Lee Hays - Tumblr Posts

portraits from People's Songs Magazine 1946-48

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)