In the pines..

The Lead Belly song “where did you sleep last night” is one that has been passed down through generations of oral traditions and more recently become evident in today’s written music.  The songs unknown origins have gone through countless covers by many different types of artists. Once it is picked up, an artist then changes or adds to the lyrics to suit their particular needs, but the songs main theme seems to stay intact across most renditions; dark, haunting, and sadness filled verses.  I don’t feel like there are any significant changes throughout the song, but for me this seems to only add to the already obvious unsettling feeling.  The songs simplicity enhances the songs sorrow filled and haunting lyrics.  The tone and the pitch of Lead Belly’s voice does not change throughout the song.  All are aspects in which I feel help make a strong case for giving this song the “folk song” title.  

Comments

[AmyMayper]

In your posts, many of you considered the effect Lead Belly’s spoken interjections had on the authenticity or lack thereof in his version of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” Christopher Yoshonis made an interesting point when he noted the Jazz influence in Lead Belly’s interjections, implying that they detracted authenticity. Check out Christopher’s post here: (http://benleedscarson.com/by-banks-in-pines/2009/10/10/lead-bellys-in-the-pines.html). Hannah Sherman, on the other hand, felt that these interjections increased authenticity as they reflected what Lead Belly “felt and experienced.” Take a look at Hannah’s post here: (http://benleedscarson.com/by-banks-in-pines/2009/10/9/where-did-you-sleep-last-night-by-leadbelly.html). Using these examples as a springboard, what effect do you think Lead Belly’s spoken interjections have on the song’s authenticity and on the song in general? Why do you think Lead Belly chose to speak the specific lines that he did, as opposed to any other lines? And looking at the topic in broader terms, what effect do you think spoken interjections have on songs today? Feel free to post youtube links to examples of present-day songs featuring spoken interjections and to discuss these examples with your classmates!