Cotton Fields (No BGV) by jmjiloveyou

jmjiloveyou - Cotton Fields (No BGV)

jmjiloveyou

Apr 17, 2025 09:11am

<h1>Cotton Fields</h1>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" is a song written by American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blues</a> musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_Belly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lead Belly</a>, who made the first recording of the song in 1940. <h2>Early versions</h2>Recorded by Lead Belly in 1940, "Cotton Fields" was introduced into the canon of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">folk music</a> via its inclusion on the 1954 album release <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tin_Angel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Odetta & Larry</a> which comprised performances by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odetta" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Odetta</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Fields#cite_note-pc19-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[1]</a> at the Tin Angel nightclub in San Francisco with instrumental and vocal accompaniment by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odetta_%26_Larry" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lawrence Mohr</a>: this version was entitled "Old Cotton Fields at Home". The song's profile was boosted via its recording by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Belafonte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Belafonte</a> first on his 1958 album Belafonte Sings the Blues with a live version appearing on the 1959 concert album Belafonte at Carnegie Hall: Belafonte had learned "Cotton Fields" from Odetta and been singing it in concert as early as 1955. A No. 13 hit in 1961 for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwaymen_(folk_band)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Highwaymen</a>, "Cotton Fields" served as an album track for a number of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">C&W</a> and folk-rock acts including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferlin_Husky" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ferlin Husky</a> (The Heart and Soul of Ferlin Husky 1963), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buck Owens</a> (On the Bandstand 1963), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Christy_Minstrels" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the New Christy Minstrels</a> (Chim-Chim-Cheree 1965) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seekers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Seekers</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seekers_(1964_album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roving With The Seekers</a> 1964): Odetta also made a new studio recording of the song for her 1963 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Grain_of_Sand" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One Grain of Sand</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Springfields" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Springfields</a> included "Cotton Fields" on a 1962 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_play" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EP</a> release: this version is featured on the CD On an Island of Dreams: The Best of the Springfields. "Cotton Fields" was also recorded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_4%2B2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unit 4+2</a> for their Concrete and Clay album (1965). A rendering in French: "L'enfant do", was recorded in 1962 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugues_Aufray" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugues Aufray</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petula_Clark" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Petula Clark</a>. <h2>Creedence Clearwater Revival cover</h2>"Cotton Fields"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Single</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creedence_Clearwater_Revival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creedence Clearwater Revival</a>from the album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_and_the_Poor_Boys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Willy and the Poor Boys</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_genre" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Genre</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_rock" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roots rock</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_rock" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">country rock</a>Length2:57<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songwriter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Songwriter(s)</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huddie_Ledbetter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Huddie Ledbetter</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creedence_Clearwater_Revival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creedence Clearwater Revival</a> included their cover of "Cotton Fields" as the third track on their 1969 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_and_the_Poor_Boys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Willy and the Poor Boys</a>. Their version <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_number-one_hits_of_1970_(Mexico)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hit No. 1 in Mexico in 1970</a>.<h2> </h2><h2>Covers</h2><ul><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Monroe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bill Monroe</a> 1962, Decca Records DL4266</li><li>In 1962, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwaymen_(folk_band)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Highwaymen (folk band)</a> recorded their version, which peaked at #13 on the US <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hot 100</a> and #3 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_Contemporary_(chart)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Easy Listening</a> chart.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Fields#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[6]</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Johnny Cash</a> on his 1962 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Johnny_Cash" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Sound of Johnny Cash</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Cannon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ace Cannon</a> recorded a popular version of the song in 1963.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Angels_(American_group)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Angels</a> in 1963 that went to No. 119 in the US</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mann" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Johnny Mann Singers</a> on the 1963 album Golden Folk Song Hits – <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Liberty</a> LST-7253</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_%26_Abi_Ofarim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Esther & Abi Ofarim</a> performed "Cotton Fields" live on television in 1963 and 1969. They recorded a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">German</a> version, "Wenn ich bei Dir sein kann", in 1964, which reached the Top 10 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Berlin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">West Berlin</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Fields#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[7]</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Arnold" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eddy Arnold</a> (with the Needmore Creek Singers) on the 1964 album "Folk Song Book"</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Marie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rose Marie</a> on episode 102 of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dick_van_Dyke_Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Dick van Dyke Show</a> "The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail" (1964)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carter_Sisters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Carter Sisters</a> on their album The Best of The Carter Family (1966)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webb_Pierce" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Webb Pierce</a> on the 1966 Decca album Webb's Choice</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Dean_Stanton" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Dean Stanton</a>, in one scene of the 1967 film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Hand_Luke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cool Hand Luke</a>, plays a sped-up version</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udo_J%C3%BCrgens" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Udo Jürgens</a> a 1968 single</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Pride" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charley Pride</a> on his album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Pride_in_Person" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charley Pride in Person</a> released January 1969.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elvis Presley</a> in the 1970 movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis:_That%27s_the_Way_It_Is" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elvis: That's the Way It Is</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candies_(group)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Candies</a> on their album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namida_no_Kisetsu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Namida no Kisetsu</a> in English as track 10 in 1974.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dassin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joe Dassin</a> on 1989 Sony Music compilation Vol.2.</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Douglas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna Douglas</a> on her 1989 album Back on the Mountain</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Brewer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Teresa Brewer</a> on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppet_Show" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Muppet Show</a></li></ul><h2> </h2><h2>Lyrics</h2><ul><li>The original lyrics, written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_Belly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lead Belly</a>, state that the fields are "down in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Louisiana</a>, just ten miles from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texarkana</a>". Later versions (e.g., <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creedence_Clearwater_Revival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creedence Clearwater Revival</a>'s) say the fields are "down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana". While the twin cities of Texarkana (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana,_Texas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> in Texas</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana,_Arkansas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in Arkansas</a>) are about 30 miles north of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arkansas</a>–Louisiana border,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Fields#cite_note-GR2-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">]</a> the larger <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana_metropolitan_area" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Texarkana metropolitan area</a> directly abuts the Arkansas-Louisia State Line.</li></ul>