Discussing "By the Banks, In the Pines"

To participate in discussion, read these thoughts below, including the instructions “DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT” below— and then click on “Post New Entry” above to begin your participation in this conversation.

[Note: this topic is mostly the same as “Casey Jones and John Henry,” but we are keeping the discussions separate in order to create smaller, more focused, discussions. In contrast to the “Casey Jones…” topic, the songs in this topic emphasize a sense of an authentic American past associated with rural culture.]

The songs “By the Banks” and “In the Pines” date back to an early stage in the development of American Popular Music. We can imagine the first singers of either of these songs being rural working-class musicians in the Deep South and Eastern U. S., during the late 19th century. At least two “diaspora” are important here: first, the movement of African Americans from slave or sharecropper plantations into the Appalachian mountains; second, the movement of new Irish and European immigrants to the agricultural areas of the Mississippi Delta, a region where black Americans had already lived and worked in large numbers since the end of the Civil War.

But new versions of these songs — produced throughout the late 20th century — give them a life of their own, beyond their specific origins. In the playlist, you’ll find three performances each of “In the Pines” (sometimes titled “Where did you sleep last night”), and three of “By the Banks of the Ohio.” Also feel free to consider this live 1972 rendition of “By the Banks of the Ohio” on a German pop television show, by Olivia Newton John (but be sure to listen at least a few times without watching the images, so that you can concentrate on the sounds).

***

DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT (Due October 15 — or submit by October 10 at noon to get TA guidance toward an essay):

Choose one recording from the “By the Banks, In the Pines” playlist, other than the “Nirvana: unplugged performance (which Barker and Taylor have already discussed in their chapter) … and analyze what you hear.
Treat each of the elements of the song separately. How are the lyrics expressed — does the expression change in any way from one part of the song to another? What is the form of the song, and what words would you use to distinguish one part of the form from another? Do the lyrics of the song, or the sounds that the performers make, seem to express any concepts in the readings or our lecture-discussions? Try to answer at least two of those three questions. If you choose a recording that Barker and Taylor already discussed (the Lead Belly or the Nirvana recording), try to say something about the recording that hasn’t already been said, and consider citing the Barker and Taylor article to contrast your opinion from theirs.

Your initial post (submitted through the “Post New Entry” button above) should be about two paragraphs, about 200 words. Once you’ve posted, please read your classmates’ posts and begin commenting on them…your TAs will contribute to the conversation as well. Full participation requires you to comment on your classmates’ posts and try to keep the conversation going!

***

ESSAY ASSIGNMENT (Due October 15 — if you choose to write an essay in this unit):

After reading Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor’s chapter “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” about Lead Belly, Nirvana, and our thirst for “authenticity,” write your own thoughts on what might motivate the differences between the interpretations of two of the songs on the playlist. What Barker and Taylor say about “In the Pines” might be a good model for what you can say about another song whose history is just as complex.

Begin by picking two versions of your chosen song, and analyze the forms of both versions. Making accurate use of terms that have been introduced in class, discuss the differences between the versions, using your formal analysis, and/or the lyrics, to refer to specific points in time during the performances. (Do not choose *both* the Lead Belly and Nirvana interpretations. You may choose one if you have something to say about it that contrasts with the Barker and Taylor discussion of those recordings, but make sure you’ve chosen something else to use as a basis for comparison.)

Consider questions like these:

How do the musicians and singers interpret the songs differently? Does the singing reflect different emotional qualities, or a different sense of the lyrics’ meanings? Do any the performances seem to strive for an “authentic” connection to our musical past? Do they strive for that through what Barker and Taylor refer to as “savage simplicity” (23)? In other words, do they equate authenticity with a pretense of primitivism, and therefore try to make their own music sound more primitive in order to sound more “real”? Or — alternatively — do the musicians seem to have a different sense of what it means to be “authentic”?

Finally, what do you think the differences between two versions of a the song might reflect about the demands of a particular listening audience? How do these versions present, or re-imagine, a sense of “rural” America, or an authentic American past?

(You don’t need to answer all of these questions—and you may choose to focus on just one or two. But consider them carefully as you plan your comparison of the songs.)

