American Ballads and Folk Songs Index
Complete online book - Text, Lyrics & Sheet Music
Collected And Compiled By John A. Lomax - Honorary Consultant in American
Folk Song and Curator of the Folk Song Archives of the Library of Congress
About This Book
First let me apologise for the odd errors and weirdnesses you will find in my web version of this book. The quality of the original was not that good, and add to that the normal vagaries of scanning and OCRing, plus trying to retain as much as possible of the original format and have it display in a variety of browsers and you can end up with a mess. I will, when time permits have a go a cleaning this up a bit more, in the meantime I hope you find what is here useful. American Ballads and Folk Songs is probably Lomax's largest work at more than 600 pages and is, in my opinion, a massive contribution to the preservation of traditional & folk music.
Don't forget to check out volume two of this collection (Our Singing Country).
To buy American Folk Music Books or Sheet Music check out the extensive Folk Songs Collection at Sheetmusicplus
American Ballads and Folk Songs, Chapters Headings & Page Numbers.
Note: deduct 100 from the numbers shown to get the original page number from the book. |
Introduction 1
Introduction 2
John Henry - 0103
Page - 0104
Page - 0105
Page - 0106
Page - 0107
Page - 0108
Page - 0109
Steel Laying Holler - 0110
Page - 0111
Page - 0112
The Heavy-Hipted Woman - 0113
Tie Shuffling Chant - 0114
Page - 0115
Page - 0116
Tie Tamping Chant - 0117
Page - 0118
Page - 0119
Good-by, Pretty Mama - 0120
Paddy Works on the Erie - 0120
Page - 0121
Page - 0122
Mike - 0123
The Gila Monster Route - 0124
Page - 0125
Hallelujah, Bum Again - 0126
Page - 0127
Ten Thousand Miles from Home - 0128
Page - 0129
Page - 0130
The Wreck on the C. & 0 - 0131
Page - 0132
Page - 0133
Nachul-Born Easman - 0134
Page - 0135
Casey Jones - 0136
Page - 0137
Page - 0138
The Wreck of the Six-Wheel Driver - 0139
OP John Brown - 0140
Charley Snyder - 0141
Page - 0142
Shack Bully Holler - 0145
Reason I Stay on Job So Long - 0146
Gwineter Harness in de Mornin' Soon - 0147
Page - 0148
Levee Camp "Holler" - 0149
Page - 0150
Page - 0151
Shot My Pistol in de Heart of Town - 0152
Page - 0153
Page - 0157
Ain't No Mo' Cane on de Brazis -0158
Page - 0159
BlackBetty - 0160
The Hammer Song - 0161
Rosie - 0162
Page - 0163
Page - 0164
Page - 0165
Ol Rattler - 0166
Page - 0167
Stewball - 0168
Page - 0169
Page - 0170
De Midnight Special - 0171
Page - 0172
Page - 0173
Page - 0174
Long Gone - 0175
Page - 0176
Page - 0177
Page - 0178
Great God-a'mighty - 0179
Page - 0180
Page - 0181
Jumpin'Judy - 0182
Page - 0183
Goin' Home - 0184
Page - 0185
Page - 0186
BadManBallad - 0189
Page - 0190
PoLaz'us - 0191
Page - 0192
Page - 0193
Page - 0194
Stagolee - 0195
Page - 0196
Page - 0197
Page - 0198
Page - 0199
Old Bill - 0200
Page - 0201
Page - 0202
Frankie and Albert - 0203
Page - 0204
Page - 0205
Page - 0206
Page - 0207
Page - 0208
Page - 0209
IdaRed - 0210
Big Jim - 0211
Page - 0212
Page - 0213
Page - 0214
Page - 0215
Page - 0216
De Ballit of de Boll Weevil - 0217
Bill Martin and Ella Speed - 0217
Railroad Bill - 0219
Page - 0219
Page - 0220
Spanish Johnny - 0223
John Harty - 0224
Page - 0225
