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Song
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YouTube Link
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Baton Rouge (Guy Clark & John Charles Crowley, 1992) (C, G & NN)
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Baton Rouge by Guy Clark
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Blue Bayou (Orbison) (Roy Orbison & Joe Melson, ca. 1963) (C & G) -
the Orbison version.
Blue Bayou (Orbison) - Version 2 - Keith's arrangement (C & G)
Blue Bayou (Ronstadt) - Linda Ronstadt's powerful 1977 rendition (C
& G)
Blue Bayou (Ronstadt) - Version 2 - Keith's arrangement (C & G)
First sung
and recorded by Orbison, who had an international hit with his version
in 1963, the cover by Linda Ronstadt went to #3 on the Billboard Hot
100, as well as #2 Country and #3 Easy Listening charts. It was the
first of Ronstadt's three Gold singles.
The Blue Bayou is said to be
just outside of New Orleans.
Blue Bayou,
Wikipedia.
Blue Bayou
- a great
arrangement by Keith that incorporates elements of both the Orbison and
Ronstadt versions, with enhanced chording (2021)
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Blue Bayou
by Roy Orbison (1963)
Blue Bayou by
Linda Ronstadt (1977 audio recording, 2015 re-master)
Blue Bayou by
Linda Ronstadt (Official Music Video)
Blue Bayou by
Billie Holiday, a classic recording from 1952
Blue Bayou by
Alisan Porter, a powerful young voice (The Voice, 2016)
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Born on the Bayou (John Fogerty, 1968) (A & D)
Songwriter John Fogerty
commented:
"Born on the Bayou" was vaguely like "Porterville," about
a mythical childhood and a heat-filled time, the Fourth of July. I put
it in the swamp where, of course, I had never lived. It was late as I
was writing. I was trying to be a pure writer, no guitar in hand,
visualizing and looking at the bare walls of my apartment. . . . .
"Chasing down a hoodoo." Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual,
non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil,
but certainly other-worldly. I was getting some of that imagery from
Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters.
Born On The
Bayou, Wikipedia.
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Born On The
Bayou
by Creedence Clearwater Revival
(audio recording)
Born On The Bayou
by Creedence Clearwater Revival (from the album "The Concert")
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C’est La Vie (Chuck Berry, 1964)
aka "Teenage Wedding" and "You
Never Can Tell"
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You Never Can Tell
by Chuck Berry (1964)
C'est La Vie
by Emmylou Harris (1977)
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City of New Orleans
by Steve Goodman (ca. 1971)
Goodman's A train ride on the Illinois
Central Railroad's "City of New Orleans" in bittersweet and nostalgic
terms.
City
of New Orleans (song), Wikipedia. Multiple popular versions of this
song have been recorded including:
Steve
Goodman (the author): Pending
Arlo
Guthrie: Pending
John Denver:
Pending
Willie
Nelson:
City of New Orleans (Nelson) (A D)_2023-02-04.pdf
Willie Nelson (arrangement by Wm.
Heney):
City of New Orleans (Nelson)_WH_(C G)
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City of New
Orleans by Steve Goodman (1971)
City of New
Orleans by Arlo Guthrie (1972)
City of New
Orleans
by Arlo Guthrie, Live with Pete
Seeger at Wolftrap, August 8, 1993, with a brief introduction of how
Arlo first heard this song.
City of New
Orleans by Willie Nelson (1984)
City of New
Orleans by The Highwaymen performing during "American Outlaws: Live
at Nassau Coliseum," 1990.
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Diggy Liggy Lo (Terry J. Clement, 1953; adaptation by J. D. Miller,
1954) (C, G & NN)
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Diggy Liggy Lo by Rusty and Doug Kershaw (1961)
Diggy Liggy Lo by Doug Kershaw (1969)
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Dixie Chicken (Lowell George & Fred Martin, ca. 1972) (C & G)
Little Feat frontman Lowell
George wrote this song with Martin Kibbee, who is credited as "Fred
Martin." Kibbee wrote the lyric, which was inspired when he drove past a
sign in Los Angeles that said "Dixie Chicken" (apparently advertising a
restaurant). He says that by the time he drove home, he had the lyric
written in his head. Bonnie Bramlett of the duo Delaney & Bonnie sang
lead on this with Lowell George.
Dixie Chicken, Songfacts.com.