***

To write your essay, carefully follow our instructions on the “How to do the essays” page.

Your finished essay (due before noon on Thursday, October 15) should be between 600-800 words long, about the length of four double-spaced pages. Please keep in mind your peers will want to respond to what you say, so make your thoughts intelligible, organized, and easy to read. When you are finished, post the essay to the By the Banks, In the Pines Essays page, under Unit 1 in the discussion section of the website.

When you are done, please take time read your peers’ posts and essays, compare and contrast your thoughts, and continue discussion.

Update on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 11:48 AM by AnaOrrego

In the recording of Leadbelly’s “where did you sleep last night” many things are apparent. One, the lyrics of this song are very repetitive and simple but yet convey such intense and passionate emotion. I believe this is because of the style of the music that he is playing, the instruments, the pitch of his voice, his speech patterns, and the melody of the song. First off, the style of this music, which is folk music, sounds bluesy and melancholic just by the tempo of the music and rhythm of the notes. The instrument he is playing sounds almost as if it is whining or crying in the background. his voice sounds like it is whining too. His crescendos and decrescendos make the song have texture, along with the rhythm and the changing pitch of his voice. The lyrics of the song are quite repetitive like i said before, and it has a very simple pattern. His speech patterns are very elongated and not short and choppy. this form is usually common for sad songs. This all comes back to the lyrics. This man is upset because he doesn’t know where his lover slept last night, and he conveys these emotions very well through all the other aspects of his music.

Shiver the whole night through

In Lead Belly’s version of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” the lyrics are expressed with a soulful sorrow, conveying the sorrow of the song, especially when the narrator changes from the dead husband to the recent widow. The form of the song is alternating A/B stanzas, which transforms into three consecutive A stanzas when the widow narrates her husband’s fate, and returns to A/B after her narration is over. The expression changes only when the narration changes, and even then only subtly in terms of pitch. To differentiate A stanzas from B stanzas, Lead Belly uses a slight variation on length and a deeper note in the middle of the last line of B, while A deepens, although not to the same depth as B, all the way at the end of the line. A curious aspect of this song is the lack of a single melody- both the stanzas starting with “my girl” and those starting with “in the pines” have a memorable, get-stuck-in-your-head quality—perhaps because of the simplicity of the accompaniment and the similarity of the stanzas, both in terms of lyrics and accompaniment.

response to "By the Banks, In The Pines" question

Addressing Discussion Questions regarding “By the Banks, In The Pines”

In Lead Belly’s song, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” (?1941-1947, Smithsonian Folkways / Moe Asch collection). In regards to the question about the expression of the lyrics I think that the lyrics are expressed in a constant fashion thought the entirety of the song. I mean the tone, pitch and manor in which the song is sung does not change regardless of what is being sung. As Professor Carson discussed in lecture on Oct. 6, 2009 this manor of sinning in a constant pitch and tone is considerable common in folk music of this time period and as I understand it has remained fairly common to this day. Although one Aspect of the song which I found to express a slight change, is when Lead Belly finishes the first run of lyrics ending with “where did you sleep last night.” He says almost like he is speaking the words “come’on tell me baby.” Each time this line is repeated a slightly different form of this spoken phrase is said. This is the only aspect where the expression of the song changes from melodic to almost spoken word.
As to address what is the form of this song, it would seem to me that the song follows an A B A B format very closely. The song appears to be in the form of a conversation between a man and a woman, in a back and forth fashion. The man question where the woman slept and woman answers in the pines where the cold wind blows.
I hope this is how I am supposed to participate in the discussion.

- R. Schindler

Update on Monday, October 12, 2009 at 8:41 PM by ChristopherBracken

The two renditions of “In the Pines” are dramatically different. The Monroe Brothers clearly inspired by Led Belly’s singing style took it to another level. In being a duo, they adopted the style of drastic pitch changes and complicated the method. Also in straying from the darker nature of Led Belly’s version, they made the song more audience friendly. “His head was found in a driving wheel But his body never ever be found”, in Led belly’s rendition, tells a more sinister story than that of the Monroe Brothers. In telling this seemingly uninterrupted (by censor) it feels more authentic and raw. Though the Monroe Brothers are playing a blues tune, their style is not. The livelier more upbeat Monroe version aims at a more commercially attractive product. Their wailing hollers seem to emulate some of the stylings of earlier blues artists, but it does not elicit an authentic sense of loss, pain, and anger that Led Belly does. The style of Led’s guitar provokes a dark atmosphere key to the blues. In my opinion the Monroe Brothers’ version is country not blues. Led Belly’s version is authentic blues. 

