Songs about american folklore, legends, tall tales, or fables?
December 1, 2008 8:19 AM Subscribe
My (8-year old) son has been very interested in american folklore and legends lately, and has been reading and loving books by Steven Kellogg. I want to put together a mix CD of songs that have to do with legends, american folklore, tall tales to give to him for christmas. I'm hoping you can help me out with suggestions!
New, old, style doesn't matter a bit - it doesn't have to be a "kids" song. I'm looking for any and all suggestions for this compilation. Thanks!
New, old, style doesn't matter a bit - it doesn't have to be a "kids" song. I'm looking for any and all suggestions for this compilation. Thanks!
Maybe some songs from the Wee Sing America book and CD. I seem to remember enjoying that as a kid.
posted by chndrcks at 8:38 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by chndrcks at 8:38 AM on December 1, 2008
Jesse James was not fictional, but there are a few folklore-embellished songs about him. I like Pete Seeger's, and Bruce Springsteen did a version of it on his Seeger tribute album.
posted by illenion at 8:56 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by illenion at 8:56 AM on December 1, 2008
Songs I think of as themselves being stories and part of American lore:
A Boy Named Sue
Alice's Restaurant
Several of Harry Chapin's songs, esp Thirty Thousand Pounds Of Bananas, based on a true story.
posted by quinoa at 8:57 AM on December 1, 2008
A Boy Named Sue
Alice's Restaurant
Several of Harry Chapin's songs, esp Thirty Thousand Pounds Of Bananas, based on a true story.
posted by quinoa at 8:57 AM on December 1, 2008
Also: Casey Jones (I recommend Gillian Welch, personally)
and Mississippi John Hurt's version of Stagolee/Stagger Lee, Stackolee (I only know the Nick Cave version, which is wildly inappropriate for children. However, I hear the John Hurt version is good.)
and Woody Guthrie's Pretty Boy Floyd (Ramblin' Jack Elliot does a good version, too.)
posted by RedEmma at 9:01 AM on December 1, 2008
and Mississippi John Hurt's version of Stagolee/Stagger Lee, Stackolee (I only know the Nick Cave version, which is wildly inappropriate for children. However, I hear the John Hurt version is good.)
and Woody Guthrie's Pretty Boy Floyd (Ramblin' Jack Elliot does a good version, too.)
posted by RedEmma at 9:01 AM on December 1, 2008
Kentucky Headhunters, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett."
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:03 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:03 AM on December 1, 2008
Johny Cash's "Legend of John Henry's Hammer" is good.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 9:13 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by KirkJobSluder at 9:13 AM on December 1, 2008
Dan Zanes, "Wabash Cannonball."
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:58 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:58 AM on December 1, 2008
Bruce Springsteen's version of "John Henry" and most of the rest of his "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions."
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:03 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:03 AM on December 1, 2008
Jefferson Pepper released a 50-song, 3-CD series entitled 'American Evolution that might have some songs your son would like.
posted by Sailormom at 10:22 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by Sailormom at 10:22 AM on December 1, 2008
Stagger Lee! Most versions will be age-appropriate, but the Nick Cave ones probably aren't.
And Johnny Cash did a ton of these kinds of songs, including the concept albums Bitter Tears and Ballads of the True West.
And I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to make a gangsta-rap mix-CD for an 8-year-old, but songs like Rick Ross' 'Hustlin,' Scarface's 'Scarface' and Schoolly D's 'PSK' might provoke some interesting discussions about how people can make themselves mythological figures (come to think of it, Bob Dylan is an interesting case study in this area as well).
posted by box at 10:38 AM on December 1, 2008
And Johnny Cash did a ton of these kinds of songs, including the concept albums Bitter Tears and Ballads of the True West.
