American Ballads and Folk Songs (Dover Books On Music: Folk Songs)

Price: $39.95 - $35.19
(as of Jan 17, 2025 12:42:06 UTC – Details)

With this ample collection of music and lyrics for over 200 authentic ballads and songs, you can immerse yourself in the rich tradition and heritage of American folk music.
 
“A book to cherish permanently.” — The New York Times.

Discover the diversity, spontaneity, free-flowing melody, and sheer invention of scores of songs sung by cowboys and convicts, lumberjacks, hobos, miners, plantation slaves, mountaineers, soldiers, and many others. One of the remarkable features of this collection is its authenticity. Many of the songs were recorded “on location” by noted folklorist John A. Lomax and his even more famous son, Alan, as they traveled around the United States. Music for the songs was obtained from wax, aluminum, or celluloid records; published collections or contributions sent in; and several are without musical text. Tunes and words were also furnished for more than forty songs from the ancestral line of the authors Lomax’ family.
  Includes firsthand versions of music and lyrics for over 200 railroad songs, chain-gang songs, mountain songs, Creole songs, cocaine and whisky songs, “reels,” minstrel songs, songs of childhood, and a host of others.​ Among them are such time-honored favorites as “Black Betty,” “John Henry,” “Goin’ Home,” “Frankie and Albert,” “The Hammer Song,” “Down in the Valley,” “Little Brown Jug,” “Alabama-Bound,” “Shortenin’ Bread,” “Skip to My Lou,” “Frog Went a-Courtin’,” “Jesse James,” “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and a host of others. An excellent introduction, notes on each song, a bibliography, and an index round out this extensive and valuable collection.  
Musician, musicologists, folklorists, singers — anyone interested in American folk music — will welcome this treasury of timeless song gathered in one handy, inexpensive volume.
 
Dover publishes hundreds of music scores and an incredible variety of books on music: composer biographies, music history, works on instruments, singing manuals, music analyses, and much, much more. 
 

From the Publisher

A Historically Accurate Collection

Many of the songs were recorded “on location” by noted folklorist John A. Lomax and his son, Alan

Firsthand versions of music and lyrics

Over 200 railroad songs, chain-gang songs, mountain songs, Creole songs, whisky songs, “reels,” minstrel songs, songs of childhood, and a host of others

For musician, musicologists, folklorists, singers

John HenryGoin’ HomeFrankie and AlbertDown in the Valley,” “Little Brown JugAlabama-BoundShortenin’ BreadSkip to My LouFrog Went a-CourtinMany more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; First PB Edition, First Printing (October 21, 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 672 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486282767
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486282763
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches