The Wagoner’s Lad Variations
“Hard is the fortune of all woman kind…” The second performance by Buell Kazee on the Anthology continues to tell us of the misfortunes of women betrayed by men, not so much in the ballad style of “The Butcher’s Boy” but in a form called “folk-lyric song”. There’s many examples on the Anthology of this songs with “floating verses”, complete stanzas that seems to wander from song to song and the common theme of them all is usually love and its misfortunes.
-Most of the variations of the “Wagoner’s Lad” that i heard have very similar melodies in 3/4 time, and comes from a big family of songs who shares the same tunes as well as somes verses. (for example: “The Drunken Hiccups”, “Rye Whiskey”, “Jack O Diamonds”, “The Cuckoo”, “On Top Of Old Smoky”,etc…)
-You can go here to read the lyrics and hear another fine rendition of the song by Roger McGuinn
-As usual, i selected performances that i like the best from the ones i know of and mixed old and new, vocal and instrumental, famous and unknown.
TRACK LIST
1.The Wagoner’s Lad, Buell Kazee, from “Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 1A: Ballads”
2.My Horses Ain’t Hungry, Kelly Harrell, from “Kelly Harrell Vol. 1 (1925-1926)”
3.Wagoner’s Lad, Joan Baez, from “Joan Baez, Vol. 2″
4.Your Horses Ain’t Hungry, Bobby Harrison & Cullen Galyean, from “Let Me Fall – Old Time Bluegrass from the Virginia-North Carolina Border”
5.Hard is the fortune, Berry Sutterfield, from “Ozark Folksongs”
6.The Waggoner’s Lad, Acie Cargill, Debra Cowan, Kristina Olsen, Susan Ruth Brown, from “Folk Legacy Songs and Ballads of Hattie Mae Tyler Cargill”
7.Wagoner’s Lad, Tim O’Brien, from “The Crossing”
8.Wagoner’s Lad, John Sebastian & Brian Keane, from “Song Of The Hills: Appalachian Classics”
9.Wagoner’s Lad, Pete Seeger, from “American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1″
10.The Wagoner’s Lad, Anonymous 4, from “Gloryland”
11.The Waggoner’s Lad, Bert Jansch & John Renbourn, from “Bert And John”
12.The Wagoner’s Lad ,Peggy Seeger, from “The Prestige / Folklore Years Volume 1 All Kinds Of Folks”
13.Loving Nancy, Dock Boggs, from “His Folkways Years 1963-1968 (Disc 2)”
14.The Waggoner’s Lad, The Kossoy Sisters With Erik Darling, from “Bowling Green”
15.Wagoner’s Lad, Mr. and Mrs. Sams, from “Mountain Music of Kentucky (Disc 2)”
16.Wagoner’s Lad, Alicia Jo Rabins, from “Sugar Shack”
17.Wagoner’s Lad, Big Hoedown & Bruce Molsky, from “Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown”
18.The Wagoner’s Lad, Grumpy Bear, from “Tribute To The Anthology Of American Folk Music By Harry Smith (Hinah.com)”
19.First Time Away/The Wagoner’s Lad, Cian Nugent, from “Childhood, Christian Lies & Slaughter”
Merry Christmas, Hannouka sameakh,Happy Holydays to all…
