American Folk - Tumblr Posts
Woody Guthrie tribute concert flier, 1983
Song of the day
do you want to know the history of a folk song? submit an ask or dm me and I'll cover it
"Little Boxes" Malvina Reynolds, 1967-70s
originally written by her in 1962 and first recorded by her friend Pete Seeger in 1963. where it was his only charting single in 1964
the song is a fun satire, poking fun at the crushing normativity that was present in the 50s and 60s.
I had no idea that Peggy Seeger is queer! 🙉 I have read more about her
Yea! Its under talked about for sure. Peggy Seeger actually identifies as bisexual and her current partner is Irene Scott. She also contributed to the 2005 book "Getting Bi: voices of bisexuals around the world"
iconic! I love her!
here's a whole album of love poems dedicated to Irene made by Peggy Seeger and released in 2020
AND, the most fucking sapphic thing I have ever heard of or witnessed, peggy seeger and Irene Scott performing "Garden of Flowers" together in her compilation album "Songs of Love and Politics"
this song details the story of two young lovers, and something vaguely terrible happening? It's an incredibly haunting and spooky song and idk guys there is something fundamentally sapphic about it. an underlying yearning and pining perhaps, a feeling of death that rests heavily on the chest. Maybe it's just because it's a tragic heterosexual love story being performed by a sapphic couple. I think about this song often and will probably make a song of the day post about it.
god, I love her so much. Peggy Seeger is the age of my grandmother right now and is the only queer woman I know (beyond speculation I mean) from the folk scene. She is also just super cool in general! I'm a butch lesbian, and it soooo important to me to know that sapphic people, throughout history both recent and old, have always existed. We have always been here. God bless Peggy Seeger, I hope someday she is recognized as a sapphic icon in the same way as Chappell Roan or Tracy Chapman.
Newspaper clippings
Tribute to Elizabeth Cotten with Odetta
Song of the Day
do you want to know the history of a folk song? submit an ask or dm me and I'll cover it
"Great Historical Bum" Odetta, 1960
Originally written in 1941 by Woody Guthrie for his Columbia River Song collection. That time when Woody Guthrie (a socialist) was commissioned by the US federal government (at the recommendation of Alan Lomax. to write folk songs in support of the Coulee Dam in 1941. Woody Guthrie was in poverty at the time and was happy to finally have a job. During the month he traveled through Oregon and wrote a song every day, including "Pastures of Plenty" and "Roll on Columbia".
the lyrics in these songs, including this one, include radical themes like working-class rights, unions, anti-fascism, and anti-capitalism. because of this and because Woody Guthrie was an anti-capitalist, the songs and the documentary they were made for were ordered destroyed by the Eisenhower administration. luckily the recordings were saved by a proletarian comrade: a former employee of the Bonneville Power Administration, who decided to keep a copy of the film and recordings.
this song may also be inspired by another traditional song recorded in 1928 by Harry McClintock , but I'm not sure.
I like this cover by Odetta quite a bit. I think she does the original one justice.
little song rec for this morning
Song of the day
do you want to know the history of a folk song? submit an ask or dm me and I'll cover it
"Irene (Goodnight, Irene)"
Lead Belly, 1933
this song was covered by many artists, but my favorite is the most notable cover: this one by the Weavers
The Weavers' version is incredibly important to the history of folk music, as it was their most popular song in 1948 (and the first no. charting single in the folk music genre), and helped kick them off into popularity before they were blacklisted just 2 years later.
Song of the day
do you want the history of your favorite folk song? dm me or submit an ask and I'll do a full rundown
"Polly Vaughn" The Dillards, 1963
"Polly Vaughn"/"Molly Bawn"/ "The Shooting of his Dear" is a traditional Irish folk song that first appeared in print in a 1765 chapbook, as "Molly Bawn"
This Version was first recorded in 1936 by Emma Dusenbur but I couldn't find a digitized version.
The earliest recording I could find was collected by Alan Lomax in 1937 and performed by Aunt Molly Jackson. It was later recorded and performed on the radio in America, the UK, and Canada during the 1940s and 1950s. I had a hard time finding these recordings but here is one from 1954 by Evelyn Skaggs in Arkansas, collected by Mary Celestia Parler. The Dillards version was recorded in 1963, and, in my opinion, is the best version. The pacing and energy of the performance really add to the tragedy and drama of the story. They deliver the horror of a young man accidentally killing his lover as he mistook her for a swan. Other versions are nice but the one by the Dillard's sounds like how the story feels.
Some other notable covers include those by Tia Blake Peter, Paul, and Mary Hedy West
Song of The Day
do you want the history of a folk song? dm me or submit an ask and I'll do the full rundown
"Jackaroe" Joan Baez, 1962
Jackaroe is a traditional folk song that was first printed in 1812-1818 as "Jack Munro"
It was first recorded in 1932 by A.K Davis and has been performed many times in England and the USA. This song like another song I've talked about, "Willie Taylor" is interesting because the story is about a woman who crossdresses to become a sailor and find her lover. Making it an undeniably queer song.
