Freight Train Elizabeth Cotton

[wiscgaloot]

Oh my. That's Libba herself. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this!

[EDISSON89]

she sings like Marge Simpson :P

[stefaanido]

beyond beautiful

[theodas]

I had the honor of meeting Ms. Cotton in the early 80's at a outdoor music festival in Ky.

To my benefit, many people were attracted to the "bigger names" and I doubt few even knew who she really was.

After her set, the crowd wandered away. I hung back hoping to meet this dear lady and got the treasured privilege of spending almost 10 minutes with her. She was as gracious and humble as you would think and said I could call her Libba.

Oh, that there were more like her today.

theodas

[showmeuranus]

@theodas BEAUTIFUL!!!

[bgoodwinify]

@theodas you are very blessed.  is she still with us?

[theodas]

@bgoodwinify

Hi, I'm sorry to say that she passed away (went Home) in 1987. That tender lady lived 92 years and touched many lives. We should be happy for her.

[Singlpilot]

Wow...history...



[RumbleGuts2112]

I've often wondered what amazing blues players must have dropped by when she was a kid. All those unknown players decades ago teaching her how to play andf the songs they used to laugh and dance to. The daft stuff to giggle with and the thought provoking deeper stuff.

So many lost tunes.

Peace

[darmp64]

what a jewel...they don't makem like that anymore.

[drbekken]

This is what music is all about; to grab the listener's soul and shake it.

[andrewbazeley]

Heavenly. And you're right, jasperwoods: without being too nerdy, she's playing left-handed but without the strings reversed. Which means when she does the traditional "claw-hammer" technique, she's picking the bass line with her finger and the tune with her thumb. I guess she doesn't see it that way as she's always done it, but it looks bloody amazing to a right-hander!

[coolanddark]

absolutely beautiful! a classic that has and will endure till the end of time!

[ckillian]

beautiful, love the two finger picking style.

[reveden]

mad respect

[JohnixHD]

That was beautiful.

[willrothfuss]

Amazing. Words fail me.

[guitar1977man]

Amazing!

[jasperwoods]

Bass notes at the bottom WTF??

[Ejamez89]

@jasperwoods Jimi Hendrix was the same way too

[bluesleak]

of course theres birds singing in the background :,)

[0209KMK58]

Oh my god, the composer herself, and she plays the guitar upside down without restraining it - WTF- the thick strings are on the bottom the way Albert King used to play, but he only played single note stuff!

[evsynator]

All those lessons on here how to fingerpick this tune .... yet this is the ultimate . It sure says something !.

[lappado]

Two people have no heart, no soul.

[schlimmeh]

That was so awesome - words fail me. What a truly amazing lady.

[marcgwapoh]

simply amazing. 

[gojilover]

There might be better players and singers out there covering this song but, with all due respect, none of them can hold a candle to this version.

[AndreiJam]

@gojilover if you are a guitarist...it's not so hard...:D

[brudzchy]

@AndreiJam If you're a guitarist, try turning your guitar the other way around and see if you still think it's not so hard.

[7jack7]

When I get all teary-eyed about America and being American, Elizabeth Cotten is one of the reasons why

[ShirleyMcD]

Such a talented lady, my dad plays this song to me and I had to look it up. Now it's even more special to me.

Beautiful

[leobluesy]

Brilliant !!

[misterd699]

This is so beautiful! What a wonderful person and a really great musician with a clear, pure and refined style of playing

[Romamb]

simply astonishing

[RyLay]

This is one of the most special things I've ever seen

[asburysmith]

man she feels it at 2:25

[asburysmith]

one person wants my boot up their ass.

[regnillam]

My dad used to play the guitar upside down like that too when he still had two hands.

[JonSibuea]

Remind me my grand ma,, full of love and wisdom,, make me curious how the train affected her so much.... I love this song,, gimme a lot of peace inside,, tears of peace almost drops from mine eyes

[jawja100]

No amps, no echo; pure , raw talent. Brought back memories of the town where I was born, right beside L&N railroad tracks. Wonderful

[Chopinowi]

Love it!

