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Anthology of American Folk Music®

Various Artists
Anthology of American Folk Music®

The Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith (1923–1991), is one of the most influential releases in the history of recorded sound. Originally issued by Folkways Records in 1952, the Anthology brought virtually unknown parts of America's musical landscape recorded in the late 1920s and early 1930s to the public's attention. For more than half a century, the collection has profoundly influenced fans, ethnomusicologists, music historians, and cultural critics; it has inspired generations of popular musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jerry Garcia, and countless others. Many of the songs included in the Anthology have now become classics, as has Harry Smith’s unique "scientific/aesthetic handbook" of song notes and drawings. Reissued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1997, this deluxe 6-CD collector's boxed set contains a 96-page book featuring Harry Smith's original liner notes and essays by Greil Marcus and other noted writers, musicians, and scholars.

“[The] Anthology was our bible…. We all knew every word of every song on it, including the ones we hated. They say that in the 19th-century British Parliament, when a member would begin to quote a classical author in Latin the entire House would rise in a body and finish the quote along with him. It was like that.” – Dave Van Ronk

“Had he never done anything with his life but this Anthology, Harry Smith would still have borne the mark of genius across his forehead. I'd match the Anthology up against any other single compendium of important information ever assembled. Dead Sea Scrolls? Nah. I'll take the Anthology.” – John Fahey

“First hearing the Harry Smith Anthology of American FoIk Music is like discovering the secret script of so many familiar musical dramas. Many of these actually turn out to be cousins two or three times removed, some of whom were probably created in ignorance of these original riches. It also occurred to me that as we are listening at a greater distance in time to a man or woman singing of their fairly recent past of the 1880s, we are fortunate that someone collected these performances of such wildness, straightforward beauty, and humanity." – Elvis Costello

Track Listing

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101
Henry Lee Dick Justice 03:28  
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102
Fatal flower garden Nelstone's Hawaiians 02:58  
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103
The house carpenter Clarence Ashley 03:16  
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104
Drunkard's special Coley Jones 03:16  
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105
Old lady and the devil Bill and Belle Reed 03:05  
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106
The butcher's boy Buell Kazee 03:05  
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107
The wagoner's lad Buell Kazee 03:05  
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108
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o Chubby Parker 03:09  
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109
Old shoes and leggins Uncle Eck Dunford 03:01  
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110
Willie Moore Richard Burnett and Leonard Rutherford 03:16  
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111
A lazy farmer boy Buster Carter and Preston Young 03:00  
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112
Peg and awl The Carolina Tar Heels 02:59  
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113
Ommie Wise G.B. Grayson 03:12  
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114
My name is John Johanna Kelly Harrell and the Virginia String Band 03:13  
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201
Bandit Cole Younger Edward L. Crain 02:57  
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202
Charles Giteau Kelly Harrel and the Virginia String Band 03:05  
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203
John Hardy was a desperate little man The Carter Family 02:57  
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204
Gonna die with my hammer in my hand (John Henry) The Williamson Brothers and Curry 03:26  
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205
Stackalee (Stagger Lee) Frank Hutchison 03:01  
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206
White House blues Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers 03:31  
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207
Frankie Mississippi John Hurt 03:28  
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208
When that great ship went down (The Titanic) William and Versey Smith 02:58  
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209
Engine 143 The Carter Family 03:19  
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210
Kassie Jones, Parts 1 and 2 Furry Lewis 06:16  
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211
Down on Penny's Farm The Bently Boys 02:50  
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212
Mississippi Boweavil (Boll Weevil) Blues The Masked Marvel 03:09  
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213
Got the farm land blues The Carolina Tar Heels 03:17  
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301
Sail away lady Uncle Bunt Stephens 02:58  
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302
The wild wagoner Jilson Setters 03:17  
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303
Wake up Jacob Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers 02:55  
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304
La danseuse (The dancer) Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard 02:56  
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305
Georgia stomp Andrew and Jim Baxter 02:47  
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306
Brilliancy medley Eck Robertson and Family 03:01  
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307
Indian war whoop Hoyt Ming and the Pep Steppers 03:13  
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308
Old country stomp Henry Thomas 02:55  
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309
Old dog blue Jim Jackson 03:04  
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310
Saut Crapaud (Jump, Frog) Columbus Fruge 02:49  
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311
Acadian One-Step Joseph Falcon 03:00  
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312
Home Sweet Home The Breaux Freres 03:00  
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313
The Newport Blues The Cincinnati Jug Band 02:58  
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314
Moonshiner's Dance Part One Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra 02:40  
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401
Must Be Born Again Rev. J.M. Gates 01:31  
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402
Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting Rev. J.M. Gates 01:29  
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403
Rocky Road Alabama Sacred Harp Singers 02:45  
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404
Present Joys Alabama Sacred Harp Singers 02:53  
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405
This Song of Love Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1 02:58  
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406
Judgement Rev. Sister Mary Nelson 02:25  
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407
He Got Better Things For You Memphis Sanctified Singers 02:54  
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408
Since I Laid My Burden Down The Elders McIntorsh and Edwards' Sanctified Singers 03:19  
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409
John the Baptist Rev. Moses Mason 03:05  
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410
Dry Bones Bascom Lamar Lunsford 03:00  
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411
John the Revelator Blind Willie Johnson 03:21  
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412
Little Moses The Carter Family 03:14  
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413
Shine on Me Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers 03:03  
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414
Fifty Miles of Elbow Room Rev. F.M. McGee 02:43  
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415
I'm In the Battlefield for My Lord Rev. D.C. Rice and His Sanctified Congregation 03:20  
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501
The Coo Coo Bird Clarence Ashley 02:56  
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502
East Virginia Buell Kazee 03:01  
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503
Minglewood Blues Cannon's Jug Stompers with Noah Lewis 03:44  
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504
I Woke Up One Morning In May Didier Hébert 03:04  
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505
James Alley Blues Richard "Rabbit" Brown 03:07  
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506
Sugar Baby Dock Boggs 02:58  
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507
I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground Bascom Lamar Lunsford 03:21  
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508
The Mountaineer's Courtship Ernest and Hattie Stoneman 02:44  
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509
The Spanish Merchant's Daughter (No, Sir No) The Stoneman Family 03:18  
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510
Bob Lee Junior Blues The Memphis Jug Band 03:11  
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511
Single Girl, Married Girl The Carter Family 02:47  
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512
Le Vieux Soulard et Sa Femme (The Old Drunkard and His Wife) - bon viuex mari Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon 03:10  
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513
Rabbit Foot Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson 02:57  
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514
Expressman Blues Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell 03:02  
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601
Poor Boy Blues Ramblin' Thomas 02:24  
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602
Feather Bed Cannon's Jug Stompers 03:16  
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603
Country Blues Dock Boggs 02:59  
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604
99 Year Blues Julius Daniels 03:07  
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605
Prison Cell Blues Blind Lemon Jefferson 02:47  
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606
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean Blind Lemon Jefferson 02:55  
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607
C'est Si Triste Sans Lui (It's So Sad Without Him) Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon 03:01  
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608
Way Down the Old Plank Road Uncle Dave Macon 03:01  
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609
Buddy Won't You Roll Down the Line Uncle Dave Macon 03:15  
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610
Spike Driver Blues Mississippi John Hurt 03:17  
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611
K.C. Moan The Memphis Jug Band 02:33  
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612
Train on the Island J.P. Nestor 03:00  
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613
The Lone Star Trail Ken Maynard 03:15  
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614
Fishing Blues Henry Thomas 02:45