Hey Vaj, yes thanks for the link. I haven't taken the time to really
check it out. Is RL playing an acoustic guitar? My favorite CDs are
his first two on acoustic.
I never learned Freight Train before but I am building a show for a
museum with a train theme. There are so many interesting references
to trains both physical and as metaphor in early blues. So it was
natural to go back and take another look at Elizabeth's famous piece.
I had sort of categorized it as light weight folk music before, and
was completely blown away at how I had missed the whole point of the
song, that she is fleeing! The second verse is such a poetic way to
convey that information which is in such dramatic contrast to the
bouncy beat. I find it doubtful that she penned that verse when she
was 11 as the Wiki claims. I have heard her give different accounts
of why she wrote it too. I have such a new found respect for that song
and am busy doing reps on the old school cord shapes necessary to play
it. I'm not trying it her way, upside down, thats for sure!
It is amazing how close we were to never hearing her music at all! So
many of the people in the folk revival were snatched from obscurity.
My life would look very different today without that revival!
Pete Seeger is the more famous brother, but it is Mike Seeger who is
my gourd banjo guru. He has preserved a lot of old-time finger
picking styles for guitar too.
Freight Train
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I'm going
When I'm dead and in my grave
No more good times here I crave
Place the stones at my head and feet
And tell them all I've gone to sleep
When I die, oh bury me deep
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
So I can hear old Number Nine
As she comes rolling by
When I die, oh bury me deep
Down at the end of old Chestnut Street
Place the stones at my head and feet
And tell them all I've gone to sleep
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Freight train, freight train, run so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
They won't know what route I'm going
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of Vaj
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 3:48 PM
To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Elizabeth Cotten, was: God is a wuss
On May 19, 2008, at 4:04 PM, Rick Archer wrote:
Wow, thanks, Curtis, I'd never heard of Elizabeth Cotten before;
she's wonderful -- everything about her. Still alive?
HYPERLINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Cottenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Elizabeth_Cotten
I hadn't heard of her either, but my wife had. In fact, she used to be a
folk singer and Elizabeth Cotten's version of Freight Train is the
song
she remembers best. We both enjoyed watching her. Thanks for the link.
It's says she passed in '87. What an American treasure. I love that name
Libba as a nickname for Elizabeth. It sounds African.
Did you get that message on the R.L. Burnside boots?
Who, me? Nope. I just happened to spot the one on Elizabeth by
chance, since
the thread title was God is a wuss.
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7:44 AM
