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

Packin' Trunk Blues
Leadbelly Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Leadbelly:

Ain No one to talk with All by myself No one to walk…
Ain't Going Down To The Well No More Whooa! Ain't goin' down Ain't goin' down ooh mama to de we…
Ain't It A Shame Ain't it a shame to go fishin'' on a Sunday…
Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin' on Sunday Ain't it a shame to go fishin on a Sunday Ain't…
Alabama Bound I'm Alabama bound I'm Alabama bound And if the train don't…
Alberta Alberta, Alberta, Where you been so long? Alberta, Alberta…
Baby, Don’t You Love Me No More? Um, baby, why do you have to go? Um, baby, why…
Backwater Blues Who made the back band---whoa goddamn. 18, 19--20 years a…
Big Fat Woman Say, Big Fat Woman get your fat legs off of…

Black Betty Looky looky yonder Looky looky yonder Looky looky yonder…
Black Girl Black girl, black girl Don't you lie to me Tell me where…
Black Snake Moan I ain’t got no mama now I ain’t got no mama…
Blind Lemon Blues Now, he jumped on the Pea This is a man, he's…
Boll Weevil (Wah-hoo) Well the boll weevil and the little black bug Co…
Borrow Love and Go Now this hear song is called "Borrow love and go".…
Bottle Up and Go You got to bottle it up and go Well, you got…
Bourgeois Blues Lord, in a bourgeois town It's a bourgeois town I got the…
Bring Me Lil' Water Silvy Won't you bring a little water Sylvie Won't you bring a…
Bull Cow Have you got you a bull cow Feed him morning grass Have…
By and By When the Morning Comes Trials dark on ev'ry hand, and we cannot understand All the…
C C Rider Well now see., C. C. Rider, well now see, see what…
Careless Love Love, oh love, oh careless love You've fly through my head…
CC Rider Well now see., C. C. Rider, well now see, see what…
Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at yo…
Cotton Fields When I was a little baby, my mother rocked me…
Cotton Song When I was a little bitty baby My mama would rock…
Cottonfields When I was a little baby, my mother rocked me…
Dancing With Tears in My Eyes Those who dance and romance while they dance They seem so…
Don't You Love Me No More I heard that you′ve been having nightmares, Cause I broke yo…
Duncan and Brady Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, little star Up comes Brady in a …
Easy Rider She's a noted rider Whoa, she ain't no good She got drunk…
Ella Speed Bill Martin he was long an' slender, Better known by bein'…
Fannin Street Follow me down Follow me down Follow me down By Mr Tom Hu…
Four Day Worry Blues Well now see., C. C. Rider, well now see, see what…
Frankie And Albert Frankie was a good woman, As everybody knows, She did all …
Gallis Pole Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while, Think I see my…
Good Mornig Blues Now this is the blues There was a white man had…
Good Night Irene Irene, good night, Irene, good night Good night, Irene, goo…
Governor O.K. Allen In nineteen hundred and thirty two Honorable Governor O.K. …
Gray Goose Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, Well, las' Mon…
Grey Goose Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd Well, las' Mond…
Ha Ha This A-Way Ha ha this-a way, Ha ha that-a way, Ha ha this-a way, Man…
Ha-ha Thisaway Ha ha this-a way, Ha ha that-a way, Ha ha this-a way, Man…
House of the Rising Sun There is a house in New Orleans You call the…
How Long Baby, how long Baby how long Have that evenin train been g…
I'm On My Last Go-Round Era lo bonito del mar, cuando estás a mi lado…
I'm Sorry Mama Berlin Irving Second Fiddle (1939) I′m Sorry For Myself I'm …
If It Wasn't for Dicky Ooohhhh, oohhhh, switches beated him down And that everyone…
In New Orleans There is a house in New Orleans They call the…
In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down When your good gal done quit ya And the sun is…
In the Pines Black girl, black Girl, don't lie to me Tell me where…
Irene Irene, good night, Irene, good night Good night, Irene, goo…
It's Tight Like That Oh it's tight like that Whoo!, tight like that Whoo! In…
John Hardy John Hardy he was a desperate little man He carried two…
John Henry John Henry was a li'l baby, uh-huh Sittin' on his mama's…
Keep Your Hands off Her Keep your hands off, keep your hands off her Keep your…
Laura Laura is the face in the misty lights. Footsteps that you…
Let it Shine on Me Let it shine on me let it shine on me let…
Linin' Track Oh boys, is you right? Done got right! All I hate 'bout…