And I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to make a gangsta-rap mix-CD for an 8-year-old, but songs like Rick Ross' 'Hustlin,' Scarface's 'Scarface' and Schoolly D's 'PSK' might provoke some interesting discussions about how people can make themselves mythological figures (come to think of it, Bob Dylan is an interesting case study in this area as well).
posted by box at 10:38 AM on December 1, 2008
Seconding Pete Seeger (singing Abiyoyo here). And for a little variation I also like Thee Headcoatees Davey Crockett.
posted by abirae at 10:50 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by abirae at 10:50 AM on December 1, 2008
A few more tall tale (but not necessarily folk) songs:
Running Bear by Johnny Preston
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul and Mary
Clementine (Johnny Cash, Elliot Smith, etc...)
Frankie and Johnny
posted by abirae at 11:02 AM on December 1, 2008
Running Bear by Johnny Preston
Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul and Mary
Clementine (Johnny Cash, Elliot Smith, etc...)
Frankie and Johnny
posted by abirae at 11:02 AM on December 1, 2008
Also, I'm not sure how grim you want to go, but I loved Mack the Knife as a kid.
posted by abirae at 11:08 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by abirae at 11:08 AM on December 1, 2008
Oh look, and Joe Strummer had a song about Johnny Appleseed.
posted by abirae at 11:10 AM on December 1, 2008
posted by abirae at 11:10 AM on December 1, 2008
There are so many terrific but grim classics like The Wreck of the Old 97.
But if you want to be more cheerful there's the old ditty about a folk hero named Judy.
posted by abirae at 11:23 AM on December 1, 2008
But if you want to be more cheerful there's the old ditty about a folk hero named Judy.
posted by abirae at 11:23 AM on December 1, 2008
"American folk ballads" is a good classification term for songs like most of these - songs that tell a story about a person or event to commemmorate or celebrate it. I'm trying to think of ones that name a specific person or event.
Lazarus is definitely a folk hero, and shows up in many songs. Here's one version.
So is Stagolee/Stackolee-Stagger Lee. Here's Mississippi John Hurt's version.
Check out this great list of John Henry songs by different artists.
Modern songs in the folk commemmorative tradition - Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Maybe Rocky Raccoon (it's set in 'Dakota'). Geronimo's Cadillac. The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
I've written songs about Bonnie and Clyde, Annie Oakley, and Buffalo Bill/Sitting Bull - when I get home maybe I'll upload them somewhere you can download them.
Machine Gun Kelly. John Hardy. Clementine. Joe Hill. Crossroad Blues. The Battle of New Orleans. Tom Dooley.
Great question, I'll keep thinking...
posted by Miko at 1:07 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
Lazarus is definitely a folk hero, and shows up in many songs. Here's one version.
So is Stagolee/Stackolee-Stagger Lee. Here's Mississippi John Hurt's version.
Check out this great list of John Henry songs by different artists.
Modern songs in the folk commemmorative tradition - Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Maybe Rocky Raccoon (it's set in 'Dakota'). Geronimo's Cadillac. The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
I've written songs about Bonnie and Clyde, Annie Oakley, and Buffalo Bill/Sitting Bull - when I get home maybe I'll upload them somewhere you can download them.
Machine Gun Kelly. John Hardy. Clementine. Joe Hill. Crossroad Blues. The Battle of New Orleans. Tom Dooley.
Great question, I'll keep thinking...
posted by Miko at 1:07 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]
There's a magnificent cartoon video for Davy Crockett In Outer Space by They Might Be Giants.
posted by abirae at 1:50 PM on December 1, 2008
posted by abirae at 1:50 PM on December 1, 2008
Abraham, Martin and John
One Tin Soldier
Little Hiwatha - you should be able to find a straightforward reading of the Longfellow poem, but this version is dear to my heart.
posted by tyrantkitty at 9:20 PM on December 1, 2008
Some good stuff on the Anthology of American Folk Music.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:59 AM on December 2, 2008
posted by kirkaracha at 7:59 AM on December 2, 2008
Best answer: First, you should go start a thread over at The Mudcat Café to ask your question of people who know all the ins and outs of American folk music and folklore and will be happy to make suggestions.
