Ralph Stanley.
Lewis Collins
A fine old guitar finger picking piece from Mississippi John Hurt
'The Death of Lewis Colins' was composed and recorded by Mississippi John Hurt in 1928 for Okeh Records and then recorded again in 1963 when he was 'rediscovered' in the folk revival. I heard it first from Tom Paley who learned it from the old recording.
The Chickens They are Crowing
Courtin' song
I learned this song in the good old sixties from Peggy Seeger through her 'Best of' album on Prestige records and her banjo instruction booklet - "Peggy Seeger, The five-string Banjo American Folk Styles. The Banjo Method - with a fine collection of FOLK SONGS"
Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
a banjo dance number
Pretty Little Miss, aka Pretty Little Pink, is one of the standard country dance songs that's been around as long as anyone can remember. Every old southern banjo player plays and everyone dances. So please dance.
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.
East Virginia Blues
A love song from the mountains
As sung br the Carter Family in 1929. A second and probably older version with a plain modal melody and more primitive sound was played by old timers such as Buell Kazee and Roscoe Holcombe.
Wabash Cannonball
Get on board!
The Wabash Cannonball is the subject of many speculations. Was there really a train by that name? Who is Daddy Claxton? What is a "combination?" Are there really jungles in Indianna? What do you mean, "no changes can be taken?"
Nottamun Town
A strange nonsense tune from Jean Ritchie
The passing of Jean Ritchie reminded me of this song. Jean said it was a nonsense song from the Mummer's Plays of medieval England. The moody melody lends the song a surreal quality. Bob Dylan liked it and used the tune for Masters of War.
Riley and Spencer
A drinking song of the South
Unlike most of the country songs I sing there are no early recordings of 'Riley and Spencer.' This one comes to us from some more recent traditional singers such as Tommy Jarrell and Betsy Rutherford. Betsy said that she learned "Riley and Spencer" from her relative Fields Ward, who wrote it.
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!".