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Dixie
Chicken
by Little Feat (1973)
Dixie Chicken
by Little Feat with Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt & Jesse Winchester (on
the television show "The Midnight Special," 1977)
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Down at the Twist and Shout (C F G) (Mary Chapin Carpenter, 1991)
Down at the
Twist and Shout (A E)
"Twist & Shout" of Bethesda, MD,
was a major venue for blues, Cajun, zydeco, rockabilly, and other
Southern-based roots music. It closed Sept. 6, 1998.
BeauSoleil is
award-winning Louisiana band that specializes in performing traditional
and original music rooted in the folk tunes of the Cajuns and Creoles of
Louisiana. Mary Chapin Carpenter featured them on this single, in which
they are mentioned by name in the third verse.
"Jole Blon" or "Jolie
Blonde" is a traditional Cajun waltz, often called "the Cajun national
anthem" because of the popularity it has in Cajun culture.
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Down at the
Twist and Shout
by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1991)
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House of the Rising Sun (Traditional, adapted by Eric Clapton, 1964)
(Am & Em)
A song of
uncertain origin first recorded in 1933. The 1964 version by the Animals
included an iconic opening riff in A Minor by guitarist
Hilton
Valentine, who - sad to report - passed away at the age of 77 on
Jan. 29, 2021.
House of the Rising Sun, Wikipedia.
The hymn "Amazing Grace" has been
sung to this tune. The Blind Boys of Alabama were captured in a live
performance with this rendition:
Amazing Grace.
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House of the
Rising Sun
by The Animals (1964)
House of the
Rising Sun by Hilton Valentine (2013)
House of the
Rising Sun by The Doors
House of the
Rising Sun by Woody Guthrie
House of the
Rising Sun by Joan Baez (Strong performance)
House of the
Rising Sun by Nina Simone (Excellent)
House of the
Rising Sun by Doc Watson (with some mighty fancy guitar work)
House of the
Rising Sun by Joni Mitchell
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Jambalaya (Hank Williams, 1950)
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Jambalaya by Hank Williams (1950)
Jambalaya by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Jambalaya by Emmylou Harris
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Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry,
1957)
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Johnny B. Goode
by Chuck Berry
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Lady Marmalade (Kenny Nolan & Robert Crewe, 1974) (Am & Dm)
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Lady Marmalade by LaBelle (1974)
Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink from
"Moulon Rouge"
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Long Cool Woman (Allan Clarke, Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway, 1971)
(G & D)
The song was written initially in
the country/rockabilly style of Jerry Reed then adapted over recording
more to the swamp rock style of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Clarke
imitated John Fogerty's vocal style, which was based on the Creedence
song "Green River". According to Clarke, the song was written "in about
five minutes". Fogerty was not amused. He sued the Hollies for
plagiarising his song "Green River". It was settled out of court with
Fogerty receiving half of the proceeds for the song.
Long Cool Womam in a Black Dress, Wikipedia.
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Long Cool
Woman
by The Hollies (1972) (official
audio)
Long Cool Woman
by The Hollies (Live on "The Midnight Special," undated)
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Marie Laveau (Shel Silverstein & Baxter Taylor, ca. 1971) (C)
Marie Catherine Laveau (September
10, 1801 – June 15, 1881) was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo,
herbalist and midwife who was renowned in New Orleans. She was born a
free woman of color in colonial New Orleans (today's French Quarter),
Louisiana (New France), Thursday, September 10, 1801.
She was well known for her
charitable work including visiting prisoners who were sentenced to death
(she prepared the men's last meal and prayed with them) and for her care
of the sick during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 (providing herbal
remedies and prayers for the afflicted).
She died peacefully in her
home on June 15, 1881, aged 79. According to the Louisiana Writer's
Project, her funeral was lavish and attended by a diverse audience
including members of the white elite. At the time of her death,
The New York Times,
The New Orleans Daily Picayune,
the
Daily States
and other news sources describe her as "woman of great beauty,
intellect, and charisma who was also pious, charitable, and a skilled
herbal healer." Source:
Marie Laveau, Wikipedia
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Marie Laveau
by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show from their 1971 album "Doctor Hook."
Marie Laveau
by Bobby Bare (1974) went to #1 on the country charts; it was his 34th
single to chart, his only #1, and final Top 10 country hit.
This
song, of course, is a fictional account using the name of a real person.
Here is a segment "The
Real Life of the New Orleans Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau"
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Me and Bobby McGee
(Kris Kristofferson, 1969)
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Me and Bobby McGee
by Kris Kristofferson (1969)
Me and Bobby McGee
by Roger Miller (1969)
Me and Bobby McGee
by Kenny Rogers and The First Edition their album "Ruby, Don't Take Your
Love To Town" (1969)
Me and Bobby McGee
by Gordon Lightfoot (1970)
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Midnight Special (A D) (CCR) (Traditional by 1905)
Often covered, this song was
mentioned in Carl Sandburg's 1927 "American
Songbag."
