456. Little Sadie (Traditional American)

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This folk ballad is also known as "Bad Lee Brown", "Cocaine Blues", "Whiskey Blues", "Chain Gang Blues", "Bad Man's Blunder" and "Transfusion Blues" among others. It tells the story of a man who is arrested for shooting his wife (or girlfriend in some versions) and sentenced to a long term in prison. The earliest written record of the song dates from 1922. Some versions have him arrested in Jericho (in South Carolina), others in Mexico. The first known recording is by Clarence "Tom" Ashley (1930), in which Sadie seems to have been a prostitute. Other recordings are by T. J. 'Red' Arnall (1947), Billie Hughes (1947), Riley Puckett, Woody Guthrie with Cisco Houston, Johnny Cash (1960), The Kingston Trio (1960), Slim Dusty (1960), Doc Watson (1963, with Ashley), George Thorogood (1978), Jerry Garcia, Hank Williams, Crooked Still and Bob Dylan (1970), who included two versions on his "Self Portrait" album, both basically covers of Ashley's version - as, indeed, is mine.

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Category: Music
Uploaded: May 15th, 2008 @ 2:43 am
Author: raymondcrooke

Length: 01:31
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Views: 476

Tags: american bad blues brown cocaine dylan folk jail lee murder prison song

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