Goodnight, Irene was the #47 song in 1950 in the Pop charts. Goodnight Irene By Leadbelly (as Huddie Ledbetter) & John A. Lomax Performed by Little Richard Courtesy of Vee-Jay Ltd. Partnership "Irene, Good Night", Words and Music by Gussie L. Davis New York: M. Witmark & Sons, 1892. [32] Rolling Stones lead guitarist Keith Richards played his version with the X-Pensive Winos on his third solo album Crosseyed Heart in 2015. length: 2:40. mixer: Stephen Krause. Lead Belly was singing a version of it as early as 1908, which he claimed he learned from his uncles Terell and Bob. Since then, it's also been recorded by Ry Cooder, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash , The Chieftains, Eric Clapton, Tom Waits, and Peter, Paul, and Mary , to name a few. E. Eric Clapton Lyrics. [3], As part of the Federal Art Project that began in 1935, the song was published in 1936, in Lomax's version, as "Goodnight, Irene", a joint Ledbetter-Lomax composition. The arranger was Gordon Jenkins. [10] Lead Belly's account was of performing "Irene" by 1908, in a way he learned from his uncles Ter(r)ell and Bob. Kim Ruehl is a folk music writer whose writing has appeared in Billboard, West Coast Performer, and NPR. If you would like to hear one of Leadbelly's recordings of the song, this YouTube video is believed to be from 1935 and takes place in Wilton, Connecticut. Since then, it's also been recorded by Ry Cooder, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, The Chieftains, Eric Clapton, Tom Waits, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, to name a few. Leadbelly said that he learned the song from his uncle. The song is about a walking cry of a married man gone off track. [17], The single first reached the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart on June 30, 1950 and lasted 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1 for 13 weeks. The folklorist brought the song to the governor, who freed Leadbelly on the condition that he would be under Lomax's care. It was his "Governor Neff" song, which he sang to Governor Pat Neff of Texas, about how he'd release the Governor if their positions were reversed. Among his other notable tunes are "Rock Island Line" and "The Midnight Special. [12] In 1941 Woody Guthrie used the melody for his New Deal anthem Roll On, Columbia, Roll On.[13]. I. Bryan Ferry recorded a cover of the song for his 2002 album Frantic. It's a soft, mellow tune with simple lyrics, yet its place in American folk music history is undeniable. Sometimes I live in the country The Midnight Special and Other Southern Prison Songs, Folkways: The Original Vision (Woody and LeadBelly), Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!). Moon Mullican had a number 5 country hit with it in 1950,[26] and a version by Paul Gayten and his Orchestra reached number 6 on the Billboard R&B chart in the same year. The first verse of Good Night Irene is also played on the Intro page of LeadBelly.org without requiring the Real Audio download. Categories News Tags Up The … [8][9] Hank Williams connected the melody to the English ballad tradition, via a mountain song he knew as "Pere Ellen". The pair were gathering folk songs for a Library of Congress archive and were immediately entranced by Leadbelly's tenor voice and impressive song repertoire. [1], John Lomax recorded a version of Huddie Ledbetter's song "Irene" in 1933, on a prison visit to Angola (Louisiana State Penitentiary). He had written a song in his own defense and the pardon relieved him of a rather lengthy prison sentence. folk-blues pioneer Huddie Ledbetter (aka Leadbelly). Lyrics to Goodnight Irene by Little Richard from the Roots of Rock N' Roll, Set #2 album - including song video, artist biography, translations and more! I loves Irene, God knows I do Love her till the sea runs dry If Irene turns her back on me I’m gonna take morphine and die. "Goodnight, Irene" is sung as part of a student protest depicted in the 1967 movie Sing a Song of Sex (Nihon Shunka-Kō), directed by Nagisa Oshima. [28], The song was the basis for the 1950 parody called "Please Say Goodnight to the Guy, Irene" by Ziggy Talent. In 1988, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The song was sung by Plymouth Argyle supporters for a long time before this and this added to the goading by the Bristol Rovers fans.[35][36]. "Goodnight, Irene" or "Irene, Goodnight," is a 20th-century American folk standard, written in 3 4 time, first recorded by American blues musician Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter in 1933.. lead vocals: Little Richard. Before all of that, it was fundamental in changing the life of the man who would become known as Leadbelly. piano: Little Richard. Peter from Toronto, Canada "Goodnight Irene" didn't get Leadbelly out of jail. AZLyrics. Other artists who have recorded this song include James Booker, Dr. John, Tom Waits, John Sebastian, Levon Helm, Lucius (band) and Eric Clapton. Leadbelly found himself imprisoned once again in 1930, this time for attempted murder in Louisiana. Friends from the Beginning - Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goodnight,_Irene&oldid=998767991, United States National Recording Registry recordings, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 23:17. Gordon Jenkins made an arrangement of the song for the Weavers, who sang it with Jenkins' orchestra as backing. It was his "Governor Neff" song, which he sang to Governor Pat Neff of Texas, about how he'd release the Governor if their positions were reversed. After Leadbelly's "discovery" and consequent fame from the song in the 1940s, The Weavers picked it up and hit number one with it in 1950, a year after Leadbelly's death. Watch the video for Goodnight Irene from Leadbelly's Goodnight Irene for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. During the game, the following day, Rovers were winning quite comfortably and the few Argyle supporters present began to leave early prompting a chorus of "Goodnight Argyle" from the Rovers supporters—the tune stuck and "Goodnight