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Midnight
Special
by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from "Willy and the Poor Boys" (1969); not released as a single.
Midnight Special by Johnny Rivers (1965), reaching #20 on
Billboard's Hot 100.
Midnight Special by Leadbelly (1934)
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Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker, ca. 1965)
Walker has said he was inspired
to write the song after an encounter with a street performer in a New
Orleans jail. While in jail for public intoxication in 1965, he met a
homeless man who called himself "Mr. Bojangles" to conceal his true
identity from the police. He had been arrested as part of a police sweep
of indigent people that was carried out following a high-profile murder.
The two men and others in the cell chatted about all manner of things,
but when Mr. Bojangles told a story about his dog, the mood in the room
turned heavy. Someone else in the cell asked for something to lighten
the mood, and Mr. Bojangles obliged with a tap dance. Source:
Mr. Bojangles, Wikipedia.
Not to be confused with Bill
"Bojangles" Robinson (May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), an American
tap dancer, actor, singer, and the best known and most highly paid black
American entertainer in America during the first half of the twentieth
century. Source:
Bill Robinson, Wikipedia.
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Mr.
Bojangles
by Jerry Jeff Walker (1968)
Mr. Bojangles
by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1970)
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Proud Mary (John Fogerty, 1968)
In a 1969 interview, Fogerty said
that he wrote it in the two days after he was discharged from the
National Guard.
"Proud Mary's" singer, a low-wage earner, leaves what
he considers a "good job," which he might define as steady work, even
though for long hours under a dictatorial boss. He decides to follow his
impulse and imagination and hitches a ride on a riverboat queen, bidding
farewell to the city. Only when the boat pulls out does he see the "good
side of the city" — which, for him, is one in the distance, far removed
from his life. Down by the river and on the boat, the singer finds
protection from "the man" and salvation from his working-class pains in
the nurturing spirit and generosity of simple people who "are happy to
give" even "if you have no money." The river in Fogerty and
traditionally in literature and song is a place holding biblical and
epical implications. ... Indeed, the river in "Proud Mary" offers not
only escape but also rebirth to the singer.
From the liner notes for
the 2008 expanded reissue of Bayou Country by Joel Selvin.
Proud Mary,
Wikipedia;
John
Fogerty: On “Proud Mary” 50 Years On, American Songwriter.com.
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Proud Mary
by Creedence Clearwater Revival
(1969)
Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival live at Woodstock (1969)
Proud Mary by Ike & Tina Turner (1971), reached #4 on the Billboard
Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award. Fogerty had never heard their version,
which starts slow and then gets seriously funky, until it was released.
He was thrilled by it.
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St James Infirmary Blues (aka "Gambler's Blues")
A song of
uncertain origin, by 1930 at least eighteen different versions had been
released. The lyrics are often changed and there is frequently a lengthy
instrumental introduction. The version performed by Arlo Gutherie is
closest to these lyrics.
Tunes and two sets of lyrics
mentioned by Carl Sandburg in his 1927 work,
The American Songbag,
Those Gambler's Blues.
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St. James
Infirmary Blues
by Arlo Gutherie (lengthy
introduction; song starts at 2:37)
St. James Infirmary Blues by Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra
(1928)
St. James Infirmary Blues by Cab Calloway (1930)
St. James
Infirmary Blues
by the Preservation Hall Jazz
Band
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Swamp Witch
(Black Water Hattie) (C G)
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Swamp Witch by Jim Stafford (1973)
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The Battle of New Orleans (Jimmy Driftwood, 1958)
The Battle
of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army
under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under
Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson.
The melody is based on a
well-known American fiddle tune "The 8th of January," which was the date
of the Battle of New Orleans. Jimmy Driftwood, a school principal in
Arkansas with a passion for history, set an account of the battle to
this music in an attempt to get students interested in learning history.
It seemed to work, and Driftwood became well known in the region for his
historical songs. He was "discovered" in the late 1950s by Don Warden,
and eventually was given a recording contract by RCA, for whom he
recorded 12 songs in 1958, including "The Battle of New Orleans."
Source:
Battle Of New Orleans, Wikipedia
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Battle of
New Orleans
by Johnny Horton (1959)
Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton on the Ed Sullivan Show (June
7, 1959).
