 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2017) |
| "Black Betty" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Lead Belly | |
| from the album Negro Sinful Songs | |
| Released | 1939 |
| Genre | Work song |
| Length | 1:55 |
| Label | Musicraft |
| Songwriter(s) | Traditional |
"Black Betty" (Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources say it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material.[1]
There are numerous recorded versions, including a cappella and folk. The song was eventually, with modified lyrics, remade as a rock song by the American band Ram Jam in 1977. Subsequent recordings, including hits by Tom Jones and Spiderbait, retain the structure of this version.
- ^ Wolf, Charles and Kip Lornell (1992). The Life and Legend of Leadbelly. HarperCollins, NY.