# The often-covered old traditional Blues and Folk songs thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 27, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274 "2023-04-27T14:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/41 "2023-04-28T18:33:40Z")
**Oh Danny Boy** is a warhorse, covered by an amazing number of singers, here is a tiny sample: [Paul Robeson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka5bDlC9C-w) [Bing Crosby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2QtBYR7NJs) [Elvis Presley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_CcmOcBuzI) [Roy Orbison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7j3S1xXipM) [Cher!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU0zh63V9yY) [Sinéad O’Connor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PweUGhCZNiM) (_a capella_, and the best version IMHO) A little bit Country: [Willie Nelson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxhSx-cGhEs) [Johnny Cash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUyhNGmZ9rE) [Conway Twitty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMuchs1afeA) Some Soul: [Jackie Wilson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBIPjjJuKU) [Sam Cooke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajc31kpRWq0) Some interesting interpretations: [Imelda May](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lAIcNF8rdE) (a torchy blues version with Jeff Beck) [Van Morrison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmWGiu_JNlM) [The Pogues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfmagQoYrA) And some guitar solos: [Eric Clapton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjgGzmRhpDg) [George Benson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTnKEq6U_A) [Jeff Beck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL286Sa5vEI) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/42 "2023-04-28T18:47:38Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > [Sinéad O’Connor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PweUGhCZNiM) (_a capella_, and the best version IMHO) Agreed. I’ve always been blown away by Sinéad O’Connor’s voice and music, and that was amazing. Nice to see her show up a couple-few times in this thread. Also, [Sinéad was right!](https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sinead-oconnor-was-right-to-tear-up-popes-picture-and-she-got-attacked-for-it-new-documentary-revisits-controversy/42032813.html) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/43 "2023-04-28T18:56:33Z")
Working my way through the Child Ballads - [Tam Lin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47z5n7p9B3I) - Fairport Convention [Tam Lin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e196Jsd-oQ) - Steeleye Span [Tam Lin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3IPaHk07Pg) - Anais Mitchell [Tam Lin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15wS9F73hGo) - Tricky Pixie ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/44 "2023-04-28T18:58:23Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > And [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFlvza-RknU) rather unique version. [of Summertime] I was revisiting an earlier post in the thread, and noticed I overlooked this. That was a terrific version! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/45 "2023-04-28T19:05:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Working my way through the Child Ballads I haven’t had time to sample more than a couple of these right now, but thanks for introducing me to the genre of “Child Ballads”. I see that they’re an anthology of traditional ballads compiled by Francis James Child, not a collection of morbid ballads about dead children, as I first assumed… 😯 > **[Child Ballads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_Ballads)** > > The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. The tunes of most of the ballads were collected and published by Bertrand Harris Bronson in and around the 1860s. > The ballads vary in age; for instance, the manuscript of "Judas" dates to the thirteenth century and ... ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/46 "2023-04-28T19:12:40Z")
Because I like the contrast - [Dives and Lazarus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQoP9iLwoos) - Ralph Vaughan Williams [Dives and Lazarus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjAzsqzT0CE) - June Tabor w/Oyster Band ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/47 "2023-04-28T19:15:18Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Also, [Sinéad was right!](https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sinead-oconnor-was-right-to-tear-up-popes-picture-and-she-got-attacked-for-it-new-documentary-revisits-controversy/42032813.html) **Yeah, she was**. I remember watching the SNL performance and thinking, that it was a reasonable action, given what we knew about the Catholic Church abuses in Ireland. I watched the documentary and was blown away by the Dylan Tribute performance. If a fictional film tried to put that scene into a film, the critics would complain that it was too “Hollywood”. For those who haven’t seen it- in front of a (presumably) progressive audience there to celebrate one of the great protest singers, she is booed vociferously, Kris Kristofferson (who had introduced her) comes back on stage and whispers “don’t let the bastards get you down”, she restarts the Dylan song to loud boos, stops the band and launches into an a capella “War” (by BoB Marley), finishes the song and tearfully embraces Kristofferson, who has been waiting at the side of the stage. Here’s the [performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4fVxcT00Sc). There aren’t many singers that would be brave enough to even try this. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/48 "2023-04-28T19:27:54Z")