[trilobite3339]

is she seriously playing that upside down?

[totermusiker]

@trilobite3339

Yea, wikipedia explains why in the "Unique Style" paragraph.

[outjazzer]

and that my friends was about the most beautiful thing ive seen..

[wthight123]

I used to live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro NC, very close to the stretch of RR track that inspired this song -- and almost no one who lives there seems to realize it. I once saw Joan Baez perform in a small venue that literally bordered the tracks. I thought the staff at the venue would tell her, but they must not have, because she didn't include it in her set.

[tnguyen206]

why doesn't she just restring her guitar?

[wthight123]

@tnguyen206 By keeping the strings as they are, she can just turn any guitar strung for right-handers upside down and play it.

[reverendmississippi]

i cried too

[Clutnuckle]

good for happy loneliness

[terrapin227]

What a beautiful soul who wrote this wonderful song. Look how she plays left handed but leaves the strings strung as a right handed guitar!

[terrapin227]

What a beautiful soul who wrote this wonderful song. Look how she plays left handed but leave the strings strung as a right handed guitar!

[itchybonkeycuckoo]

What a legend..........She's playing a right handed guitar upside down !!!!!

Love that voice !!

Such talent..........she wrote this song when she was 10-11 years old !

Respect.

[abdounnour]

I was searching the title of this song since years, it comes to me, thanks Alain, amazing girl, beautiful play :-)

[JustTrollingAround]

i want to hug that woman.

what beauty.

[friedathefreak]

@JustTrollingAround : I want to hung her too!! I just discovered her music tonight and I have tears in my eyes

[SusanUpstairs]

Beautiful.

[SnarkAttack12]

I think it'd be best if we DON'T call it cotton pickin'

[bbknux1]

@SnarkAttack12 Except it's called "Cotten picking." People just misspell her name.

[GermanChica16]

omg so beautiful .. AMAZiiiNG !! best voice i ever had

[bareknuckles2u]

So sweet! This is great!

[CDConverse2010]

:') oh my God, this is truly amazing, and beautiful... wow ...

[SuperMustacheman]

@CDConverse2010 Right ? XD Hello, there btw. I'm Daniel. Whats your name ?

[bandman1967]

This is an amazing feat. She made up this song, played the guitar set for a right handed person also. The melody is superimposed into the chordal structure. A music genius for real.

[jsmn4vu]

It's called Cotten (sic) picking. Seriously.

[spurtfather]

the greatest thing I've ever seen? ..... maybe

[Psilosoph]

<3



[DanielEricManning]

So tell me again why they call it Travis pickin' or Atkins style?

[martinaxman]

@DanielEricManning The rotating bass note was originally made popular by Merle Travis. I find it interesing watching her fingers that her thumb is actually moving the way a right handed Travis pickers thrumb does.

[KingLeroyDavid]

@martinaxman how was that rotating bass note originally made popular by someone 20 years younger than a woman who wrote this song when she was 10? your math hurts my brain

[martinaxman]

@KingLeroyDavid Yes. That was the point.

[waveman1981]

so awesome

[dannpenn]

beautiful,beautiful, beautiful!!

[MyBjorg]

I always love you Elizabeth for your Freight Train!!!!!!!!!

[OLDSPARKEY123]

lizzy you are 100% plus i lov ya

[terrisonb]

Wow, what a piece of Americana. Does anyone know if she is still alive?

[calorifuge]

@terrisonb No...She died in 1987 ( 92 yo ). I saw a good article in Wikipedia about Libba, you must read that!

[jubilaz]

@terrisonb

Hate to be an asshole, but you have the internet at your disposal.

[meikamo]

Beautiful. No song makes me feel a greater magnitude of any emotion.

[whitehouse1958]

Made me cry. An American legend and hero. God Bless Libba!