Battle of New Orleans by Jimmy Driftwood (Original version, 1958)
Battle of New Orleans by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1974)
Battle of New Orleans by Ray Stevens with Johnny Rich
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The Ella B (Russell Smith, 1975) (C, G & NN)
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The Ella B by the Amazing Rhythm Aces (1975)
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The Witch Queen Of New Orleans (Lolly Vegas and Pat Vegas, ca. 1971)
Yup, it's
Marie Leveau
again. It reached #21 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and #2 in the UK charts.
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The Witch
Queen Of New Orleans
by Redbone (1971) [Not Leon]
The Witch Queen of New Orleans by Tom Jones
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They All Ask’d For You (Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr., Leo
Nocentelli, & Art Neville, 1975) (NN)
They All Ask'd For You - Theresa Miller's version for the Alabama
Uke Festival.
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They All Ask'd For
You by The Meters (1975)
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Walking To New Orleans (Bobby Charles [Robert Charles Guidry],
Antione "Fats" Domino, Jr., & Dave Bartholomew, 1960) (C, G and NN)
Antione "Fats" Domino, Jr., was a
hero of Bobby Charles. When Domino stopped on tour in Lafayette,
Louisiana, he invited Charles into his dressing room, and regretted he
did not have a copy of his new record to give to Charles, but invited
Charles to come visit him in Domino's home of New Orleans. Charles
replied, "I don't have a car. If I'd go, I'd have to walk." Afterwards,
the thought remained on Charles's mind, and he said he wrote the song
for Domino in some 15 minutes.
After he got to New Orleans to accept
Domino's invitation, Charles sang "Walking to New Orleans" for Domino.
Domino was enthusiastic about the number. Producer Dave Bartholomew made
an orchestration for the backup band, and Domino, Bartholomew, and band
recorded it in Cosimo Matassa's studio on Rampart Street. After the
recording was made, Bartholomew decided to overdub a string section from
the New Orleans Symphony; use of classical strings was unusual for early
rock and roll.
Walking
To New Orleans, Wikipedia;
Fats Domino,
Wikipedia; Fats Domino
Official Website;
Grammy
Hall of Fame.
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Walking To
New Orleans
by Fats Domino (1960)
Domino was one of the pioneers of
rock and roll music, who had eleven Top 10 hits in six years, 37 Top 40
singles -- more 25 of them gold -- and who sold more than 65 million
records. This song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.
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Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (John Turner Layton, Jr. & Henry
Creamer, 1922) (C & G)
First
published in 1922, it was advertised by Creamer and Layton as "A
Southern Song, without A Mammy, A Mule, Or A Moon", a dig at some of the
Tin Pan Alley clichés of the era. It was performed at The Winter Garden
Theater in New York in Act 2 of the Broadway musical production "Spice
of 1922." It has been frequently covered and has appeared in numerous TV
commercials, radio and TV shows, and movies. It's been written that
Freddy Cannon's 1959 version became the first record in the rock era to
have a full brass section.
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Wikipedia.
Sheet Music:
The full lyrics:
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
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Way Down
Yonder In New Orleans
by Fred Feild, the "Sheet Music
Singer" (Complete; displays the sheet music while the song is being
sung)
Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans by Freddy Cannon (1960)
Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans by the Peerless Quartet (Includes first verse, chorus;
said to be the first recording, 1922)
Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans by Dean Martin from "Swingin' Down Yonder" (1955)
Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans by Jan and Dean from "Surf City And Other Swingin'
Cities" (1963)
Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong for their album "Bing
& Satchmo" (1960)
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When the Saints Go Marching In (Of uncertain origin)
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When The Saints Go
Marching In by Louis Armstrong
When The Saints Go
Marching In by Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars from the album
"Louis Armstrong at the Crescendo No. 1"
When The Saints Go
Marching In by Johnny Cash
When The Saints Go
Marching In by Mormon Tabernacle Choir
When The Saints Go
Marching In by The Dukes of Dixieland
When The Saints Go
Marching In by B.B. King
When The Saints Go
Marching In by Elvis Presley, with Red Wes and Arthur Hooten
When The Saints Go
Marching In by The Temptations
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You’re No Good (Clint Ballard, Jr., 1963, arr. Linda Rondstadt,
1975) (Am & Em)
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You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt from "Heart Like A Wheel" (1974)
You're No Good by Dee Dee Warwick (1963)
You're No Good by Betty Everett (1963)
You’re No Good by the Swinging Blue Jeans (1964)
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