Huddie Leadbetter, better known to the world of music as Lead Belly, was born around 1885 in Louisiana. As a young man, he traveled the south struggling to survive, working as a talented musician and skilled laborer. But, his infamous temper landed him in jail on numerous occasions for assault (which he then escaped prison) and murder (which he served seven of the thirty years). His early release came after begging for a pardon from Governor Pat Neff through song (Please, Governor Neff, Be good ‘n’ kind/Have mercy on my great long time/I don’t see to save my soul/If I don’t get a pardon, try me on a parole/If I had you, Governor Neff, like you got me/I’d wake up in the mornin’ and I’d set you free) and convinced him “that he’d seen the error of his ways”. After being arrested two years later for attempted murder, he met his creative partner Allen Lomax while serving a sentence in Louisiana State Penitentiary. Upon his release in 1934 (after another “musically inclined pardon”, this time from Texas Governor Allen), Leadbetter and Lomax traveled north to record an endless collection of folk and blues standards. He died in 1949 from lateral sclerosis, widely known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but the legend continues to flourish in an era of disposable music. [Information provided by Leadbelly, Alabama Bound, RCA Records]
10) “Ain’t It a Shame” – Lead Belly’s Last Sessions
A simple, pop classic without any accompanying instrumentation (except Lead Belly’s clapping hands keeping the beat), the lyrics explore a simpler, yet darker side of civilized life in the modern world;
Ain’t it a shame to go fishing on a Sunday, ain’t it a shame/
Ain’t it a shame to go fishing on a Sunday/
When you got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday/
Oh Thursday, Friday, Saturday, ain’t it a shame/
Ain’t it a shame to take a drink on a Sunday, ain’t it a shame/
Ain’t it a shame to take a drink on a Sunday/
When you got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday/
Oh Thursday, Friday, Saturday, ain’t it a shame/
Ain’t it a shame to beat your wife on a Sunday, ain’t it a shame/
Ain’t it a shame to beat your wife on a Sunday/
When you got Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday/
Oh Thursday, Friday, Saturday, ain’t it a shame.
The song was covered by the band Nirvana for an unfinished tribute album to the singer, but was later released on the box set With the Lights Out.
9) “Blood Done Signed My Name” – The Definitive Leadbelly
An anthem for any musician today, “Blood Done Signed My Name” explores a human being selling one’s soul for any measure of success in life, be it monetary or record sales. But, the timelessness of not only the context, but the melody ensures the song as a classic of Lead Belly’s musical library.
8) “Gallis Pole” – Lead Belly Legacy Vol. 2
You may know this song as “Gallows Pole”, covered by legendary rock band Led Zeppelin for their third album, Led Zeppelin III. But, Lead Belly’s lingering tenor and twelve-string guitar initially popularized the song. The track is about a daughter pleading with silver and gold for her condemned father to be spared from the executioner’s gallows, although the effort proves to be futile.
7) “Midnight Special” – Lead Belly’s Last Sessions
One of Lead Belly’s most widely known songs, “Midnight Special”, was covered by Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1969 for their album Willy and the Poor Boys. But, the original version stands alone as the pinnacle of Lead Belly’s vocal and songwriting abilities.
6) “Bourgeois Blues” – Lead Belly Legacy Vol. 2
The best blues song Lead Belly ever wrote, the track was inspired by the man’s visit to Washington D.C. while recording the Library of Congress Recordings, after being throne out of several “whites-only” establishments. His most brazen song concerning racism and classism, the following verses display his frustration;
Some white folk in Washington/
They know just how/
Give a colored man a nickel just to see him bow.
5) “He Never Said a Mumblin’ Word” – Lead Belly Sings to Children
The squeaky clean version of Lead Belly is clearly evidenced as the singer performs live for a group of young children. Devoutly religious, Lead Belly recorded numerous songs about the one and only Jesus Christ, but none have stood against the test of time greater than this track. The melody, accompanied by twelve-strings which seem to be plucked simultaneously, easily make it any fan’s favorite, no matter the belief system.
One day when I was lost/
They hung him on a cross/
They hung him on a cross for me.
This song was also covered by Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain’s solo performance on electric guitar under the title “They Hung Him on a Cross” (also available on With the Lights Out).
4) “On a Monday” – Lead Belly Legacy Vol. 1
Many of you may know this song as “Stripes”, one of Johnny Cash’s earliest hits in his long and illustrious career. The track follows a man as each day of week delves him deeper into judicial trouble, but while earning the stripes around (his) shoulders and chains around (his) legs;
On a Monday, I was arrested/
On a Tuesday, I was locked up in jail/
On a Wednesday, my trial was attested/
On a Thursday, no one would go to my cell.
3) “In New Orleans (House of the Rising Sun)” – Lead Belly Legacy Vol. 1
Although many believe this song was initially recorded by The Animals in the 1960’s, it is in fact a Lead Belly original (likely because The Animal’s version has been featured consistently in television and film for the last several decades). The song follows the misadventures of young man in New Orleans, in a “business” established known as the Rising Sun. But, the genius inherent in the composition, alongside the context and melody creates a standard for the future of rock music.
2) “Black Betty” – Absolutely the Best
Another song many believed to be recorded more recently (in 1977 by the band Ram Jam), this is also another Lead Belly original, influenced by folk songs of the late 19th century. But the raging guitar and pounding percussion of the Ram Jam hit is absent from the original version, as Lead Belly simply replaces the distorted noise by clapping his hands and stamping his feet to carry the rhythm.
1) “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” – Lead Belly Legacy Vol. 1
The greatest single song in Lead Belly’s vast musical library, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” (previously entitled “Black Girl” and “In the Pines”) stands as a chilling testament to an unfaithful love;
My girl, my girl/
Don’t lie to me/
Tell me where did you sleep last night/
In the pines, in the pines/
Where the sun will never shine/
I would shiver the whole night through.
But the tension thickens as the “girl” divulges some dark elements of her past, changing the entire landscape of the song;
My husband was a hard working man/
Killed a mile and a half from here/
His head was found in a driver wheel/
But his body would never be found.
Another classic influenced by 19th century folk-songs sung by laborers picking cotton fields or laying railroad tracks, the song was revived in 1994 when Nirvana performed it as the final song for their celebrated MTV Unplugged performance. Kurt Cobain’s seething howls give the folk standard a new element of emotional pain and personal turmoil.
