Mark Breedlove’s folk song history page
GENTLE ARMS OF EDEN “Gentle Arms Of Eden” is a song written and performed by Dave Carter. He was an American folk singer-songwriter who described his style as “post-modern mythic American folk music.” He was one half of the duo Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, who were heralded as the new “voice of modern […]
CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES “Christmas in the Trenches” is a ballad from John McCutcheon’s 1984 Album Winter Solstice. It tells the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce between the British and German lines on the Western Front during the Great War from the perspective of a fictional British soldier. Although Francis Tolliver is a […]
HALLELUJAH “Hallelujah” is a song written by Canadian recording artist Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a cover by John Cale, which inspired a cover by Jeff Buckley. Buckley’s version is the most enduringly popular cover of the song […]
PANCHO AND LEFTY “Pancho and Lefty” is a song written by country music artist Townes Van Zandt. Often considered his “most enduring and well-known song,” Van Zandt first recorded it for his 1972 album, The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. The song tells the story of a Mexican bandit named Pancho and a more […]
ROAD “Road” is a song by Nick Drake from his Pink Moon LP. It is the third and final studio album by him , released in the UK by Island Records on 25 February 1972. It was the only one of Drake’s studio albums to be released in North America during his lifetime: the […]
AMERICAN TUNE “American Tune” is a song written and first performed by Paul Simon. The song first appeared on There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973), Simon’s second solo album following the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel. It was also released as a single, Columbia 45900, which reached No. 35 on the Billboard singles chart in […]
SOMEDAY SOON “Someday Soon” is a song composed by Canadian singer/songwriter Ian Tyson. He recorded the song with his wife, Sylvia Tyson, as the duo Ian & Sylvia in 1964. Although this version was not released as a single, the song has been recorded by Judy Collins, Moe Bandy and Suzy Bogguss, all of whom […]
TECUMSEH VALLEY “Tecumseh Valley” is a song by folksinger Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997), telling the story of a girl named Caroline, who went to look for work in a valley named after Shawnee leader Tecumseh. She wants to earn money for her but also for her father, a miner. When she has earned enough to […]
THE BOXER “The Boxer” is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as the lead single from the album on March 21, 1969. The song, written by Paul Simon, is a folk […]
TANGLED UP IN BLUE “Tangled Up in Blue” is a song by Bob Dylan. It appeared on his album Blood on the Tracks in 1975. Released as a single, it reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone ranked it #68 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Telegraph […]