Update on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 8:54 PM by RyanSchindler

Thanks for the contribution Christopher.  I have to agree with you the two songs are very different in sound and genre.  Of course Lead Belly is more of a blues inspired rendition of this classic folk song.  I did a touch of back research and found out that Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers’ are classified generally as “Blue Grass.”  Anyhow thanks for the thoughtful comment.

Update on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:59 PM by CelinaChavez

Yeah I know what you guys mean.  LeadBellys version is so monotone that I didnt enjoy it that much.  I listened to all 3 songs in order and every song became more and more dramatic and meloncoly.  I really got into Nirvanas version because it sounds alot more personal compared to the others. But im not so sure about the interpertation of the song.  I thought it was about the girl leaving the guy and thats why hes asking where were you last night, like if she was cheating on him

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Leadbelly

Leadbelly’s version of the song “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” is in itself an example of a diasporic movement showing that by Leadbelly moving from the South to the North he changed the course of American music.  Without John and Alan Lomax discovering Leadbelly, this song would be just another song of the south that would be passed down the generations but would never have made it into the sphere that is American popular music.  The simple and storytelling feeling that this song encompasses makes it a folk song rather than what would be considered an art song.  Leadbelly learned his large repertoire of songs from fellow prison inmates, making “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” a true folk song-a song passed to other people and generations through simply singing the song and memorization of the song. 

            The way that Leadbelly interjects little personal sayings such as “Come on now, tell me baby” after a verse of singing makes the song feel more real and true which brings about the idea of authenticity.  Leadbelly was unspoiled by all commercial music and was simply singing what he felt and experienced.  Most of the lyrics are expressed and sung in a very straightforward manner yet when he gets to the word “shiver” his voice warbles and shakes, giving the listener a true sense of the story.  It feels as if he is living the story and he imparts on the listener the emotions of the song and the story that is being narrated.

In Response to " By the Banks of the Ohio"

Olivia Newton John’s version of “By the banks of the Ohio” is largely different compared to the other recordings for the most obvious reason that it is sung by a woman. Although the Kossoy Sisters’ version is also sung by women, the lyrics are still through a male perspective. This alone changes the feel of the song because the murder is being carried out by the woman instead of the man in the relationship. The conventional role of the man and woman in relationships are also therefore flipped around with this recording.

As discussed numerous times throughout the last lectures, “By the banks of the Ohio” has a tremendous gap in the sound of the melody and the meaning of the lyrics. Since this is a live rendition of the song, this difference is magnified much more. The audience stands up and claps along to a very cheerful and calm, nonchalant melody. On the other hand, if one listens to what Newton is singing about, it is about a chilling murder that takes place. The lack of correspondence between the dark lyrics and the cheery melody is what creates an even more disturbing feel to the song as a whole.

Lead Belly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" Thoughts...

Lead Belly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”  illustrates exactly what John and Alan Lomax used to reach such high success in collecting American folk music,  a sense of authenticity; however, it was an authenticity that had originated long before. That is to say, Lead Belly’s version is what we now call popular music as it encompasses so much more than just sorrow being expressed. Stories, especially that of love and tragedy, have been told for ages, but this 20th century version of “In the Pines” became commercialized ironically as something authentic and new.  The diasporic movement of rural African-Americans leaving their Southern homes to the urban North, brought about folk artists like Lead belly, with a rawness that people were unexposed at that time. Because Lomax was able to exaggerate and overrate what Lead Belly represented, a displaced criminal, into a primitive convict, this song was able to capture more that just an instinctive sad response to the lonely widow, it represented African-American roots that people were vying for.
    This is all more visible with the form and expression of the song. The form is the typical A/B transition throughout with an interjection of three A stanzas, where the listener is able to make more sense out of the song, as the widow tells about her deceased husband.  Although we see a new perspective to the narrative, the singer’s voice stays the same, a traditional characteristic of a folk song. The melody is fairly constant, with a catchy tune that makes the song almost unforgettable. The song is also formulated in a call and response type of fashion, dating back to original African tribal songs.  Because the song has a relatively simple formulation, it is clear that it was able to popularize with the American audience of Leady Belly’s time.
    I had so many thoughts about this song and article relating to it, so my thoughts might be unclear. I tried to put forth my main message but please feel free to ask questions of clarification and/or objections/opinions about my response.


