I enjoy the music of Clifton Hicks and the other day I noticed he’d put up a video of the song “Midnight Special.”
It’s a song we used to do often. It is fun to play with a beat that sort of pulls you along. It also tells a great story.
Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly was born in the late 1800’s and lived until 1949. He is considered an important figure in the early folk movement in the US. Whether he played a 12 string guitar, an accordion, or simply made a musical rhythm by stomping his feet everyone agrees he was an amazing performer.
While “Goodnight Irene” is touted as his most famous song “Midnight Special” is my personal favorite. Some folks believe Lead Belly wrote it, but others believe he discovered it while serving time in a Texas prison. Either way, Lead Belly brought the song to the masses.
The Midnight Special was a train that ran beside the prison, so close, that the train’s light shone into the cells. If you were lucky enough to have the ‘ever loving light’ shine on you it meant an early release was coming your way.
I’m continuously thankful for the treasure trove of music we’ve uploaded to the Blind Pig and The Acorn YouTube channel over the years. It’s something Paul and I have talked about a lot.
When we were filming songs at our weekly pickin and grinnin sessions for all those years we never thought past the blog post I’d use the song in. We truly had no real thought about how precious the music would be for us when Pap was gone and the kids were all grown up with the busyness of adult lives taking them away from our usual get togethers.
As I watched Clifton and his friend Aaron Stephens do the old song I was reminded of our version. Several days later I finally had time to go listen to the old video of us.
We uploaded it in August of 2009. I had forgotten who was at Paul’s the day we videoed it. It was Pap, Paul, my nephew Ben, and me. I had also forgotten how wonderful the music and the harmony is.
The words to old songs like “Midnight Special” often change slightly depending on who is singing it. Clifton and Aaron do a slightly different version than us, but both are great.
When the girls were in 8th grade they had a science teacher who was good at teaching science, but who also believed in encouraging the students in whatever they did outside of school. Once she found out the girls like to sing she let them sing for the class once a week.
“Midnight Special” was one of the songs they did for the class. Chatter led it and she thought the line about being penitentiary bound was penitentiary at the pound so that’s the words they sung 🙂
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Great job by Pap and Paul and gang. First time I heard that song was when Credence Clearwater Revival did the cover, back in the 60’s. Thanx for the post.
I love the Midnight Special. Pap and Paul did a wonderful job. I also have fond memories of Goodnight Irene because that was my mother’s name and every once and a while my daddy would sing part of it to my mama. This really brings back some sweet, sweet memories. Thank you, Tipper.
I love seeing and hearing the older videos with Jerry in them. I sure do miss him. I think he is one of the finest men I have ever known.
My dad was a big fan of country and folk music. I remember him playing the record player with stacks of albums after he got home from work. It was his way of relaxing. I remember hearing Midnight Special but not sure who sang it on the album he had. I’ve never heard the story behind it so you gave us lots of great information. It was cute that Chatter thought the would was pound instead of bound! I love hearing Paul and Pap sing, such great harmony together and Paul has a great vocal voice. Your nephew Ben sure can pick the guitar! You all are so talented. It just runs in the family, what a blessing to have such musical talent. Thank you for sharing the story and video with us!
Superb Rendition of “Midnight Special!”
Oh my goodness, your father had a special harmonizing voice! Paul can really sing and I’ve always loved this song. We knew it by a little different words -‘ain’t no pork up in the pan”was always my favorite line. We used to sing it while on family car trips and made up different words to match the reason for the trip and everyone sang along. We all didn’t have good voices but we had lots of laughter and noise – such good memories with that song!
Tip,
Seems to me that some of the best songs written were written by the people who were actually experiencing the very things they wrote about?
I loved Tom T Hall’s songs because they described actual life occurrences. There seems to be some question if his wife or he wrote some of the songs?
Tipper
We are in Brasstown for a few weeks and I remember your post earlier this year on mushrooms. I have a lot of what I am 99% sure are chanterelles. I am looking for someone who can confirm what they are. Do you know who can help id them.
Steve Cox
Steve-Karen Hurtubise from the Folk School should be able to help you, or at least point you to someone who can 🙂 I don’t have her contact info but someone from the Folk School likely does 🙂
Beautifully done!
I must say I have heard of Leadbelly. I’ve heard the Midnight Special all my life! He would’ve been the stuff in my grandparents lives! Thanks, Wilson gentlemen, for the wonderfully upbeat version of Midnight Special. Lead belly would be proud. As we used to say in the military, “you really smoked it!”BTW we are getting cold nights up here in southern WV already. It makes for good sleeping weather and wonderful crisp mornings.
That’s treasure for sure! The music is, indeed, precious, I’m so glad you have it!
Such a great rendition and the story behind it. Amazing how music comes along and we just go with it never knowing what it says nor the impact of those words. Thanks again for reminding us. Pap and you guys do it so well and if you don’t tap your foot, ‘you ain’tin’ Country….lol…
I loved The Midnight Special video and the back story! Thank you for posting!
I also like the song “ Midnight Special”. I am sure others have recorded it, but I liked CCR’s recoding of it. They were one of my favorite bands in the 60’s. I like listening to Pap and Paul play it too. I never knew about the prison and the train light shining in the prison cells.
SO appreciate the music history mentioned here. LITTLE RICHARD came to a Greenwood Jazz Festival years ago in Tulsa at Greenwood and Archer in the historic Black Wall Street area of the USA.. My husband and I witnessed him telling about Lead Belly, and then teaching the big outdoor audience the lyrics to GOODNIGHT, IRENE. We were in tears, ALL the crowd singing and swaying to that music, our knowing more than most the significance of the location, the history and Lead Belly’s story. Thank you, Little Richard. WHAT a memory.
You guys did a great job with this song! As always, Paul does fantastic singing lead, and playing lead guitar. I really listened to the words this morning. Previously when I listened to this song, in the verse about Miss Rosie coming with the papers in her hand to release her man, it says he could tell by her apron it was her. (I am paraphrasing the verse because I can’t remember it verbatim). I always imagined an actual woman coming down the street. This morning it dawned on my brain, he was singing about a trains apron, and “the papers” were the light that shown into the prison cells. This is definitely an upbeat song! Thank you for sharing it! I always enjoy hearing your family sing!