American Ballads and Folk Songs

by John A. Lomax, Alan Lomax

"A book to cherish permanently." — The New York Times.
With this ample collection of authentic ballads and songs, you can immerse yourself in the rich tradition and heritage of American folk music. Discover the diversity, spontaneity, free-flowing melody, and sheer invention of scores of songs sung by cowboys and convicts, lumberjacks, hobos, miners, plantation slaves, mountaineers, soldiers, and many others.
One of the remarkable features of this collection is its authenticity. Many of the songs were recorded "on location" by noted folklorist John A. Lomax and his even more famous son, Alan, as they traveled around the United States. The results are firsthand versions of music and lyrics for over 200 railroad songs, chain-gang songs, mountain songs, Creole songs, cocaine and whisky songs, "reels," minstrel songs, songs of childhood, and a host of others. Among them are such time-honored favorites as "John Henry," "Goin' Home," "Frankie and Albert," "Down in the Valley," "Little Brown Jug," "Alabama-Bound," "Shortenin' Bread," "Skip to My Lou," "Frog Went a-Courtin'," and a host of others. An excellent introduction, notes on each song, a bibliography, and an index round out this extensive and valuable collection.
Musician, musicologists, folklorists, singers — anyone interested in American folk music — will welcome this treasury of timeless song gathered in one handy, inexpensive volume.

Genres: Music, History, Poetry, Nonfiction, Folklore

672 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1934

About the author

John Avery Lomax was an American teacher and a musicologist.

Reviews

[David Gallin-Parisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crucial songs, selector. Put this on the dusty turntable man. Read these songs aloud to any child, using any musical tune you can think of. Better yet play the tunes provided with the simplistic sheet music melodies. Rhyme time central. Race riot producing because of all the slave songs. Don't forget the sea shanties. A must for your folk songs and their versions, playing on your sing-aloud sound system.

[Amy Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book, first published in 1934, is a collection of American songs discovered and collected by John Lomax and his son Alan Lomax. There is no doubt that some of these songs are today “cringy”—but it’s good to go back into time, as it were, and experience a little how people in the 19th century lived through the primary source of chain gang songs, cowboy songs, soldier songs, mountain songs, creole songs, frontier songs, bar songs, and spirituals. Many of these songs were gathered by Lomax when he visited and interviewed black prisoners from places like the Mississippi State Farm (Parcham Farm—in Lomax’s day an all-black prison farm) or another State Farm in Sugar Land, Texas.

I enjoyed flipping through from start to finish and reading the background of many songs—both ones I have heard recordings of and many I knew nothing about.

Incidentally, there is a wonderful children’s picture book about John Lomax entitled “Home on the Range.” I highly recommend introducing children to the value of these folk songs through that book which tells of Lomax’s quest to discover these songs and write them down before they were gone forever.

[Jon Corelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As everyone knowledgeable about folk music knows, John A. Lomax and his son Alan were instrumental from the 1930s on in field recording American and other traditional musicians. This excellent quality Dover reprint of their 1934 book American Ballads and Folk Songs gives lyrics and music in the form of simple melodic scores of virtually every American folk song you've heard of, and a lot you probably haven't. If you are at all seriously interested in American folk music, whether as student, performer, or listener, give this book five stars: you really ought to have it. But even those whose interest in this music is more casual will find this a fascinating and valuable book.

[Elijah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, great reference for historical ballads. Does not get more authentic. The one thing I would take into consideration before buying this book is the use of outdated language (n word etc.), which must be overlooked as that was reflective of the common speech of the time. This is one of the most culturally rich books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and is a book I will be referencing for years to come.

[Garry Marlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book!!!! Reading along I went on to you and spotify to find the songs, couldnt get all of them. The ones I did find it gave then more meaning. I feel everyone who is on to music should read this. I havea few Lomax recordings that help with some of the tracks. Beaware the writing and words used in this book is not for todays sensitive souls. Best book I have read this year.