Irene" became the club song. In season 1, episode 2 of The Eric Andre Show (2012), Russell Brand (impersonated by Semere Ab-Etmet Yohannes) sings the song during his interview. The Folks Who Live On The Hill. "Goodnight Irene " has been recorded and performed by countless artists over the years. album: "Old Sock" (2013) Further On Down The Road. The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com Irene, goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Goodnight, Irene, Goodnight, Irene, I'll see you in my dreams Last Saturday night I got married, Me and my wife settle down,, Now me and my wife are parted, I'm gonna take another stroll in town Irene, goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Goodnight, Irene, Goodnight, Irene, I'll see you … and Billboard ranked this version as the No. [11] An extended version of the song that includes narratives connecting the verses appears in Negro Folk Songs as Sung by Lead Belly. '(Goodnight) Irene' The king of the 12-string guitar's signature melody has been admired by musicians from across the spectrum, from Harry Belafonte to Kurt Cobain. In 2002, Lead Belly's Library of Congress recording received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Roots musician Ry Cooder performed a version of the song on his album Chicken Skin Music in 1976, which was released as a single in the Netherlands only, where it failed to chart. But as it grew more popular, it became progressively, perhaps inevitably, more wholesome: “Goodnight, Irene, I’ll see you in my dreams,” The Weavers sang … It has a straightforward verse–chorus form, but is in waltz time. Michael Stanley alluded to the song in his 1973 "Rosewood Bitters," with the lyric "Goodnight, Irene, my dear"; Joe Walsh renders the line in his quasi-rewritten cover of this song as "Goodnight, Irene, goodnight. He had learned the song from his Uncle Terrill Ledbetter around 1908 in Texas, but the origins of the song dates back to the 1880s, when an African-American songwriter named Gussie Davis probably wrote it. [29], Television host Jack Narz recorded his version of "Goodnight, Irene" for his album Sing the Folk Hits With Jack Narz in 1959.[30][31]. “Goodnight Irene” was Leadbelly’s most famous song, and he often began and ended radio shows with it. The lyrics tell of the singer's troubled past with his love, Irene, and express his sadness and frustration. [6], Lead Belly continued performing the song during his prison terms. Lead Belly first heard the song sung by his uncles as a child. Library of Congress Call Number M1622.D, "Show 1 - Play A Simple Melody: American pop music in the early fifties. Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene I´ll see you in my dreams Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene I'll see you in my dreams Submit Corrections. Angel. By using LiveAbout, you accept our, The History of African-American Folk Music. In season 1, episode 2 of The Eric Andre Show (2012), Russell Brand (impersonated by Semere Ab-Etmet Yohannes) sings the song during his interview. Goodnight, Irene was the #6 song in 1950 in the Pop charts.The song was performed by Gordon Jenkins.The song also included appearances from The Weavers.Comment below with facts and trivia about the song and we may include it in our song facts! [21] Later that same year, Ernest Tubb and Red Foley had a #1 country music record with the song,[22] and the Alexander Brothers, Dennis Day and Jo Stafford released versions which made the Best Seller chart, peaking at #26,[23] #17[24] and #9[25] respectively. LiveAbout uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene I'll see you in my dreams Last Saturday I got married Me and y wife settled down Now me and my wife we are parted I think I'll go out on the town Cause sometimes I live in the country Sometimes I live in the town Sometimes I take that great notion to jump in the river and drown Irene goodnight Irene, Irene goodnight "Irene" remained a staple of Lead Belly's performances throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Leadbelly sang "Goodnight Irene" for John Lomax. Frank Sinatra's cover, released a month after The Weavers', lasted nine weeks on the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 10, peaking at #5. Goodnight Irene Lyrics: I'll see you in my dreams / Hey, Irene, goodnight, goodnight, Irene / I dream, goodnight, hmm / (Irene, goodnight, goodnight, Irene) / … About “Goodnight, Irene” The origin of the song is unclear. [38], In the comic Li'l Abner, the character Mammy Yokum has a "lethal right undercut punch" called the "good night Irene punch".[39]. Willie Nelson & Tom Petty × Leadbelly was known for a number of great songs and for influencing countless musicians who followed. "[37], In the 1997 movie Kiss the Girls, featuring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, the song "Goodnight, Irene" plays in the background during the scene in which Judd's character is attacked in her kitchen by the antagonist, a serial killer. Comment below with facts and trivia about the song and we may include it … Irene good night Irene good night Good night Irene Good night Irene I’ll get you in my dreams. In 1925, Leadbelly received a pardon from the Governor of Texas after being sentenced for murder. "Goodnight Irene" is sung by supporters of English football team Bristol Rovers. She is also the Community Manager for the folk music magazine NoDepression. I don't think there was one that said, "Goodnight Irene." Who Sang Goodnight Irene? Writer(s): Huddie Ledbetter, John A Lomax. “Goodnight, Irene”, Its Birth “Goodnight, Irene” was the first song Lead Belly recorded for the Lomaxes. [18] Although generally faithful, the Weavers chose to omit some of Lead Belly's lyrics, leading Time magazine to label it a "dehydrated" and "prettied up" version of the original. Irene, goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Irene, I'll get you in my dreams I asked your mother for you (What'd she tell him?) [11] John and Alan Lomax made a field recording of Bob Ledbetter's version of the song.