Sam Bass - 0226
Page - 0227
Jesse James - 0228
Page - 0229
Page - 0230
Page - 0231
Quantrell - 0232
Sam Hall - 0233
Page - 0234
Jim Haggerty's Story - 0235
Billy the Kid - 0236
Page - 0237
The Cryderville Jail- - 0238
Page - 0239
Page - 0240
Page - 0241
Po' Boy - 0242
Page - 0243
Down in the Valley - 0247
Page - 0248
Every Night When the Sun Goes In - 0249
The Roving Gambler - 0250
Page - 0251
I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground - 0252
SugarBabe - 0253
When I Was Single [the Woman] - 0254
Page - 0255
When I Was Single[the Man] - 0256
Page - 0257
Darlin' - 0258
Polly Williams - 0259
Page - 0260
Page - 0261
The Bear in the Hill - 0262
The Little Mohee - 0263
Page - 0264
Page - 0265
Drink That Rot Gut - 0269
RyeWhisky - 0270
Page - 0271
Page - 0272
Page - 0273
The Drunkard's Doom - 0274
Page - 0275
Little Brown Jug - 0276
Page - 0277
Adieu to BonCounty - 0278
Page - 0279
Good OP Mountain Dew - 0280
Page - 0281
Lulu - 0282
Page - 0283
WillietheWeeper - 0284
Page - 0285
Honey, Take a Whiff on Me - 0286
Page - 0287
Page - 0288
Page - 0289
CornfieldHoller - 0291
Dirty Mistreafin' Women - 0292
Dink'sBlues - 0293
Page - 0294
Dink's Song - 0295
WomanBlue - 0296
Page - 0297
Go Way f'om Mah Window - 0298
My Li'l John Henry - 0298
Shorty George - 0299
Page - 0300
The "Cholly" Blues - 0301
Page - 0302
Page - 0303
Fare Thee Well, Babe - 0304
Page - 0305
Alabama-Bound - 0306
Page - 0307
Page - 0308
Page - 0309
Michie Preval - 0313
Page - 0314
Remon - 0315
Criole Candjo - 0316
Page - 0317
Un, Deux, Trois - 0318
Page - 0319
AurorePrad&re - 0320
Page - 0321
Ou SomSouroucou - 0322
Salangadou' - 0323
Foller de Drinkin' Gourd - 0327
Run, Nigger, Run! - 0328
Page - 0329
Page - 0330
Pick a Bale o' Cotton - 0331
Page - 0332
Hard to Be a Nigger - 0333
Shortenin'Bread - 0334
Page - 0335
SandyLan' - 0336
Pattin' - 0337
a)Little Gal at Our House - 0338
b)RabbitHash - 0338
c)Da's All Right, Baby - 0339
Cotton Field Song - 0340
Page - 0341
De Grey Goose - 0342
Page - 0343
Julie Ann Johnson - 0344
MyYallowGal - 0345
De Black Gal - 0346
Page - 0347
The Ballad of Davy Crockett - 0351
Page - 0352
Raise a Rukus Tonight - 0353
When de Good Lord Sets You Free - 0354
Page - 0355
Page - 0356
Page - 0357
OldDanTucker - 0358
Page - 0359
Page - 0360
Page - 0361
Cotton-Eyed Joe - 0362
Page - 0363
The Arkansas Traveller - 0367
Page - 0368
Page - 0369
Page - 0370
Groun'Hog.' - 0371
Page - 0372
Page - 0373
CumberlandGap - 0374
Page - 0375
Sourwood Mountain - 0376
Old Joe Clark - 0377
Page - 0378
Page - 0379
The Gal I Left Behind Me - 0380
a)That Pretty Little Gal - 0381
b)A cowboy version - 0382
Ol Mother Hare - 0383
LizaJane - 0384
Page - 0385
Black-EyedSusie - 0386
Page - 0387
LouisianaGirls - 0388
Page - 0389
Weevily Wheat - 0390
Page - 0391
Page - 0392
Way Over in the Blooming Garden - 0393
Skip to My Lou - 0394
Page - 0395
Shoot the Buffalo - 0396
Going to Boston - 0397
Page - 0398
Shoo-Shoo-Shoo-Lye - 0399
What Folks Are Made of - 0403
All the Pretty Little Horses - 0404
The Old Gray Goose - 0405
Long Time Ago - 0406
Three Pigs - 0407
Tale of a Little Pig - 0408
Page - 0409
Frog Went a-Courtin' - 0410
Page - 0411
Page - 0412
Page - 0413
Crows in the Garden - 0414
Page - 0415
Page - 0416