Joan Baez first performed it live in 1962 on tour and released the recording later that year. She does a lovely job with it
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten clipping, 1987
Song of The Day/history of cotton eyed joe
do you want the history of a folk song? dm me or submit an ask and I'll do a full rundown
"Cotton Eyed Joe" Terry Callier, 1963
As a disclaimer, "Cotton Eyed Joe" is my least favorite American folk song and I'm going to talk about why, and I'm going to talk about why Terry Callier's version is subversive and good.
The Earliest date we have for the song's origins is from 1882 when it was Published in "Diddie, Dumps, and Tot, or, Plantation child-life" by Louise Clark-Pyrnelle. This book is a nostalgic recollection of her childhood as a plantation owner's daughter. She reminisces fondly about slavery, missing the old plantation days. Honestly, some of the quotes within this book are beyond parody, in one sentence she says "... My little book does not pretend to be any defense of slavery" and in the next sentence when referring to the morality of slavery she writes, "there are many pros and cons to that subject", later at the end of the chapter she laments about the forever lost emotional connection between the Masters children and the enslaved people. hate this woman and her little book.
It is also important to note that this book goes out of its way to caricature black people, throughout the book she exaggerates accents and dialects to dehumanize them. This is a recurring theme in early publications of this song. Another early publication of the song comes from Dorothy Scarborough in "On the Trail of negro folk-songs" 1925 who got it from her sister who also learned it on a plantation, in Texas. She writes "This is an authentic slavery-time song" This book, if you can believe it, is remarkably racist and dismissive of black music, even as a more "progressive" songbook of black folk songs.
In 1922, the song's history was documented a bit more extensively by Thomas W. Talley in his book "Negro folk rhymes". He writes that it has "deep roots in black traditional lore". Thomas W. Talley was also just a cool guy in general, this book is one of the first compilations of African American folk songs, and it has been a pioneering book in its field. Even today, this book is still one of the best sources for the history of African American folk songs.
So, this is a black song. This was a black song whose first wave of popularization was through the caricature of black people to be amusing for white folks. Let's move on to its second wave of popularization.
The song was first recorded in 1927 by "Dykes Magic City Trio" (all white band) then about a week later by Fiddlin' John Carson (white performer) then in 1928 by Pope's Arkansas Mountanaineers (all white band) then in 1929 by Carter Brothers and Son (all white band) and then it wasn't really recorded for a while because of the great depression and the war but the times it was recorded, it was by white people. We know this because it was mostly recorded by John Lomax and despite documenting southern folk songs, he almost went out of his way to avoid recording black people singing them. Then, in 1941, it was recorded by Burl Ives (painfully white).also covered by a few white country singers like Adolph hofner bob willis but I think you get the point. It wasn't until later that year that it would be recorded by a black person, performed by josh white in 1944-45, who covered it as a lullaby.
However, it wouldn't be until the 90s, during its 3rd wave of popularization that it became its most grotesque. "cotton eye joe" was recorded and released by Swedish Eurodance band Rednex in 1995 as a, to paraphrase reviews, 'Way to make fun of backwater southerners'. This song became incredibly popular throughout Europe and in the USA as well, charting as a number-one song in several countries, sometimes for weeks. Not only is this song incredibly classist, it is, whether by omission or deliberately, fundamentally racist, adding to the whitewashing of black folk and minstrelsy of black people. The attitude and humor derived from the Swedish version are the same as the version in 1882 when it was a "classic slave song".
So, why is Terry Callier's version important, why talk about it? Terry Callier's version is the first version of the song that I have heard and it is not a comedy. It isn't meant to be funny. It slows the melody down and draws attention to itself. It's almost a ballad, showcasing Joe as a tragic but mysterious hero, maybe a love song. His voice is angelic as well. Terry Callier once again, subverts expectations and creates something beautiful out of a song that has been so whitewashed and appropriated that no one remembers its tragic origins.
Thomas W. Talley
some other versions by black folks Josh white 1944-46 Nina simone 1959 The Ebony Hillbillies 2004 Leon bibb 1962 Ella Jenkins 1960 Josh White Jr 1964 Queen Ida 1985
Joan Baez performing "We shall Overcome" at the march on Washington, 1963
Song of The Day
"Shake Sugaree" Elizabeth Cotten and Brenda Evans, 1960s Shake Sugaree was written sometime in the 1960s by Elizabeth Cotten's Great-Grandchildren. She explains, "Each child got a verse." The song is sung here by Brenda Evans, who was 12 years old then, and was recorded by Mike Seeger. This song could have been the inspiration for the song "Sugaree" by the Grateful Dead, but the band has denied this. Jerry Garcia was a big fan of her work and performed and the band performed some of her songs. I'm not really familiar with these people though, so I'm not sure. Brenda Evans would continue to be a musician, and I think, was a member of the band "The Undisputed Truth" for a time. And would continue to make and perform music in the 1970s.
