American Folk Music and Its Occupational Songs

Songs about work are as old as work itself. In America, the earliest occupational songs were about manual labor and were sung by workers themselves.

Origins of American Folk Music

Origins of American Folk Music can be traced back to the colonial era when the first European settlers came to the land. These settlers brought with them their own unique musical traditions, which melded with the music of the native people already living here. This melting pot of musical cultures gave birth to a new genre of music: American folk music.

English, Scottish, and Irish influences

Folk music in the United States has its roots in the music of England, Scotland and Ireland. While most immigrants to the United States came from other countries, many were from these three countries and brought their music with them. The first American folk music was based on the folk music of these three countries.

The English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants who came to the United States in the 1600s and 1700s brought with them a rich tradition of folk music. This music was based on the ballads of their homeland and tells stories of love, loss, war, and other topics that were important to the people of that time. Many of these songs were handed down from generation to generation, and eventually made their way to America.

One of the most important early American folk musicians was Francis James Child, who collected more than 300 English ballads and published them in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898). These ballads were a major influence on American folk musicians such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan.

African-American influences

The American folk-music revival began during the 1930s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went deeper and farther back, however, and some of its most traditional songs can be traced to the eighteenth century and earlier. Many of these songs were brought over by British and Irish immigrants who settled in Appalachia and other rural areas of the United States. Other songs developed within specific ethnic communities, such as African Americans, Germans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. These songs were often created by professional songwriters, who then sold them to publishers. The publishers would then print the songs in songbooks, which were sold to the public.

Some of the most well-known American folk songs originated with the African American community. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” for example, was originally a spiritual dating back to the 1800s. “John Henry” was a folk ballad that told the story of a fictional character who worked as a steel-driver. “Cotton Fields” was written by Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, who was a famous folk musician in the early 1900s. Many of these songs were recorded by white musicians in the 1930s and 1940s as part of the folk music revival.

Themes in American Folk Music

Folk music is the music of the people, and it has been a part of the American experience since the country was founded. Folk music is a reflection of the culture and values of the people who create it, and it has always been an important part of the American identity. Themes in American folk music include work, love, loss, and death. These themes are powerfully represented in the music of the American people.

Love and loss

Love and loss are two of the most common themes in American folk music. The vast majority of folk songs are about love, whether it’s young love, lost love, or unrequited love. Many of these songs are also about heartbreak and betrayal.

Loss is another common theme in folk music. These songs typically deal with the death of a loved one, but they can also be about any kind of loss, such as the loss of a job or a way of life.

These themes are often intertwined, as in the case of “The Streets of Laredo,” a folk song about a young cowboy who is dying of a gunshot wound. In this song, the cowboy reflects on his life and loves as he lies dying in the streets of Laredo.

Work and labor

Songs about work and labor were some of the earliest American folk songs. Work songs were sung by African American slaves as a way to pass the time and make the work go faster. These songs often had a call and response format, with one person singing the lead and the others joining in on the chorus. Work songs continued to be popular even after slavery was abolished, as they offered a way for people to connect with their heritage and share their experience of working in America.

One of the most well-known work songs is “Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier,” which was sung by both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The song is a lament for a young man who has gone off to war, and it reflects the hardships that soldiers faced during the conflict.

“Oh, Shenandoah” is another popular work song that has been Grammy-nominated and covered by many artists over the years. The song is about a river boat captain who longs to return home to his family. It became particularly popular during World War II, as it offered a moment of homesickness for those who were far from home.

Folk songs about work and labor offer a window into American history and the experience of working people in America. They provide an opportunity to connect with our past and to appreciate the hard work that has been done by generations before us.

The land

The land has always been a central theme in American folk music, from the early ballads of England, Scotland and Ireland to the songs of the American frontier. The land represents both a physical and spiritual home for the American people, and the songs reflect our deep attachment to it. The land is also a source of livelihood for many Americans, and the songs reflect our experience of working on the land.

Occupational Songs

Occupational songs were very popular in America during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were sung by both workers and by people who were not workers but were interested in the lives of workers. The songs were about the work that people did, the places where they worked, and the things that happened to them while they were working.

Farming songs

Farming has always been an essential part of American culture, and the songs that workers sing while they toil in the fields are as varied as the crops they plant. Farming songs can be sentimental ballads about rural life, humorously depicting the tough conditions that farmers must endure, or simply work songs designed to help make the long days go by a little bit faster. No matter what their subject matter, these songs provide a unique window into the lives of America’s farmers.

Some of the most famous farming songs are “Barbara Allen,” “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and “The Wabash Cannonball.” These songs have been passed down through generations of workers, and each one has its own special place in American folk music history. “Barbara Allen” is a beautiful ballad about unrequited love, while “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” is a classic work song that helped keep workers’ spirits up during long days of toil. “The Wabash Cannonball,” on the other hand, is a lively tune that celebrates the power and majesty of America’s railways.

No matter what your favorite type of music is, there’s sure to be a farming song out there that you’ll enjoy. So next time you’re in the mood for some good old-fashioned Americana, take some time to listen to some of these classic tunes. You might just find yourself singing along!

Mining songs

Mining songs are songs about mining. They are a type of work song, and were created by miners as a form of expression, to vent their frustrations and to keep their morale up while working. The songs were often made up on the spot, and were usually handed down from generation to generation of miners. Some mining songs became popular folk songs, and were adopted by people who were not miners.

Mining songs are often about the dangers of mining, such as cave-ins, explosions, and floods. They sometimes include references to the equipment used in mining, such as pickaxes and dynamite. The lyrics often talk about the camaraderie among miners, and the hard work that goes into mining.

A well-known mining song is “Sixteen Tons”, which was written by Merle Travis in 1946. The song is about a coal miner who is forced to work long hours for little pay.

Fishing songs

Fishing songs are a staple of the folk music tradition, and often tell stories of the challenges and dangers of life on the open sea. Many of these songs were originally sung by sailors as they went about their work, and were passed down from generation to generation. Some of the most famous fishing songs include “The Leaving Of Liverpool,” “The Greenland Whale Fisheries,” and “Roll The Woodpile Down.”

Notable American Folk Musicians

The folk music of the United States is numerous and varied. It is a reflection of the country’s pluri-ethnic population, with contributions from Anglo-Americans, Afro-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians. The songs are generally about the day-to-day lives of the people who work in the various occupations that are an integral part of the country’s economy.

Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children’s songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This machine kills fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is “This Land Is Your Land”, which he wrote in 1940. Many of his recorded songs are available from the Smithsonian Institution. Guthrie’s musical legacy consists of more than 1,000 published songs, along with several hundred lyrics written for Will Geer’s The Lambs and several screenplays and a novel, Bound for Glory.

Lead Belly

Huddie William Ledbetter was born January 20, 1888, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. After serving several prison terms for various crimes, he was “discovered” in the 1930s by John and Alan Lomax and eventually gained considerable fame as a performer of traditional folk and blues music, under the stage name Lead Belly. Along with Woody Guthrie and others, Lead Belly was one of the most prominent performers of American folk music in the first half of the twentieth century. He is best known for his renditions of “Midnight Special” and “Goodnight Irene”.

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and songwriter, and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He helped to popularize many traditional American folk songs, and was a key figure in the mid-century American folk music revival. Seeger was also a prominent political activist, and was blacklisted during the McCarthy era.