The Connecticut Peddler - 0417
Page - 0418
Page - 0419
Billy Boy - 0420
Page - 0421
Page - 0422
Paper of Pins - 0423
Page - 0424
Hardly Think IWill - 0425
Page - 0426
I Love Little Willie - 0427
The Factory Girl - 0431
HardTimes - 0432
Page - 0433
OnMeesh-e-gan - 0434
Page - 0435
Tearin' Out-a Wilderness - 0436
Page - 0437
The Man on the Flying Trapeze - 0438
Page - 0439
Page - 0440
Ye Ballade of Ivan Petrovsky Skevar - 0441
Page - 0442
Page - 0443
Beautiful - 0444
Page - 0445
The Highly Educated Man - 0446
Page - 0447
Page - 0448
Page - 0449
Page - 0450
Darky Sunday School - 0451
Page - 0452
Page - 0453
The Old Bachelor - 0454
Page - 0455
RattleSnake - 0456
Page - 0457
Page - 0459
Alia en el Rancho Grande - 0461
El Amor Que Te Tenia - 0462
Page - 0463
ElAbandonado - 0464
Page - 0465
Cuatro Palomitas Blancas - 0466
Page - 0467
Tragedia de Heraclio Bernal - 0468
Page - 0469
Page - 0470
Page - 0471
From the Chuck Wagon - 0475
Cowboys' Gettin'-Up Holler - 0475
The Old Chizzum Trail - 0476
Page - 0477
Page - 0478
When I Was a Cowboy - 0479
Page - 0480
Cowboy to Pitching Bronco - 0481
Other Cowboy Boasting Chants - 0482
Good-by, Old Paint - 0483
Page - 0484
Git Along, Little Dogies - 0485
Page - 0486
Page - 0487
Page - 0488
Page - 0489
The Buffalo Skinners - 0490
Page - 0491
The Stampede - 0492
Page - 0493
Page - 0494
Mustang Gray - 0495
Page - 0496
Hell in Texas - 0497
Page - 0498
Page - 0499
Page - 0500
Arizona - 0501
Page - 0502
The Killer - 0503
Page - 0504
SnagtoothSal - 0505
Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail - 0506
Page - 0507
Page - 0508
Susan Van Dusan - 0509
TheCowboy'sDream - 0510
Page - 0511
Red River Shore - 0512
RoyBean - 0513
Page - 0514
An Idaho Cowboy Dance - 0515
InTown - 0516
BuckingBronco - 0517
Poor Lonesome Cowboy - 0518
JoeBowers - 0521
Page - 0522
Page - 0523
Sweet Betsy from Pike - 0524
Page - 0525
Page - 0526
Crossing the Plains - 0527
Page - 0528
Coming Around the Horn - 0529
The Bull-Whacker - 0530
Page - 0531
Brigham Young - 0532
Page - 0533
Greer County - 0534
The Hard-Working Miner - 0537
The Dreary Black Hills - 0538
Page - 0539
Just from Dawson - 0540
Page - 0541
The Lost Jimmie Whalen - 0545
The Shanty-Boy and the Farmer's Son - 0546
Page - 0547
Gerry'sRocks - 0548
Page - 0549
BungYerEye - 0550
The Banks of the Pamanow - 0551
Page - 0552
Page - 0553
Ballad of the Erie Canal - 0555
Page - 0556
TheErieCanal - 0557
Page - 0558
The Erie Canal Ballad - 0559
Page - 0560
Page - 0561
Page - 0562
Page - 0563
Erie Canal - 0564
A Trip on the Erie - 0565
Page - 0566
Low Bridge, Everybody Down - 0567
Page - 0568
Page - 0569
The E-ri-e - 0570
The Raging Can-all - 0571
Page - 0572
Page - 0573
Page - 0574
Red Iron Ore - 0577
Page - 0578
Page - 0579
Johnny Come Down to Hilo - 0583
Page - 0584
Heave Away - 0585
Whisky Johnny - 0586
Page - 0587
The Rio Grande - 0588
The Black Ball Line - 0589
Page - 0590
Blow theManDown - 0591
Page - 0592
Get Up, Jack!John, Sit Down! - 0593
Jack Wrack - 0594
Page - 0595
The Boston Come-All-Ye - 0596
Page - 0597
The Wonderful Crocodile - 0598
Page - 0599
Page - 0600
Captain Robert Kidd - 0601
Page - 0602
Page - 0603
The Flying Cloud - 0604
Page - 0605
Page - 0606
Constitution and Guerriere - 0607
Page - 0608
Page - 0609
Siege of Plattsburg - 0610