 

Discussing the 'By The Banks, In The Pines'

The song, ‘By The Banks, In The Pines,’ is a very good example of early american popular music. It shows an early stage of musicianship which can then be formed into music later to come. The harmony between the vocalists help express the song’s feeling, as well as the banjo suppling a little excitement to the jig.

However the version by Johnny Cash is sang a little differently. It was sort of what I would expect a cover done by Johnny Cash would sound like, not that it is necessarily a bad thing. But it shows how a traditional song like ‘By the Banks..’ can be modified to give the artist their own unique sound while keeping tradition along with it.

When talking about the style and format of these two different versions, you can hear how Cash didn’t use a lot of instruments and a band to stimulate the song. Instead he simplified it, using just his own voice and guitar. Which makes the song have a more sorrow tone, rather than the relaxing, banjo strumming, traditional tune that it once was. 

Where did you sleep last night?

     The song “Where did you sleep last night?” by Leadbelly expresses some of the conceptes we have learned about inlecture and in readings. I think the main concept that it expresses is the idea of authenticity. This song is essentially a folk song and being authentic is an important aspect of folk music. Leadbelly was a convicted murderer and discovered in prison. This may have made people think that he was more authentic when singing folk songs than someone who had lived a law abiding life style. Leadbelly sings in a low pitch very slowly. This gives the song a more authentically sinister feeling around it.

     The lyrics are expressed by Leadbelly singing in a very low pitch throughout the song. His pitch becomes a little higher at the end of verses and choruses. The melody of the song is also relatively unchanging. It changes throughout the song, but only very little. The rhythm of the song is very slow. All of these aspects of the song, “Where did you sleep last night?” add on to the sinister and sad emotions of the song. The accompaniment in the song also adds to the feeling of hopelessness as well as blind despair in the song.

On the Banks of the Ohio

In Johnny Cash’s rendition of “On the Banks of the Ohio,” the Cash does not vary his tone of voice; it does not necessarily sound calm when the speaker proposes to his lover, nor does it become harsh or emotional when the murder takes place. Even when the speaker is clearly distraught and cries out loud, “Lord, what have I’ve done?” there is still no hint of change in Cash’s tone. This is a characteristic of folk music, as there is a striking contrast between the overall tonality of the piece and the subject matter of the lyrics.

As for the form of the song, both the verse and chorus share the same form. Additionally, there does not seem to be a discernible B section, but rather four As in a stanza, which vary very slightly each time. The chorus is noticeable only because of the repeating set of lyrics. In Bill Monroe’s version, the overall tone and manner of singing sounds much more upbeat and happy, possibly due to the harmony of two vocalists. In contrast, Cash’s version only features a solo guitar and Cash’s voice. Whether it is due to the absence of the harmony or Cash’s lower vocal register, Cash’s rendition sounds much more somber.

Bill Monroe and the Monroe Brothers' "In The Pines" - Discussion

This song is very interesting because it conveys themes of hard labor and lost love while the music accompaniment to the lyrics and the singing remain relatively static. The singing seems to convey a certain sense of living a very hard life, which is described in the lyrics, but there is still the lack of change in emotion. For example, from the singer describing the work he had done on the railroads with the “long steel rail and a short crosstie,” to the fact that his proposed lover “caused [him] to leave [his] home” for treating him so poorly, there’s no difference in the inflexion of the voice to depict any sense of depression or sadness in one event compared to the other.

The form is about as simple as it gets, with it repeating after every second line (e.g. “…Georgia line,” “…by at 9,” “…cold wind blows,” etc). There is a small change in the way each line is sung, but only due to the number of syllables in each line, not really enough to consider it an entirely different part of the form. The form is broken up, though, by two different instrumental sections between each six-line verse.

