Roots of Blues -- Lead Belly „ Goodnight Irene"

[nightintheruts617]

Leadbelly has so many diff versons of every song, I am 21 and recently discoverd Leadbelly

so I went out and hunted down a bunch of lp's and 78's and every version is different (but equally awsome). if you ever happen to see "Leadbellys last sessions vol two" buy it. its a 2 lp set from 1953(even if you have to buy a turn table) its worth every penny so many amazing songs you would never hear anywhere else this album has changed the way I look at any music

[kateomoore1]

My husband has always sung this one. :-)

[sweet96635]

My opinion no longer matters because you people reported me for hate speech for some reason, and I got a notice from YouTube. By "you people" I mean you Youtube people of course.

[CreepyTheButcher]

@sweet96635 "you people reported me for hate speech for some reason" You think just maybe its because you used the N word lmao. You backwoods ignorant hillbilly, go listen to some David Alan Coe or some other racist BS.

[sweet96635]

@CreepyTheButcher I'm not racist.  Just because someone uses the N-word doesn't make them racist. If someone thinks all black "people" are the N-word, then that would be racist. But to distinguish between a good black and an N-word is not racist.

[CreepyTheButcher]

@sweet96635 "good blacks"....I aint even black (my girl is) and that sounds wrong to me. Even you gotta admit this version is better than Neil Diamonds but I aint hatin. To each his own. BTW Leadbelly's life story is what makes him more interesting to me. It gives him character good or bad. Also you should try some "brown sugar" if you get a chance. They know how to put it on you :) Might just change your mind partner......but I digress lol. Peace man

[sweet96635]

@CreepyTheButcher Yeah, one thing I ain't never had is a black. So I do plan to have some brown sugar someday.

[sweet96635]

Lead Belly is a murderer. He murderer a man in 1918 because of his jealousy over a woman, and he got 7 years in prison. He's been in prison for at least three long stretches. This man is what we refer to as a "nigger", boys and girls.

[kevddarm]

@sweet96635 And you are what we call some new breed of asshole

[pilabass]

@sweet96635 hahahahahaha yea ...i suppose it happens to the best of us...dam good music though...hahaha this is the best version ever in my opinion...or atleast lyricly....ive heard many different verses in different versions...but this one i like the most.

[420Cannabis]

@sweet96635 I really don't care if that's true it only means Leadbelly was one bad motherfucker

[Freyja1133]

@sweet96635 no,you idiot... the shooting was because one of his friends was bad mouthing the other...

Jealousy over a woman?

no , it was liqour,stupid ! ....

Watch the movie !..... are you saying that LEadbelly deserved to get beat up& be left on ta roadside? why don't you look in a mirror some time? the three stretches in priosn? ever heard a of a chain gang? he was sent to one because of a fight at a party !..

[ridoffascists]

@sweet96635 as is always the case, in my opinion, a performer's personal life has nothing to do with the works he created. you asshole.

[3RddegreeBurnzy]

@ridoffascists I know you honestly didn't just say "A performer's personal life has nothing to do with the works he created" Are you ignorant or just plain stupid, that shouldn't even be an opinion I'll give you a few Examples Johnny Cash, Robert Johnson, Ray Charles all created songs from the Good and Bad of Their PERSONAL LIFE

[ridoffascists]

@3RddegreeBurnzy Hmph...actually I did say that. I fail to see why you are bringing it up as I said it like 3 months ago and I didn't say it to you. I said that about Leadbelly because some racist creep made a reference to how Leadbelly's criminal history makes him somehow invalid. ( btw In future try to be more polite & u'l get more of a response. u kind of came off as an asshole.)

[BgMsDangerus]

Lord this takes me back to my "hillbilly" roots!!!!!!

[hannah4440]

Hail to Youtube, without it I wouldn't be able to listen once again to this beautiful song, from this beautiful man!!

[lennilunape]

Thanks Slowtubbi for loading this.

[mherbert]

NO Lead Belly NO Beatles- I didnt make that up George Harrison did! go to the indiegogo site & look up leadbellyfilm

[lpmccook]

My band always closes our shows with this song! God Bless Lead Belly.....

[beatlezrawesome]

@lpmccook dear lord in heaven. had he not written these songs most artist would only have halve their existing songs.

[whiteboundry]

what a legend

[crudchuck]

This is plain fucking beautiful. Could listen a dozen times again. A gifted man. Number one man on number one cotton picking gang at Angola.  Voice fulla real. And a man who knew how to dress. Sorta fella you want to live for ever, guess he does in a way

[buddyeagle]

tHE LOMAX WAS JUST GOLD DIGGER, NEVER WROTE ANY SONG.

[andreabaker2]

@buddyeagle

That may be so, but at least he got Leadbelly out of the clink.

[DiscoJoints]

@buddyeagle Yes parading Leadbelly around in stripes etc. very degrading BUT we owe a lot to the Lomaxes

[73neu]

I wonder if he knew his time was limited. Either way, he went out in the best way possible.

RIP, Lead Belly. I don't think we'll be seeing somebody like you again for a long time.

[stbricesday]

The song is traditional. Lomax/Leadbetter is being mentioned after the title, I trust the honours are awarded for arrangements as they are certainly not the composers. Also, neither is Leadbetter the composer of Midnight Special, which was first noted in 1905 by H. W. Odum and first recorded by (McGinty's) Otto Gray and his Midnight Cowboys in 1926. Although the great 'Leadbelly' is important in bringing these traditional songs to the fore with lyrics and arrangement, steady the hand a little.

