Talk:Goodnight, Irene
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Goodnight, Irene is within the scope of WikiProject Roots music, an attempt to build a comprehensive guide on Wikipedia to roots music, folk music and traditional music. If you would like to participate, you can edit this article, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion. If you are new to editing Wikipedia visit the welcome page so as to become familier with the guidelines. | |
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Infoboxes for the Leadbelly and The Weavers versions were requested at Wikipedia:WikiProject_Missing_encyclopedic_articles/List_of_notable_songs/5
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[edit] Origins
From the Grateful Dead Family Discography at http://www.deaddisc.com
"'Goodnight Irene' is nearly always credited to Leadbelly, or to Leadbelly and Lomax, on LPs and CDs. He though claimed to have been taught it by an uncle. It is thought to be a Tin Pan Alley song from the first decade of the century but may be earlier. In [his book] Songsters and Saints, Paul Oliver suggests that the song was written in 1886 by Gussie Davis, as 'Irene, Goodnight'."
I havs seen at least one other reference to the early sheet music version on the web but now I can not find it. In any case it is plausible to suppose that Davis simply did what the later performers did and adapted an existing traditional song.
It has been recorded is so many styles by so many people that is a truly popular song: not simply a folk song.
mikeL....
[edit] Question
Any particular reason why this is Categorized as a "football chant and song"? If nobody answers, I will decategorize it. Smartyshoe 20:38, 27 April 2006 (UTC)
Article says associated with the Bristol Rovers football team. Design 23:44, 27 April 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Lyrics
The current article says the Leadbelly lyrics are "I guess you in my dreams"...but other sources say "I'll get you in my dreams". Design 00:35, 14 May 2006 (UTC)
- Not anymore! --Kschwerdt514 04:11, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] List of recorded versions
I know that Mississippi john hurt recorded a version, http://www.discogs.com/release/727481.
As did The Nields, on their 1995 EP "Abigail." From what I can tell, their recording is rather heavily influenced by Lead Belly's...