The transition of "In The Pines"

The song “In the Pines,” has a history of racial tension behind it. However, musician Leadbelly takes that this controversial context out by simply substituting the lyric “black girl” to “my girl.” In this case one word changes the entire tone of the song. He does this for a specific reason. Leadbelly’s fan base was primarily white.

In this song, Leadbelly interacts with the listener by going between his deep melancholy throaty singing voice to soft gentle spoken interjections. This shift in attention creates a more intimate tone throughout the song. As if he coaxing the listener to confuse the location. As far as the form is involved, Lead Belly uses a very steady accompaniment. The melody is simplistic and follows the lyrics. The style of this blues would most closely represent the “delta style.” The simple guitar and inflections in his voice give this song that “delta” feel, instead of Piedmont.

While the Barker and Taylor book, Faking it: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music, confronts the true sincerity of Lead belly’s voice it does not mention why he was drawn to the blues. The book briefly mentions that Leadbelly “became famous in part because his repertoire was so large and varied,”(9). 

A.Bowlus

Where did you sleep last night

Where did you sleep last night? has raised questions over time both about the lyrics of the song and how the meaning has changed from earlier versions by Bill Monroe and Lead Belly to modern day interpretations from Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. The original version of this song from Bill Monroe raised the most questions in my mind because of the up pace beat associated with a song that has a sad connotation. Where did you sleep last night raised the issue of adultery and how a woman chose to handle the situation: “His head was found in a driving wheel.” The story is told to us from the man who the wife had been sleeping with as he continues to ask her where she had been the previous day. The other three versions of this song seemed more appropriate with a slow rhythm and sorrow in the singer’s voices. Not only is there a difference in vocals between the songs, but also in instrument choice. The earlier versions where played in a more acoustic tone which gave a stronger sense of meaning for me when listening to the music. It sounds like they were putting their entire sole into the music they so strongly believed in.

Ben Binning

 

Lead Belly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"

Lead Belly’s version of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” has a constant AA melody that gives the song its melancholy, menacing, heavy sound. However, there are moments when Lead Belly changes from singing to speaking, changing his tone to one of a performer, giving encouragement to the audience. He says “shiver for me now” even after one of the most chilling lines in the song and makes the song into more of a performance. His interjections seem out of place amidst the tragic tone of the rest of the song, but it also personalizes him and seems to bring the listener closer, and allows him or her to participate in the music.  This call and response method must have sounded to the Lomaxes as “authentic” and perhaps is truly a representation of African American culture. I would imagine that as Lead Belly was hauled around by the Lomaxes to play his “true”, “authentic” folk music to white people, they wouldn’t understand the ‘response’ aspect of the call and response.

Hearing this song, I can imagine this song echoing through a dim jail cell, as Lead Belly “shivers all night through”. The fact that Lead Belly was an actual African American murderer singing this dark, eerie song may have seemed ‘authentic’ to the Lomaxes, but the fact that “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” fits in so seamlessly with Lead Belly’s primitive image as a cruel, murderous ‘negro’ straight from the south, shows the Lomaxes influence on him, and therefore shows a lack of ‘authenticity,’ because the Lomaxes were pulling strings in the background profiting from his so-called ‘authenticity.’ 

On the Banks of the Ohio by The Kossoy Sisters

The song “On the Banks of the Ohio” sung by the Kossoy Sisters’ has a sad tone to it. Throughout the whole song it has the same sad tone. It doesn’t change from when the artists first sings about proposing, to when they kill the person they loved, to when they are walking home thinking about what they has done. The song is sung through a man’s perspective, and it doesn’t seem to convey as much emotion, as compared to Olivia Newton John’s version of the song that is sung through a woman’s perspective. In Olivia’s version it sounds a little more emotional. In some parts of Olivia’s version, you can hear the heartache from the woman that just lost her man. In the beginning of the song when the Kossoy Sisters’ sing about proposing to their love it should have a happy tone but instead the tone is sad, the sad tone can be seen as a foreshadowing that something unpleasant will happen.