Seconding Wee Sing America, which is singlehandedly responsible for most of the common American folk songs I know. If you can go an extra mile with it, start looking up the origins and histories of some of the songs. I found that stuff fascinating as a kid and would have been thrilled to eat "goober peas" or look at books about the Erie Canal along with mom or dad. Heck, I'd be thrilled to do it now.
Not a song or album, but I watched the Disney-animated American Legends many times while growing up and loved it. You can prescreen on YouTube. Also, the Disney animation of Ben and Me can be found on Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities.
The American Folk Song Collection Online has a database of hundreds of lyrics, online recordings, clips, etc.
Canadian, but look at the recent post about Stan Rogers over on the blue. "Barrett's Privateers" and "Northwest Passage" are great songs with adventurous North American historical origins and are a lot of fun to bellow at top volume (remind the kid not to use the "GOD DAMN THEM ALL!" line from "Barrett's Privateers" in his second grade classroom).
A lot of black American folklore is embedded in old gospel hymns. Try one of the Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances albums, which offer a good starting point for black gospel and folk music. NegroSpirituals.com also has some history and free MP3s for download. Sample some stuff on YouTube from popular favorites like the Fairfield Four: "Po' Lazarus" and "Children, Go Where I Send Thee". For literary historical accompaniment, look at The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois. This is not something you can just hand over to an eight-year-old, but there are definitely sections and chapters that could be read out loud to or along with him, including on the lives of schoolchildren and on old black folk songs.
Two obvious and very popular movie soundtracks: O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain.
The Anthology of American Folk Music mentioned by kirkaracha is not all easy to listen to, even for adults. Some of the recordings are crude, scratchy, puzzling, or otherwise not the average eight-year-old's idea of fun. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic historical resource.
There's a program available for download over at Chicago Public Radio about the American folk song and its place in American history.
posted by jeeves at 3:50 PM on December 2, 2008
Seconding Wee Sing America, which is singlehandedly responsible for most of the common American folk songs I know. If you can go an extra mile with it, start looking up the origins and histories of some of the songs. I found that stuff fascinating as a kid and would have been thrilled to eat "goober peas" or look at books about the Erie Canal along with mom or dad. Heck, I'd be thrilled to do it now.
Not a song or album, but I watched the Disney-animated American Legends many times while growing up and loved it. You can prescreen on YouTube. Also, the Disney animation of Ben and Me can be found on Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities.
The American Folk Song Collection Online has a database of hundreds of lyrics, online recordings, clips, etc.
Canadian, but look at the recent post about Stan Rogers over on the blue. "Barrett's Privateers" and "Northwest Passage" are great songs with adventurous North American historical origins and are a lot of fun to bellow at top volume (remind the kid not to use the "GOD DAMN THEM ALL!" line from "Barrett's Privateers" in his second grade classroom).
A lot of black American folklore is embedded in old gospel hymns. Try one of the Jubilation! Great Gospel Performances albums, which offer a good starting point for black gospel and folk music. NegroSpirituals.com also has some history and free MP3s for download. Sample some stuff on YouTube from popular favorites like the Fairfield Four: "Po' Lazarus" and "Children, Go Where I Send Thee". For literary historical accompaniment, look at The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois. This is not something you can just hand over to an eight-year-old, but there are definitely sections and chapters that could be read out loud to or along with him, including on the lives of schoolchildren and on old black folk songs.
Two obvious and very popular movie soundtracks: O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain.
The Anthology of American Folk Music mentioned by kirkaracha is not all easy to listen to, even for adults. Some of the recordings are crude, scratchy, puzzling, or otherwise not the average eight-year-old's idea of fun. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic historical resource.
There's a program available for download over at Chicago Public Radio about the American folk song and its place in American history.
posted by jeeves at 3:50 PM on December 2, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by RedEmma at 8:35 AM on December 1, 2008