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
Shine on Me
Leadbelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got sheep
I got a horse
I got cows
I got horses
I got all livestock
I got all livestock
He gotta go on TV going on now
I fooled you, I fooled you
I got an iron, I got all pigiron
I got all pigiron, Rock Island Line
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
Oh, Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Jesus died to save our sins, hooray to God
We're going to meet him again!
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
I may be right or may be wrong
Do you wanna miss me when I'm gone
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
A, B, C, W, X, Y and Z
Cats in the cupboard, but they don't want to see me!
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
Oh, the Rock Island Line it's a mighty good road
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Leadbelly's song "Rock Island Line" is a traditional American folk song that talks about the various livestock owned by the singer. He says that he has goats, sheep, horses, cows, and all livestock, indicating that he is a farmer or a herder. He then mentions that before agent Raymond comes by, he has to go on TV, and he has fooled him by acquiring an iron and pigiron.
The chorus of the song talks about the Rock Island Line being a mighty good road to ride on, and one has to ride it like they find it. The last verse reflects on the singer's life and leaves a question to the listener whether they will miss him when he's gone. The song ends with the line "Cats in the cupboard, but they don't want to see me," which is a nonsensical phrase, but it adds to the quirkiness of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I got goats
I own goats
I got sheep
I own sheep
I got a horse
I own a horse
I got cows
I own cows
I got horses
I own horses
I got all livestock
I own all kinds of livestock
Before agent Raymond get by, when he get by
Before officer Raymond comes and inspects my goods, when he does
He gotta go on TV going on now
He has to appear on television which is happening now
I fooled you, I fooled you
I tricked you, I tricked you
I got an iron, I got all pigiron
I have an iron and all kinds of pig iron
I got all pigiron, Rock Island Line
I have all the pig iron needed for the Rock Island Line
Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road
The Rock Island Line is an excellent railway route
Oh, Rock Island Line it's the road to ride
The Rock Island Line is the railway service one should use
If you want to ride it, you have to ride it like you find it
If you want to take the Rock Island Line, you have to accept it as it is
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Purchase your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line
Jesus died to save our sins, hooray to God
Jesus died to redeem our sins, praise be to God
We're going to meet him again!
We will meet him again
I may be right or may be wrong
I may be correct or incorrect
Do you wanna miss me when I'm gone
Do you want to miss me when I am no longer around?
A, B, C, W, X, Y and Z
Letters A through Z
Cats in the cupboard, but they don't want to see me!
There are cats in the cupboard, but they don't want to look at me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HUDDIE LEDBETTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Claudia White
it really moves me when he says "long years ago before our people were free", every time, his sincerity moves me. wonderful song
GJC Synths
Nn electric guitar, no digital recorder, no "AUTO-TUNE", just pure, raw talent.
morgan cox
It is the start of rock and roll
BoBu
I love listening to the stories this guy sometimes tells in his recordings.
Zen
A man filled with so much Life and Love for the Lord. Faced so much persecution yet his faith never wavered. The world has much to learn from these great men...
Michael Doster
THIS IS... THE GOSPEL... GOD IS THE LIGHT, THE TRUTH, AND THE WAY. HE HAD SUCH A CONVICTION IN HIS VOICE!
morgan cox
Like Elvis, Like Jim Morrison, like James Brown, etc a true great
rillmad
I've listened to this about 4 time in a row. I just love Lead Belly
Christian Saponaro
my grandma just died today and this has been really getting me through it
mustaffa1611
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
And must I fight to win the prize,
And sail through bloody seas?