Music and Politics

One of my favorite News blogs (at least the is what I consider them) fivethirtyeight.com. I mention that because they are a Stats based site that writes about politics, sports, science & health, economics and pop culture.  They lend the power of statistics to stuff that we often think about.

A July 14 article, titled Hip Hop is Turning on Trump examined hip hop lyrics and how Trump and Clinton are referenced in rap music.

I thought this article was interesting because I was surprised by the response of many of the comments.  I left a comment;

I'm not a fan of most rap (surprise I'm sure to some people who think that Black people are a monilith) but I would also like to know if other music geners make political references, I know that early blues and folk music were often political, and I would guess that a lot of country and western music also have political messages. It would be cool to see you all do some stats on other music genres. Good article, keep up the good work.

Which brings me to a few blues / folk songs that have politics as their theme.

Woody Guthrie -- I Ain't Got No Home/Old Man Trump by the Missin' Cousins - This song is very interesting, From the YouTube notes, "Woody Guthrie wrote these lyrics in 1951, and 65 years later, the Missin' Cousins, a County-Western music group from Oakland California, present a recording of these new lyrics to I Ain't Got No Home in this World Anymore."

Mr. Hitler - Leadbelly - (notes from YouTube) "Huddie William Ledbetter(Lead Belly or Leadbelly, January 1888 December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician. This song was recorded in 1942.

Big Bill Broonzy - I Wonder When I Will be Called a Man - Includes the lyrics.

John Lee Hooker - Welfare Blues 

Jimmy Dawkins - Walfare Blues  

BB King - Why I Sing the Blues

Some lite reading on the subject;

wikipedia Music and politics Nice overview.

5 best blues songs with political slants Songs by Woodie Guthrie

leadbelly - house of the rising sun

It's the Birthday of Leadbelly

Important Recordings 1934-1949

please click image

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Over the years I have written several post on Leadbelly, click here for Leadbelly @SqueezeMyLemon.

file under;
mp3, blues, music

Leadbelly Newsreel

File this one under blues history.



Notes from YouTube;

This is an excerpt from a 1935 March of Time newsreel (produced by Time magazine) which re-enacts Leadbelly's release from Angola Prison, Louisiana. John Lomax plays himself, and Leadbelly performs 'Goodnight Irene'.

Thanks to my twitter friend The Ash Grove

Jump down turn around, pick a bale of cotton...

Here's Leadbelly,


Hokie Joint


İstanbul Blues Kumpanyası
This one is a very different take on picking a bale a day...

Blues Song In The Spot Light: Ain't No More Cane

I remember the first time I heard the prison work song Ain't No More Cane it was one of those moments when blues music caused me great sadness.

I don't normally associate blues music with sadness, but this song takes me there. It might have been Leadbelly's delevery, but I thought about all those men who died working on prison work gangs.

Over the years there have been a few more upbeat treatments of the song, and some have really made it rock. Check these out;

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos(1)

Oh, oh, oh, oh...

Its all been ground down to molasses

Oh, oh- oh, oh- oh...


You shoulda been on the river in 1910
They were driving the women just like they drove the men.

Go down Old Hannah,(2) don'cha rise no more
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day's for sure

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Its all been ground down to molasses

Captain(3), don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Well ya drove that bully(4) til he went stone blind

Wake up on a lifetime(5), hold up your own head
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Its all been ground down to molasses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] The Brazos is a river in Texas which features in many prison songs because it runs past virtually all of the old prisons in Texas.
[2] Old Hannah is the name given to sun.
[3] Captain is one of the ranks in the hierarchy of prison guards, the man in charge of half the workers in a field. Also used outside the prisons to mean the White boss. In some of the old slave songs the singers call Jesus their captain. I also think that this language carried over from the Civil War.
[4] Bully: an inmate working in the line. The word can also be used as a verb, in which case it means working hard.
[5] A Lifetime prison sentence.


Other Notable Versions

Ollabelle - YouTube Version two

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Ollabelle




The Band - YouTube - The Basement Tapes (1975)

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Bob Dylan & The Band




Lyle Lovett - YouTube Kansas City 2007

Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Lyle Lovett




Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Son Volt (Non Album Track)





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Band Of Heathens






Ain't No More Cane mp3 by The Tex-I-An Boys

Very traditional version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Paul Austin Kelly






Ain't No More Cane mp3 by by Ernest Williams & James (Iron Head) Baker

Song by actual prison gang




Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Dennis Monroe

Triditional folk version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Alan Lomax

Traditional folk version





Ain't No More Cane mp3 by Harvey Reid

Traditional folk treatment






The Band - YouTube - Woodstock 69

Lonnie Donegan - YouTube (1958) Very sad version.

