Blues: Lead Belly

Lead Belly began singing “blues” even before the blues existed. What he really sang was the folksongs of the slaves. These folksongs differed from spirituals in that their themes were secular, not religious. One such a song is “Pick a Pale of Cotton.” Although the lyrics include “God”, the song’s topic is about an everyday activity, i.e. picking cotton.



How would you describe the rhythmic density of "Pick a Pale of Cotton"?

Another famous song of Lead Belly is “My Girl Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. It became especially famous after the grunge-rock band Nirvana covered it. Look at the lyrics of this song and identify its structure.



Lead Belly is also known for singing “House of the Rising Sun, which is another song that is very famous and covered by numerous artists. The Animals recorded it in 1964, and hit number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.



However, it is probably Bob Dylan’s version that is most recognizable:



Carefully read the lyrics of this song and answer the "Becoming Familiar with a Song" questions. Why do you think is this song so timeless?

"The House of the Rising Sun" was also covered by an array of different artists singing in different genres, such as Sinead O’Connor, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Cat Power, Dolly Parton, The Doors, Tori Amos, Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, and Muse just to name a few!

Assignment: In a paragraph say which version of “House of the Rising Sun” is your favourite, and explain why? Use the terminology you have learned so far to substantiate your answer.

Apart from capturing these timeless folksongs, Lead Belly is also the first person to carry over the Boogie Woogie bass line from piano to guitar. You can read more about this at BoogieWoogie.Com.