Huddie Ledbetter (Artist: Leadbelly or Lead Belly, January 20, 1888 - Decem… Read Full Bio ↴Huddie Ledbetter (Artist: Leadbelly or Lead Belly, January 20, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an iconic American folk and blues musician, and multi-instrumentalist, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced.

Although Lead Belly most commonly played the twelve-string, he could also play the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and accordion. In some of his recordings, such as in one of his versions of the folk ballad "John Hardy", he performs on the accordion instead of the guitar. In other recordings he just sings while clapping his hands or stomping his foot.
The topics of Lead Belly's music covered a wide range of subjects, including gospel songs; blues songs about women, liquor, prison life, and racism; and folk songs about cowboys, prison, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. He also wrote songs concerning the newsmakers of the day, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, the Scottsboro Boys, and Howard Hughes.
In 2008, Lead Belly was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Though many of his posthumous releases list him as "Leadbelly," he himself spelled it "Lead Belly." This is also the usage on most of his original records, tombstone, as well as of the Lead Belly Foundation.

Leadbelly was born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and spent time in and out of prison most of his life. In 1933, serving a sentence for attempted murder, musicologists John and Alan Lomax "discovered" him on a field recording tour sponsored by the Library of Congress. That summer, he was pardoned by the governor of Lousiana after recording his plea for pardon on a record, together with "Good Night Irene". Leadbelly went on to make hundreds of recordings of all sorts of different songs: country, blues, spirituals, reels, and work chants.

His songs have been covered by Mark Lanegan, The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nirvana, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Cash, Gene Autry, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, British Sea Power, Ram Jam, Ry Cooder, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Half Man Half Biscuit, Tom Waits, Shocking Blue, The White Stripes, Long John Baldry.

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Biography: Lead Belly Biography
BIO Biography: Lead Belly Biography
Lead Belly Foundation: Lead Belly Foundation.org
Lead Belly is also on Last.fm as Lead Belly

Alberta
Leadbelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Alberta, Alberta,
Where you been so long?
Alberta, Alberta,
Where you been so long?
Ain't had no loving
Since you've been gone.
Alberta, Alberta,
Where'd you stay last night?

Alberta, Alberta
Where'd you stay last night?
Come home this morning,
Clothes don't fit you right
Alberta, Alberta,
Girl, you're on my mind.
Alberta, Alberta,
Girl, you're on my mind.
Ain't had no loving
Such a great long time.
Alberta, Alberta,
Where you been so long?
Alberta, Alberta,
Where you been so long?

Ain't had no loving
Since you've been gone.

Overall Meaning

Leadbelly's song "Alberta" is a blues classic that tells the tale of a lover pining for his woman who has been away for some time. The chorus of the song repeats "Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long? Ain't had no loving since you've been gone," conveying a sense of longing and loneliness. The verses describe the singer's attempts to locate Alberta and his desire for her return.

The lyrics suggest a complex relationship between Alberta and the singer. He is clearly enamored with her and misses her deeply, but her absence has left him without any physical affection, causing him great emotional pain. His question of "where'd you stay last night?" implies a suspicion about her infidelity, yet he eagerly awaits her return. This mixture of jealousy and desire is a common theme in blues music, and Leadbelly delivers it with raw emotion.

The repetition of the song's chorus provides a sense of continuity, emphasizing the singer's unwavering desire to be reunited with Alberta. The final verse encapsulates this sentiment, with the singer proclaiming "Alberta, Alberta, girl you're on my mind. Ain't had no loving such a great long time." The song ends with another repetition of the chorus, leaving the listener with a sense of melancholy and unresolved longing.

Overall, Leadbelly's "Alberta" is a classic blues song that captures the essence of a lover's despair and desire for physical and emotional connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Alberta, Alberta,
Leadbelly calls out to Alberta, the subject of the song, twice for emphasis

Where you been so long?
Leadbelly asks Alberta where she's been for such a long time, since he hasn't seen her lately

Ain't had no loving Since you've been gone.
Leadbelly reveals that he hasn't had any affectionate or sexual encounters since Alberta left

Alberta, Alberta, Where'd you stay last night?
Leadbelly inquires about Alberta's whereabouts from the previous night

Come home this morning, Clothes don't fit you right
Leadbelly notes that Alberta has returned home this morning, with clothes that aren't fitting her properly

Alberta, Alberta, Girl, you're on my mind.
Leadbelly confesses that he's been thinking about Alberta a lot

Ain't had no loving Such a great long time.
Leadbelly repeats that he hasn't had any affectionate or sexual encounters for a long time

Alberta, Alberta, Where you been so long?
Leadbelly repeats the first two lines of the song to close it out

Ain't had no loving Since you've been gone.
Leadbelly ends the song with a repeat of the third line, emphasizing that he needs Alberta's love and affection

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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