Lining Track Oh boys, is you right? Done got right! All I hate 'bout…
Little Children's Blues As I went down to the freight depot That train come…
Little John Henry John Henry was about three days old, Sittin' on his papa's…
Little Sally Walker Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer Weepin' and a-moan…
Match Box Blues Now, this man had a wife And she thought she hasn't…
Matchbox Blues Now, this man had a wife And she thought she hasn′t…
Meeting at the Building The meeting at the building will soon be over Soon be…
Midnight Special Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you…
Mother's Blues (Spoken: These blues, little children made about somebody th…
Mr. Hitler Hiltler started out in 1932 Hiltler started out in 1932 Wh…
National Defense Blues I had a little woman workin' on that National Defense I…
New York City i'm in new york city i'm gonna lower my line new…
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out Once I lived the life of a millionaire, Spending my money,…
Ol' Riley Here Rattler Here Old Riley crossed the water  On them lon…
Old Ship of Zion Relax your mind Relax your mind Ooh, it'll make you live…
On a Monday On a Monday, I was arrested On a Tuesday, I…
On Christmas Day I saw an old friend of ours today She asked about…
Pick a Bale of Cotton Great God Almighty gonna pick a bale of cotton Great God…
Pick A Ball Of Cotton Jump down, turn around, pick a bail of cotton. Jump down,…
Pig Latin Song Come here, let me tell you something that you ought…
Pig Meat Papa Just look a-here, mama, don’t treat pigmeat the way you…
Pigmeat Just look here mama Don't pick pig meat the way you…
Pigmeat Papa Just look a-here, mama, don’t treat pigmeat the way you…
Poor Howard Ol' Howard, po' boy Ol' Howard he is dead an' gone Left…
Red Bird Red Bird soon in the morning, Red Bird soon in…
Red Cross Sto' I told her no! Baby you know I don't wanna go Justine…
Red Cross Store Blues I told her no! Baby you know I don't want to…
Redbird Red Bird soon in the morning, Red Bird soon in…
Relax Your Mind Relax your mind Relax your mind Ooh, it'll make you live…
Roberta Oh, Roberta tell me how long, how long Oh, Roberta tell…
Rock Island Line I got goats I got sheep I got a horse I got cows I…
Sail On Little Girl My gal gon' sail To some foreign distant land My gal gon'…
Sail On Little Girl Sail On My gal gon' sail To some foreign distant land My gal gon'…
Shine On Me I got goats I got sheep I got a horse I got cows I…
Shorty George Well-a Shorty George, he ain't no friend of mine Well-a Sho…
Skip to My Lou Lost my partner what'll I do? Lost my partner what'll I…
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Stew Ball Stewball was a good horse And he held a high head And…
Swing Low Sweet Chariot Swing low, sweet chariot A-comin' for to carry me home (Si…
Take A Whiff On Me Walked up Ellum and I come down Main Tryin' to bum…
Take This Hammer Take this hammer, carry it to the captain Take this hammer,…
The Boll Weevil (Wah-hoo) Well the boll weevil and the little black bug Co…
The Bourgeois Blues Lord, in a bourgeois town It's a bourgeois town I got the…
The Gallis Pole Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while, Think I see my…
The Grey Goose Well, las' Monday mornin', Lawd, Lawd, Lawd Well, las' Mond…
The Midnight Special Yonder comes Miss Rosie, how in the world do you…
The Red Cross Store Blues I told her no! Baby you know I don't want to…
The Scottsboro Boys Go to Alabama and ya better watch out The landlord'l…
The Titanic Captain Smith, when he got his load Mighta heared him holl'…
There's a Man Going Round Taking Names There's a man going 'round taking names There's a man going…
We Shall Be Free In the mornin' you shall be free 'fore day you…
We Shall Walk Through the Valley We shall walk through the valley of the shadow of…
Western Cowboy When I was a cowboy Out on the western plains When I…
When a Man's a Long Way from Home Sometimes it burns like, like a fire, yeah Love has a…
When I Was a Cowboy When I was a cowboy Out on the western plains When I…
Where Did You Sleep Last Night My girl, my girl, don't lie to me Tell me where…
Whoa Back Buck Who made the back band---whoa goddamn. 18, 19--20 years a…
Yellow Jacket Yellow jacket, yellow jacket! Please sting me once more Yell…
You Can't Lose-a Me Cholly I went a-rowing and my gal went too, Down on the…

You Don't Know My Mind You don't know my, don't know me, You don't know my…

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