Songbook/Cotton Fields

Cotton Fields Folksong (USA) "The Cotton Song", "(In them old) Cottonfields back home" Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) (*1888-✝ 1949) Mjchael Huddie Ledbetter (better known by his pseudonym "Lead Belly") was born in 1888 and grew up in northwest Louisiana near the Arkansas border. As a teenager, he worked in the cotton fields like his parents and later his wife. In the song, he processes the first-hand experiences of a cotton picker. The song is part of the standard repertoire of blues, country, folk, jazz and rock singers. The countless performers include Johnny Cash, Udo Jürgens, The Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elton John, Harry Belafonte, Trini Lopez, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, and many more. Not to forget the numerous instrumentals. Every artist has their own version of the song, but usually after two melodically similar verses there is a chorus and after that another verse (pattern A A B A), with each line followed by the chorus "In them old cotton fields back home". A verse can also be sung twice in a row. Otherwise they are repeated several times in a loose sequence. Each verse and each chorus can contain smaller or larger melodic variations. There are also many polyphonic arrangements. The melody presented here is largely based on a pentatonic scale. In various interpretations, however, it can be expanded to include a few passing notes or blue notes. It is advisable to listen to different versions of the song and create your own version from the wealth of possibilities. Create melody 100px 100px100px Cotton Fields 1 GWhen I was a little pretty baby My mama would Crock me in the Gcradle In them old cotton fields back D7home 2 But Gwhen I became a little older My daddy would Ctake me on his shoulder In a-them old D7cotton fields back Ghome Chorus Oh, when them Ccotton bolls get rotten You can't Gpick very much cotton In them old cotton fields back D7home 4 I was Ghome in Arkansas, people Cask me what you come Ghere for, In them old D7cotton fields back Ghome 5 It was Gdown in Louisiana Just about a Cmile from Texar-Gkana In them old cotton fields back D7home 6 You may Gthink it is very funny But we Cdidn't make much Gmoney In them old D7cotton fields back Ghome 5 It may Gsound a little funny, but you Cdidn't make very much Gmoney, In them old D7cotton fields back Ghome Weblinks Cotton+Fields+back+home Cotton Fields back home Cotton Fields