The Leadbelly Songbook

by Moses Asch (Editor), Alan Lomax (Editor)

More than 70 songs by Huddie Ledbetter, with chord names and musical transcriptions by Jerry Silverman and biographical notes by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Fred Ramsey, and Charles Smith. Includes: Midnite Special * Backwater Blues * John Henry * House of the Rising Sun * and more.

Genres: Music

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leadbelly was not only a great song writer but a poet of the caliber of Langston Hughes. A lot of his lyrics were topical, from "Titanic" to "Bourgeois Blues" (Tell all the colored folks to listen to me/Don't try to find a home in Washington DC), Come Along All You Cowboys (about black ranch hands), House of the Rising Sun, Yellow Gal, National Defense Blues (Since that defense is gone that woman lose her Cadillac), Jean Harlow (on her death bed), and the amazing Hitler Blues (Hitler started out in 1932/when he started out he took the home from the Jew). Underrated and absolute genius, I say.