Contents
Introduction Alabama
Part 1. Ballads
The Miller’s Daughter
Pretty Mohea
Katie Dear
Last Night I Dreamed of My True Love
Jack the Sailor
Oh Johnny
A Fair Damsel
Billy Came Over the Main White Ocean
Love Henry
The Brown Girl
Barbara Allen
Rosella
True Lovers Part
Johnson City
Lord Lovel
Sailor Shantey
Fair Lady Bright
Winter’s Night
The Rich Irish Lady
Robin Gray
Logan O. Bucken
Joe Bowers
Jack and Joe
That Little Black Mustache
It Rained, It Mist
Three Babes
When the Parley Dew Is Faded
The Orphan Girl
Put My Little Shoes Away
The Blind Child’s Prayer
Tying the Leaves
The Romish Lady
The Letter Edged in Black
Darling, Soon I Will Be Sleeping
Little Dove
Drunkard’s Song
Ragged Pat
Charles Guiteau
Little Mary Phagan
Stagalee
Boston City
The Blue-Tail Fly
Springfield Mountain/Rattle-um Snake
Billy Grimes
Squire Jones’s Daughter
The Old Man Lived in the West
Father Grumble
The Frog He Would A-Courting Ride
The Fox
The Clerks of Parch’s Cove
The Wedding of Bean Rock Hollow
Part 2. Folksongs
Old Abe’s Elected
In the Year ’ 61
The Year of Jubilo
Before This War Broke Out
The Soldier’s Fare
My Southern Home
Tombigbee River
Dixie
Rosalee
I’m Gwine from the Cotton Fields
Come, My Love, Come
Another Man Done Gone
Chain Gang Song
Deep Blue Sea
Lining Track
Laying Rails
Tamping Ties
Picking and Grading
Old Smoky
Long Ways from Home
A-Walking, A-Talking
Pretty Mollie
Bertha
Lonesome Dove
Paper of Pins
I’ll Have No Drunkard to Please
Courting Song
La La Trudum
Teddy O’Hussey
Old Shiboots and Leggins
Niggljy Naggljy
I Wish I Was Single Again
I Wish I Were a Single Girl Again
I’m Satisfied
All for the Men
Rosen the Beau
Till I Die
No! No! No!
Hesitatin’ Whiskey
Chapter 15. Humor The Smeller Song
Jolly Neighbor
Fifty Cents
Hard Times
The Watermelon Song
Work Song
Melissa
Bible Tales
Boil Them Cabbage Down
Cindy
Melinda
Buckeye Rabbit
Walk Tom Walker
Lank Dank
Carve Dat Possum
Run, Nigger, Run
The Jaybird Song
We Whooped and We Hollered
Hog Drovers
Little Gentleman from the Spring
Here Comes Someone A-Roving
Come Over the Heather
Acorns Grow on White Oak Trees
Bower of Roses
Green Gravel
Riggety Jig
The Old Gray Cat
Little Sally Walker
Smoke Goes Up the Chimney
The Little White Daisies
Old Pompey
Miss Jennie O. Jones
Jenny Jane
Feed the Animals
Mr. Carpenter
Bullfrog Jumped
The Black Cat
Bobby Bumble
Short’nin’ Bread
Here We Go Up
Rod a Rinc-tum
Little Lapdog
My Mama’s Sweet Baby Boy
Alabama Coon
Come, Butter, Come
Ride Away
Go to Sleepy
Part 3. Spirituals
Ah, Job, Job
In-a My Heart
Two Wings
Lord, I Want Two Wings
Workin’ on the Buildin’
Nory
The Old Ark’s Er-Movin’
Low Is the Way
No Mo’ Weepin’ and Wailin’
Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley
Tell All the World, John
If You Don’t Want to Get in Trouble
Sinner, Don’t Let This Harvest Pass
You Got to Clear the Line
All My Sins Been Taken Away
I Believe I’ll Go Back Home
I Met Jesus in the Valley
He Knows
It’s Jesus That Keeps Me Alive
Let’s Go Down to the Water
I Got a Book
Roun’ the Wall
Drinkin’ Wine
I Heard the Angels Singing
The Love Come Twinkling Down
On Your Bond
I’m So Glad
Honey in the Rock
Jesus Goin’ to Make Up My Dyin’ Bed
Oh Death Is Awful
Bring God’s Servant Home
There’s a Man Goin’ ’ Round Takin’ Names
If Dyin’ Was All
Tall Angel at the Bar
I Hear the Train A-Comin’
Satan’s a Liar
Room Enough
Plenty Good Room
We Gonna Have a Good Time
Wonder Where Is Good Ol’ Daniel
I’m On My Way
Beulah’s Land
Settin’ Down
Don’t Call the Roll
Wonderful City
Ezekiel Saw a Wheel
Midnight Cry
Indian Song
Run to the Rock
One of These Days
Oh Mary Don’t You Weep
Wilderness
Free at Last
John Done Saw That Number
Good News
All God’s Chillun Got Shoes
I’ll Be Waiting Up There
Hallelujah Amen
Appendix A: Informant Biographies from
Appendix B: Selected Song References Collections
Works Cited
Index of Names
Index of Song Titles and First Lines