Eric Bibb - YouTube Wales in 2006

The Black Crowes - YouTube in Portland, ME

TheFolksinger - YouTube For Odetta

It's the Birthday of Leadbelly

Important Recordings 1934-1949

please click image

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Over the years I have written several post on Leadbelly, click here for Leadbelly @SqueezeMyLemon.

file under;
mp3, blues, music

New Release The Definitive Leadbelly Box Set

The Definitive Leadbelly

click image for track listing

Sometimes I want to scream, "OH NO, not another box set!" But then I have to remind myself that most people don't collect this stuff like I do. The Definitive Leadbelly is three-CDs with 75-tracks and the whole thing won't put too big of a dent in your back pocket. It has some of Leadbelly's best stuff, like blues, spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads. Of course songs like "Midnight Special," "Goodnight Irene," "John Henry," and "Death Letter Blues" are included. If you are a fan of Huddie Ledbetter than this is the collection for you.

Leadbelly mp3s @HypeMachine
Leadbelly mp3s @Elbos.ws

Wikipedia's Picture of Leadbelly

I like this photo of Leadbelly with an Accordeon. I found it on Wikipedia, which I reference a lot. I know that there are those who don't like Wikipedia, but I think it is a great source. And they have many entries that can be of interest to blues fans. Their article on The Blues is very comprehensive, and I think is a must read.

Please donate something to Wikipedia

Leadbelly at Angola, Louisiana

Prison Compound No. 1, Angola, Louisiana, Leadbelly in Foreground

Buy at AllPosters.com


When we were boys, the old folks used to tell us, "If you keep being bad, you going to end up in Angola."

That would make us behave for a good thirty minutes or so.

Video of Leadbelly

I've posted some mp3s of Leadbelly in this blog but until now I have not posted any video of him. These songs probably fit more in the folk music catagory, but I like them all the same. I love folk music (I love all kinds of music), but I like the simple lyrics and the presentation of most folk performers. Kind of the same way that I love the simple presentation of the early blues music.

Leadbelly for example had a very rhythmic way of playing his guitar as he sang. And seeing him on video is a much more satisfying experience then just hearing him sing. With that in mind, please take a look at this video of Leadbelly doing several of his songs. Note how he seems to be dancing with his guitar as he sings.

file under;
music, blues, video

mp3s by Leadbelly

Leadbelly has always been one of my favorite blues men. My affection for him stems from the fact that he played and sang his music in my home town of Shreveport, Louisiana, down on Fannin Street back in the twenties and thirties. I was so excited to learn that he probably lived and walked around in the Ledbetter Heights section of Shreveport.

As you have probably noticed if you frequent this blog or if you look around a bit I am attracted to the prewar blues men. Later I may focus more on the post war and modern blues musician, but right now I am happy to find and do research on the pre war musicians.

The details of Leadbelly's life can be found here in an article from Answers.com. Also of note is the very interesting entry from the Handbook of Texas Online "Ledbetter, Huddie (Leadbelly)". And finally an article that has some great links for those who are interested in Leadbelly's life.

"Midnight Special" (3:11, 541 kB) - 124-A-1, Louisiana State Penitentiary, 1 July 1934

"Packin' Trunk" (2:56, 508 kB) - 16685-1, New York City, 23 January 1935

"Death Letter Blues, Part 1" (3:18, 553 kB) - 16695-2, New York City, 24 January 1935

"The Gallis Pole" (3:01, 519 kB) - GM-509-A, New York City, 1 April 1939

"Good Morning Blues" (2:53, 498 kB) - 051501-1, New York City, 15 June 1940



file under;
music, blues, mp3, Leadbelly

Happy Birthday Leadbelly

Today is the birthday of singer, songwriter Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, 1888.

He is best known for his versions of "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line." He was an inmate at Angola Prison in Louisiana when a white man named Alan Lomax arrived, asking to record any songs the prisoners knew. Lomax was traveling across the south making field recordings for the Library of Congress. Lomax helped him obtain a pardon and took him to New York where he was a big hit.

Click here for Mp3s by Lead Belly

file under;
mp3, blues, music