I believe the form of the song seem to be following an A, A’, B, B’. You can tell when it will become a different form by the pitch. At the end of one form the Kossoy Sisters’ extend the pitch longer than the rest of the notes. There are two longer pitches before it changes the form.

 

Update on Sunday, October 11, 2009 at 12:19 PM by SoniaDalal

Hi Betty,

    You made a very good point about comparing the two versions by the Kossoy sisters and Olivia Newton John. I have to differ with you on two things, however. I don’t think the song is quite as sad as you might have perceived it to be (but that’s just my opinion). I think that some parts of the melody are not as melancholy as they could have been- especially since the singers are relating the story about the death of someone they love. Even the instrumental accompaniment includes little sadness. However, I do think that the speed at which the Kossoy sisters sing the song add to the feeling of sadness.

     Also, when I originally heard the song, I thought the form was A, A’, B, C, because the last line does not really sound the same as the third line. To me, the fourth line is a form of “resolving” the tune that is sung in the third line.

    I think the comparison you have started to make between the two versions of the song would be a great topic for your essay!

Update on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:04 AM by RebekahEspino-Drobner

I really liked how you mentioned that the sad tone seemed to foreshadow something coming later in the song in the Kossoy Sisters’ version of the song.  However, I have to disagree with you when you state that Olivia Newton John’s version seems mournful as well.  When listening to it, I felt like her voice, paired with the musical accompaniment and audience clapping, made the song seem light, almost romantic in a sense.

The Kossoy Sisters' "On The Banks Of The Ohio"

The Kossoy Sisters’ version of “On the Banks of the Ohio” approaches the song in a manner reminiscent to the occasionally neutral, lyrical address found in Irish folk music. Though the melody is very art song like, given the feminine croon, the light string instruments in the background, and the soft/ slow pacing of the song, there is a certain distance from the singers and the lyrics. As was done in the lecture song, “The Sun and The Moon”, a form change (in either the instruments or the vocals) never occurs, thus somewhat ignoring the sudden shift in topic (from the seemingly innocent subject of “I asked my love to take a walk” to “I drew a knife across her breast”). The only true recognition of the murder seems to come with the stutter of the final verse in the third stanza. Though the basic melody of this stanza is upheld, the sister’s voices do drop to a lower pitch with the final words “to die”, and the listener is denied the anticipated ABAB rhyme scheme that the first stanza employs. Together, these factors create a vocal effect of the song suddenly falling flat and harsh, like the ceased heartbeat of Willy’s “love”.

The Kossoy Sisters refusal to shift their manner of singing by maintaining a static A throughout the song (though the stanzas do differ slightly in pitch, bringing about the occasional A’), creates a perplexing situation. Is it that the sisters do not seek to draw attention to the song’s subject, and instead merely wish to create a tune that is pleasant to the ears? Or do they strive to paint a haunting picture of a relationship gone awry with their quivering vocals and apathy? Given the depreciating, accompanying accusation that a lack of subject recognition would suggest a lack of understanding on the singer’s behalf, it feels more graceful to suggest that the latter is true. However, the sister’s were still young women at the time of the recording, so it would not be without understanding that their youth would promote them (either by their own decision or the suggestion of others) to sing with a silky, feminine approach as opposed to a pained, heavy manner.

Lead Belly's "In The Pines"

Lead Belly’s melancholy ballad “In The Pines” is a prime example of diasporic music in the mid 20th century. The song, whose origins are yet unknown, had been covered countless times before, each time the artist adding a bit of their culture, taste, and personality to the track. Lead Belly’s rendition of the song is no exception. Sung in a drawling, sad tone and interjected with small epithets such as “Tell it to me, baby” and “Come on and tell me something about it” helps to paint a picture of melancholy and heartbreak popularized by the time period’s Jazz movement.

Structurally, the song is technically basic, following an AA structure throughout. This allows for more artistic freedom for the vocalist to paint the true picture of the emotion of the song. With his natural, long winded notes, he stretches the song out to a slower, more melancholy tone as the accompaniment keeps pace behind. The rhythm is slow and steady, slightly reminicent of a slow, chugging steam engine as it slows into the station. With all these elements combined, Lead Belly succesfully channels the attitudes of a generation into a tragic retellling of life, love, jealousy, and loss.

