I don’t even know why some things exist in the world…
So, Leadbelly, he was great. A discovery of most honorable song-collectors John and Alan Lomax, he was a convicted murderer who, the popular rumor had it, was pardoned from prison because he played such great songs. It turned out not to be true (the murder part was true, but he was eligible for early release for good behavior), but he was still great. He knew a lot of folk songs and field songs and all kinds of songs. One of the songs he’s better known for (after “Goodnight, Irene” and “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”) is “Pick a Bale of Cotton”, heard here:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiXLl7clwJE]
(This, by the way, is apparently one of only three pieces of film of Leadbelly known to exist.)
Great song, right? Right. So who can blame a band for wanting to cover it?
I can. When the band is ABBA.
Seriously.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOYqGNzNs3c]
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go staunch the flow of blood from my ears.