Page - 0611
The Buccaneers - 0612
Page - 0613
Destroyer Life - 0614
Page - 0615
Page - 0616
Page - 0617
Yankee Doodle - 0621
Page - 0622
Page - 0623
Page - 0624
Page - 0625
Braddock'sDefeat - 0626
Page - 0627
John Brown's Body - 0628
Hold On, Abraham - 0629
Page - 0630
Dixie ; - 0631
Page - 0632
Page - 0633
WarSong - 0634
Good Old Rebel - 0635
Page - 0636
Page - 0637
Page - 0638
Page - 0639
Benny Havens, Oh! - 0640
Page - 0641
Page - 0642
The WildMiz-zou-rye - 0643
Page - 0644
Page - 0645
Shenandoah - 0646
Damn the Filipinos - 0647
A Rookie's Lament - 0648
Page - 0649
Page - 0650
The Company Cook - 0651
We've Done Our Hitch in Hell - 0652
Page - 0653
If You Want to Know Where the Privates Are - 0654
Page - 0655
The Hearse Song - 0656
Hinky Dinky, Parley-Voo? - 0657
Page - 0658
Page - 0659
Page - 0660
Page - 0661
Bear the News, Mary - 0663
Parting Friends - 0664
Burges - 0665
FewDays - 0666
Wedlock - 0667
Page - 0668
Wicked Polly - 0669
Page - 0670
Now Our Meeting's Over - 0671
The Other Shore - 0672
Amazing Grace - 0673
Page - 0674
Page - 0675
Many T'ousands Go - 0677
Lay Dis Body Down - 0677
Mone, Member, Mone - 0678
Moanin' - 0679
Page - 0680
Healin' Waters - 0681
'Ligion So Sweet - 0682
DivesandLaz'us - 0683
Set Down, Servant - 0684
Page - 0685
Oh, Lawd, How Long? - 0686
Never Said a Mumbalin' Word - 0687
Hell andHeaven - 0688
Page - 0689
Page - 0690
ManGoin'Round - 0691
Good-by, Mother - 0692
This Train - 0693
Deep River - 0694
Blin' Man Stood on de Way an' Cried - 0695
Page - 0696
Dese Bones Gwine to Rise Again - 0697
Page - 0698
Page - 0699
Hard Trials - 0700
Page - 0701
Dat Lonesome Stream - 0702
Page - 0703
Woe Be unto You - 0704
Tone de Bell Easy - 0705
Page - 0706
Page - 0707
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - 0708
Page - 0709
When My Blood Runs Chilly and Col' - 0710
Page - 0711
Page - 0713
Bibliography - 0714
Page - 0715
Page - 0716
Page - 0717
Page - 0718
Page - 0719
Page - 0720
Page - 0721
Index- 0723
Page - 0724
Page - 0725 |
FOREWORD
Professor Lomax needs no introduction. His "Cowboy Songs," published years and years ago, won forthwith a classic rank among books of folk-poetry—in whatever sense controversialists may choose to interpret that much-vexed term. But, though introduction is superfluous, a word of greeting may not be out of place. Lomax has never flagged in his zeal as a collector, and his success has been proportionate with his energy. Of late, too, he has enjoyed the assistance of his son, and their combined activities have greatly increased our knowledge of the subject. In the volume now offered to the friendly reader there is much that is novel; yet the old familiar fields are not neglected. Here, then, is a book of songs that illustrates many phases of our strangely multifarious life and manners. There is something for every mood and for every intelligent taste. And the whole thing is intensely American and has been contrived by a man who knows what he is about and is in vital contact with the materials that he has so skilfully brought together. Caveat emptor is a good book-buying motto nowadays, but in this case the buyer may take his chances without trepidation.
G. L. KlTTREDGE
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