Lead belly's In The Pines

Lead belly’s “In The Pines” or “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” has a very diasporic element to it.  It’s diasporic element can be the fact that a white man(Lomax) is taking advantage of this new African American music and exploiting it leaving the African American singer still very below those listening to him (in terms of social status) but yet his music is still very popular.  It transcends cultural/community boundaries in the sense that his audience was mainly white which shows a start of American popular music.  This popularization of African American music/folk started a cultural shift. Lomax was able to commodify Lead belly into a marketable and sellable identity, that of a black convict with much sorrow and emotion to a completely different audience. 

In the Pines does not really change expression too much.  I think the song has a simple form of just AA…The melody just repeats from phrase to phrase if you just hum it.  Different lyrics from the song can be hummed in the same melody.  I think the pitch is sort of low.  Lead belly’s voice is low and soothing.  His short interjections between lines make the song a bit more personal.  We get a sense that he is really experiencing what he is singing about. 

The Kossoy Sisters' "On the Banks of the Ohio"

The recording “On the Banks of the Ohio” by The Kossoy Sisters is a song of great contrasts. There is a dramatic contradiction between the song’s expression and the meaning of the lyrics. The lyrical pitch is extremely high which presents a happy sound. The many long and high notes that are sung give the lyrics a gentle feel. Also, the rhythmic feel is bouncy and full of energy giving the song a happy tone. The song’s melody remains fairly constant without dramatic changes. The form of the song has very slight pitch changes in the end of each line. The lines alternate between A and A’, meaning that there are only very small differences.

Even as the song begins to speak of killing and death, the cheerful melody remains. The lyrics not only talk about a horrible murder but they are sung in the first person. This choice of using the first person to say lines like “I drew a knife across her breast” and “I plunged her in where she would drown” reveals a very malicious state of mind. The song appears to be a folk song because of the contradiction between the feel of the song and the lyrics. Because the sadness of the lyrics is not acknowledged in the melody the song is almost more disturbing and morose.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Lead Belly’s song “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” is a folk song rather than an art song because of its story-telling manner. This song follows a simple A B A B format but is quite different from other songs of its time and style because of the way it seems to tell a story of a man and woman. This is seen by Leadbelly’s interjections of personal questions such as “Tell me baby” after singing a verse. It is almost as if he is singing these lines to beg this woman to tell him where she was, but rather than making it so obvious to the masses hearing the song, he tries to blend those words in with the rest of the song.

Although it is the typical style of folk music to not include any specific tones or pitches of feeling, Leadbelly’s song seems to incorporate it into the song very slightly. His voice warbles while singing certain words such as “night” or “shiver” which displays a raw personal touch to the music. Nevertheless, the format of the song is very simple which is why it caught on with the audience of that time period. The song is very melodic and catchy yet displays many emotions and feelings in a rather monotone style. This song is truly genius. 

-Vidya Kulavil

In the Banks

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000170 EndHTML:0000004498 StartFragment:0000002356 EndFragment:0000004462 SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/Jenesis/Documents/diss%201.doc The song “In the Banks of the Ohio” by Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe has the same melody but differ on other aspects of the song.  In the Johnny Cash version the rhythm of the song is much slower.  It is just Cash on the guitar so it is much slower and has a more personal feeling to it.  Johnny Cash changes the chorus around by making minor changes to the words said.  For example in the Monroe version the chorus starts with “Darlin’, say that you’ll be mine; In our home we’ll happy be,” where in the Cash version the words are “And only say that you’ll be mine in no others arms entwined.”  The melody stays the same but the rhythm and the words changed.  Monroe’s version is a much faster and up beat tempo.  Where in the Cash version it is much slower and lower.  Cash made the words sound the same in the beginning by saying “And only say” by doing this he was able to keep the melody the same but adjust the song to him by making it personal.  Not only does he change that but he changes the chorus by adding the “in no other arms entwined.”  This gives the listener the idea that he really wants this person to be his and that in no other person should be involved.  Cash was able to portray this feeling and emotion better than Monroe because of the speed and the words chosen in his version.  Not only is his more up beat but the instrumental part of the chorus is very fast and almost sounds as if you can dance to it