[sequel6]

My mother's father would play this over and over on this little portable record player. Not until much later, did I fully understand the song.

[apbuitron]

This was the last show he ever played.

[beatlezrawesome]

Awesome I love it thanks for posting I like the live preformance and how he made them sing

[phdseuss]

"Goodnight Irene" is a classic.

though we may all have our own opinions, i like Lead Bellys version the best. 2 me its an original.

[rbheiss]

An American classic... period. Thanks for the history and the memories. And thanks to H. Leadbetter... despite his last name it never got any better than this.

Take care,

Rolland B. Heiss

[possumverde]

I find it amusing that the only two verses Leadbelly chose to sing for this performance are the two most likely to be dropped or replaced by almost every artist that has recorded it since. Even more amusing is that they're also the two verses which really define and set the overall mood of the song. More amusing than that is the fact that the "morphine" verse is less likely to be dropped than "I'm sorry you ever was born" one. I'll never figure out what's so bad about that verse...

[MissGoldenDreams13]

I used to think this particular recording was haunting (because I knew it took place towards the end of his life when he had ALS), but now that I have listened to it again, my opinion on it has changed. I noticed that Leadbelly's rendition of this is more joyful than the way he usually sung it. It makes me wonder if he knew the end of his life was near, so because of that, he wanted to give one great, final performance.

[Noonmark1]

Leadbelly sang it better than the Weavers. It was nice to hear him talk to the crowd - he sounded like a nice man.

[TheIsraDave]

This is not a root of blues. It is the blues!

[deja2053]

a great songwriter and singer leadbelly was no uncle tom yet he was a true gentleman who overcame segregation

by rising above it t be a great soul.

[19thcentury]

This was a great song in the 50's sung by many groups. GOODNIGHT IRENE, GOODNIGHT IRENE, I WILL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS.

[skyvalley41]

the song was not written in the 50's was written in 1932 by Lead Belly in 3/4 time In 1950, US folk group The Weavers recorded a version which became a US #1.

[dlbrereton]

my grandma used to sing this to me when i was a youngster. i liked her version. unfortunately she died 3 years ago at age 98

[explosivejohnny]

@dlbrereton sounds so nice to have such a beautiful memory. grandparents are really something else aren't they?

[WhiskeyyWoman]

@dlbrereton She probably had to edit the last part, about taking Morphine and dying. What a great song to sing before bed though.

[220denyse]

@WhiskeyyWoman what do you know about taking morphine and dying?

[phdseuss]

@dlbrereton its usually the grandparents who sing it the best

[chrisjackson1]

@dlbrereton Nothing unfortunate about that my friend. If she lived to 98, I'd say that is pretty fortunate. A long life, well-lived should always be thought of with happiness, even when it's over.

[oldschoolpunkchris1]

wow live leadbelly love it thanks so much

[etuberalism]

ah man, tx for posting. Excellent.

[jabahut1]

Anyone know the chords to this?

[Bakuninite87]

d a7 d g d a d

[jabahut1]

Thanks my friend.

[Danman917]

are they all major?

[Bakuninite87]

yes sir

[LORCA7678]

feeling....that's all you have to know to play the blues.

[MsCMcGrath]

brilliant 5***** song. Goodnight x

[dillpickle1989]

a true legend. mr Leadbetter, your music lives on!

[ari1234a]

Would I like to meet mr Leadbelly in His prime...

not so sure.

[pulsehouse]

His memory lives on! This song has been sung since the 1950's with great passion by 1,000's of Bristol Rovers football fans to cheer their team on at every match. It really is stirring to hear it echo around the stadium and has become unique part of the clubs 125 year history. The loudest rendition was recently in a final at Wembley Stadium by some 40,000 to salute their victory . Nearly all know the roots of this song.

[icyustare]

Wow,,,that sounds cool...love to experience that

[FaustyFob]

the audience singing with the song makes it much more powerful..

[MrFriendepz]

hearing him thank and talk to the crowd is just chilling. and heartwarming. he seemed like a sweet man.

[QwertyMcYuiop]

An amazing musician yes. Sweet man maybe not, I read (albeit on wikipedia) that he was actually quite violent.

[BabyEatingHeathen]

Indeed. I certainly would not want to drink with him.

[azdesertman]

I wish tha Mr. Leadbetter could have played this song at one of the Inaugaral balls. This Bluesman could only concieve in a dream that a Blackman would ever rise up and lead this country and that some States where there were mostly all white folks and hardly any Colored folks, swept Blackman into the Presidency. Mr. Leadbetter never voted. I'm sure there are a bunch of bluesmen and their ladies in a grand juke joint part of heaven, singing Blues as Martin tries to get them to sing Gospel Sundays

[voodoochild85858]

what a man what a voice, leadbelly truely was gods gift to the world

[LeadHopkins]

He died within the year of this i believe; and if he is right about being at the wrong doctor i hope he (the doctor) is burning in hell giving oral to Hitler for not helping him get better. He was not that old of a man when he died. Long live the music of Mr. Huddie Leadbetter.

[rossmcl177]

I don't think Hitler should be getting oral from ANYONE!!!

[Cachaito]

Lead Belly is already sick with Lou Gehrig here.

[adubon]

My grandfather used to sing this song to my grandmother early on in their marriage

[phdseuss]

@adubon thats so romantic she was one lucky woman

[adubon]

@phdseuss Yes, she was. They're peacefully resting together now. Thank you very much.