I saw that concert and this special incident live on TV in 1992 and also was blown away by the whole affair. Kristofferson acted great. The double live album of the event (which I can only wholeheartedly recommend) contains her version of Dylan’s “I Believe In You” from the soundcheck (but unfortunately, not her impromptu rendition of Marley’s “War”). It’s a bit ironic that it’s a song from Dylan’s Christian phase, though it’s ambiguous if it’s about the belief in god or a lover. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/49 "2023-04-28T19:33:34Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Here’s the [performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4fVxcT00Sc). There aren’t many singers that would be brave enough to even try this. Wow, thanks, I had never seen that. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Kristofferson acted great. Yeah, never been much of a fan of his music or his singing voice, but a clearly a decent guy. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/50 "2023-04-28T20:59:37Z")
Some old folk songs reworked into kids songs…these are on our regular playlist for the little gargoyles of the household… Mister Rabbit was modified slightly by Caspar Babypants to make the lyrics a little more upbeat and a little less grim and down-trodden from the traditional: > **[Mister Rabbit |](https://www.stephengriffith.com/folksongindex/mister-rabbit/)** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9S8Ih4\_f\_E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9S8Ih4_f_E) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/51 "2023-04-28T21:17:44Z")
Finnegan’s Wake has been covered by a lot of artists, although I really prefer [The Clancy Brothers’ version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v09ud8KwNN8&ab_channel=TheClancyBrothers-Topic). I was actually quite the folkie back in the mid-60s, also listening to Ian & Sylvia, Buffy Ste. Marie, The Limelighters, etc. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/52 "2023-04-28T21:23:19Z")
I used to cover all three of those songs in my twenties. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/53 "2023-04-28T21:26:11Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I was revisiting an earlier post in the thread, and noticed I overlooked this. That was a terrific version! When I was in high school, in the late 60s, we had a jukebox in the cafeteria, and that’s where I first heard Billy Stewart. He was a local boy from D.C. Another song I remember from that jukebox was ‘Stand By Me’ by Spyder Turner (another unique version of an old favorite.) ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/54 "2023-04-28T21:28:38Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Probably my favorite instrumental cover of a song is [Coltrane’s version of “My Favorite Things”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG2dsXV5HI) in which they start out with the basic melody, then go into all sorts of amazing tangents while morphing back in and out of the basic melody. Great song to listen to on a rainy day…like today, in my part of the world! Playing it right now. Another cool thing about his (original studio) version is, he doesn’t play the bridge until the very end of the song. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/55 "2023-04-29T17:31:27Z")
Here are six very similar songs in different styles and contexts. Just four chords, over and over. Sounds like there are some variations in Gary Davis’ version, but they’re all basically the same thing. The chord progression is in fourths. In E, the chords would be E, A, D and G. [Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beENjBa2yKQ) (Earl Scruggs and friends) [Twelve Sticks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3gWSYdEYSE) (Gary Davis) [I Wonder to Myself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXgZrxFC3OY) (Tommy Johnson) [Kill It Kid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mlOhoCtpoM) (Willie McTell) [Salty Dog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyAKNRmB2B8) (John Hurt, other versions by Gary Davis and Willie McTell) [Spoonful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc3KVWdbtdw) (Charlie Patton) ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/56 "2023-04-29T19:52:44Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > In E, the chords would be E, A, D and G. You mean ‘in G.’ ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/57 "2023-04-29T20:28:46Z")
Yeah, the key is actually G. I’d still call it E in conversation among guitarists, just because it’s the first chord, but you’re right to say it’s in G. That Tommy Johnson tune always reminds me of the Stones. There’s a break in Shattered that sounds a little like it, but the chords are different. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274/58 "2023-04-29T20:48:51Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > That Tommy Johnson tune always reminds me of the Stones. Reminds me of bacon frying. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-often-covered-old-traditional-blues-and-folk-songs-thread/983274.md?page=2)