Search results
- According to folk music historian Alan Lomax as documented in the book Folk Song USA, the Midnight Special was a real train: the Southern Pacific Golden Gate Limited. A traditional folk song, Leadbelly popularized it upon his release from Sugar Land prison in Texas, where he could hear the Midnight Special come through.
www.songfacts.com/facts/leadbelly/midnight-special
People also ask
Why did Leadbelly sing Midnight Special?
What does the song Midnight Special mean?
Where did the song Midnight Special come from?
Did Huddie Leadbetter sing the Midnight Special?
A traditional folk song, Leadbelly popularized it upon his release from Sugar Land prison in Texas, where he could hear the Midnight Special come through. In the song, the light of the train gives the inmates hope: if it shines on them they take it as a sign they will soon go free.
- Lyrics
Let the midnight special Shine a light on me. Let the...
- License This Song
Please select the type of project you need a license for...
- Paul Evans
Songfacts: Now, along the line you became a performer and...
- Lyrics
History. Lead Belly, photographed by Alan Lomax in the 1940s. Lyrics appearing in the song were first recorded in print by Howard Odum in 1905: [2] Get up in the mornin' when ding dong rings, Look at table — see the same damn thing.
Lead Belly’s rendition of “Midnight Special” stands as a testament to the enduring power of folk and blues music. Its timeless themes and evocative imagery continue to captivate listeners and keep the spirit of this traditional song alive.
Apr 24, 2024 · The song was typically sung in the African American prison work camps, where the “Midnight Special” was a train that passed by the camps at night. Inmates would hear the train whistle blowing and sing the song, hoping it would bring them good luck and help them escape.
The song’s refrain, “Let the midnight special, shine the ever-lovin’ light on me,” serves as a plea for liberation and freedom. It speaks to the longing for a better life and the hope for a brighter future.
In 1939, Lead Belly was back in jail for assault after stabbing a man in a fight in Manhattan. The ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, who had started to make field recordings of folk music for the Library of Congress, helped raise money for Lead Belly's legal expenses. [2]
Aug 31, 2021 · By the time the iconic songster Huddie Leadbetter – aka “Leadbelly” – was recorded singing The Midnight Special in prison in 1934, it had been bouncing around in many communities for well over a decade.
