Carl Sandburg’s Songbag

Published in 1927, populist poet Carl Sandburg’s anthology of American folksongs was in print for over 70 years. It influenced generations of musicians and is a cornerstone in the foundation of American folk and tradition. Sandburg himself described it as a “ragbag of stripes and streaks of color from nearly all ends of the earth…rich with the diversity of the United States.” Today’s show pulls samples from the book featuring performances by Dan Zanes, Bob Dylan, The Weavers, The Blue Sky Boys, and David Rawlings. True Americana from the deeper wells of America’s music.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Zora Layman & The Hometowners When The Curtains Of The Night Are Pinned Back By The Stars Howdy! 25 Hillbilly All-Time Greats Amazon
3Johnny Cash The Streets of Laredo Come Along And Ride This Train [Disc 2] Amazon
4Sons of the Pioneers Lone Star Trail Songs of the Prairie – CD2 Amazon
5Tex Ritter Whoopee Ti Yi Yo (Git Along Little Dogies) Have I Stayed Away Too Long Amazon
6The Weavers Get Along Little Dogies The Weavers Almanac Amazon
7Woody Guthrie Buffalo Skinners (traditional, arr. Woody Guthrie) Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection [Disc 2] Amazon
8Oscar Brand The Tenderfoot Pie In The Sky Amazon
9The Blue Sky Boys Trail To Mexico American Roots- A History Of American Folk Music: [Disc 1] Amazon
10Marc Williams The Little Old Sod Shanty On My Claim Howdy! 25 Hillbilly All-Time Greats Amazon
11Mac Wiseman Turkey In The Straw Sings Old Time Country Favorites Amazon
12The Blue Sky Boys Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet Presenting The Blue Sky Boys Amazon
13Dan Zanes I Was Born Almost Ten Thousand Years Ago Parades And Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected By Carl Sandburg For The American Songbag Amazon
14Dan Zanes California Parades And Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected By Carl Sandburg For The American Songbag Amazon
15Hylo Brown Sweet Betsy From Pike Legends & Tall Tales Amazon
16BR5-49 Sweet Betsy from Pike Song of America Amazon
17Tennessee Ernie Ford Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot This Lusty Land Amazon
18Gid Tanner & The Skillet Lickers The Old Gray Mare And The Skillet Lickers Vol. 2 Amazon
19David Rawlings Money Is the Meat in the Coconut Poor David's Almanack Amazon
20Kilby Snow Chicken Reel (Folk) Masters of Old-Time Country Autoharp Amazon
21The Everly Brothers Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet Songs Our Daddy Taught Us Amazon
22Carolina Chocolate Drops Sourwood Mountain Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind Amazon
23Molly Mason & Jay Ungar The Lover's Lament The Lovers' Waltz Amazon
24Marty Robbins Red River Valley All-Time Greatest Hits Amazon
25Dick Curless Red River Valley A Tombstone Every Mile (7CD Set) CD2 (1950-1969) Amazon
26The Doc Watson Family One Morning In May Tradition Amazon
27Dave Van Ronk Kentucky Moonshiner Inside Dave Van Ronk Amazon
28Otis Redding Down In The Valley Dreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology [Disc 1] Amazon
29Slim Whitman Down In The Valley Country Greats #2 Amazon
30Bob Dylan Froggie Went A-Courtin' Good As I Been To You Amazon
31Tex Ritter Froggie Went A-Courtin' Singing In The Saddle Amazon
32Dan Zanes The Monkey's Wedding Parades And Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected By Carl Sandburg For The American Songbag Amazon
33Doc Watson The Ship That Never Returned My Dear Old Southern Home Amazon
34Hank Penny It Ain't Gonna Rain No More King Of Hillbilly Bebop [Disc 1] Amazon