Song of The Day
"Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" The Weavers, 1951
"Kiss Sweeter Than Wine" is based on a traditional Irish folk song first published between 1858 and 1881(?) called "Drimindown" which is about an Old man and his cow. Lead Belly, another prolific folk singer, heard his Irish friend sing this song and made his own version of it, adding blues rhythm and techniques to the traditional song, and titled it "If It Wasn't for Dicky" in 1937.
After the Weavers' Success with "Goodnight Irene " (another one of Leadbelly's songs), they decided to look for more inspiration. Pete Seeger liked "If It Wasn't For Dicky" and he and Lee Hays wrote new lyrics for the melody.
Pete Seeger remarks about the song and the nature of copyright and credit here:
"Now, who should one credit on this song? The Irish, certainly. Sam Kennedy, who taught it to us. Lead Belly, for adding rhythm and blues chords. Me, for two new words for the refrain. Lee, who wrote seven verses. Fred and Ronnie, for paring them down to five. I know the song publisher, The Richmond Organization, cares. I guess folks whom TRO allows to reprint the song, (like Sing Out!, the publisher of this book) care about this too."
(Where have all the flowers gone 1993)
Song of The Day
"We Shall Be Free" Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry 1940s
"We Shall Be Free" was first written by Lead Belly but is likely based on an older spiritual based on its similarities to other songs like "We Shall Overcome" and "Children We Shall Overcome"
Song of The Day
"Lady, What Do You Do All Day?" Peggy Seeger, 1984
This song was written and recorded by Peggy Seeger, with accompanying vocals from Ewan MacColl (her husband) and Calum MacColl (her son)
"It always distresses me to hear the housewife put down. A good housewife is a genius, an artist, an organizer par excellence. It is a high calling and a woman should not be made to feel an escapist if she wishes to undertake it. Nor, if she happens to be inefficient at it, should it reflect upon her as a woman. Unfortunately, in our society, women enter motherhood and domesticity with a head full of pre-conceived notions, often romantic, notions and by then it is too late."
Peggy Seeger about "Lady, What Do You Do All Day?"
Song of The Day
"If I Had a Hammer" Aretha Franklin, 1965
"If I Had a Hammer" was first written in 1949 by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger, and featured on the 1950 cover of Sing Out! magazine vol 1 iss. 1. It was written in support of the progressive party. It was first recorded by the Weavers in 1949 and was performed that same year in New York at a dinner for the communist party.
Daily Worker 1949-06-01: Vol 26 Iss 108
This performance of the song and this Newspaper would be used against Pete Seeger in his HUAC Testimony. He was sentenced to a year in prison for 'Contempt of Congress'. Here is an excerpt of the interrogation.
Mr. TAVENNER: My question was whether or not you sang at these functions of the Communist Party. You have answered it inferentially, and if I understand your answer, you are saying you did. Mr. SEEGER: Except for that answer, I decline to answer further. . . . Mr. SCHERER: Do you understand it is the feeling of the Committee that you are in contempt as a result of the position you take? Mr. SEEGER: I can’t say. Mr. SCHERER: I am telling you that that is the position of the Committee. . . . Mr. SEEGER: I decline to discuss, under compulsion, where I have sung, and who has sung my songs, and who else has sung with me, and the people I have known. I love my country very dearly, and I greatly resent this implication that some of the places that I have sung and some of the people that I have known, and some of my opinions, whether they are religious or philosophical, or I might be a vegetarian, make me any less of an American. I will tell you about my songs, but I am not interested in telling you who wrote them, and I will tell you about my songs, and I am not interested in who listened to them. . . .
Unfortunately, Pete Seeger and the rest of the weavers were blacklisted during the Red Scare, meaning that they were not able to publicly perform "If I Had A Hammer", and they were forced to disband in the early 50s.
In the Biography How Can I Keep From Singing, Pete Seeger remarks on this.
"Why was it controversial? In 1949 only ‘Commies' used words like ‘peace' and ‘freedom.'… The message was that we have got tools and we are going to succeed. This is what a lot of spirituals say. We will overcome. I have a hammer. The last verse didn't say ‘But there ain't no hammer, there ain't no bell, there ain't no song, but honey, I got you.' We could have said that! The last verse says ‘I have a hammer, I have a bell, I have a song.' Here it is. ‘It's the hammer of justice, it's the bell of freedom, the song of love."
With few exceptions, the song was dead for 12 years...
Until Peter Paul & Mary covered it in 1962
This song became a top 10 hit song in America! Since then it has been covered over 200 times. It was one of the top 100 songs of 1962 and is still a popular song today. It transcended genre and many many popular artists including Jimmie Rodgers, johnny cash, and the 'Queen of Soul', Aretha Franklin in 1965.
and, as a happy ending, the weavers performed it again in their reunion concert in 1963.
Also, a thing I like about this song is that it seems to be inspired by the John Henry song "This Old Hammer" based on the lyrics and rhythm. The hammer may have killed John Henry, but it can Hammer the way to freedom as well.
Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest, ep 5, 1965 "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" Bernice Reagon