"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child", also "Motherless Child", is a traditional spiritual. It dates back to the era of slavery in the United States.
An early performance of the song was in the 1870s by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. [1] [2] Commonly heard during the Civil rights movement in the United States, [3] it has many variations and has been recorded widely.
The song is an expression of pain and despair as the singer compares their hopelessness to that of a child who has been torn from its parents. Under one interpretation, the repetition of the word "sometimes" offers a measure of hope, as it suggests that at least "sometimes" the singer does not feel like a motherless child. [4]
Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. An important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, she influenced many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin. In 2011 Time magazine included her recording of "Take This Hammer" on its list of the 100 Greatest Popular Songs, stating that "Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan, and Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music."
"The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th-century Scottish song adaptation of a Gaelic song composed c.1782 by William Ross, entitled Cuachag nan Craobh. In the original song, the composer laments to a cuckoo that his unrequited love, Lady Marion Ross, is rejecting him. The 19th century English lyrics instead evoked the journey of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye as he evaded capture by government soldiers after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
"The Cherry-Tree Carol" is a ballad with the rare distinction of being both a Christmas carol and one of the Child Ballads. The song itself is very old, reportedly sung in some form at the Feast of Corpus Christi in the early 15th century.
"In the Ghetto" is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. It was a major hit released in 1969 as a part of Presley's comeback album, and also on the single release of "Any Day Now" as the flip side.
Poetic Champions Compose is the seventeenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1987 on Mercury Records. It received generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom viewed it as adequate mood music.
"Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" (also known as In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home) is a song written by American blues musician Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, who made the first recording of the song in 1940.
"Gospel Plow" is a traditional African American spiritual. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index, number 10075. The title is biblical, based on Luke 9:62.
"Tomorrow Is a Long Time" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. Dylan's version first appeared on the album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II compilation, released in 1971. It was subsequently included in the triple LP compilation Masterpieces.
Odetta at Carnegie Hall is a live album by American folk singer Odetta, recorded on April 8, 1960 and released later that year. It is now out of print.
The Essential Odetta is a live album by American folk singer Odetta, originally released on LP in 1973.
Maki Asakawa was a Japanese jazz and blues singer, lyricist and composer. She was an important voice of the Japanese urban counterculture.
Spinout is the 14th soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3702, on October 31, 1966. It is the soundtrack to the 1966 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions for the film songs took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on February 16 and 17, 1966. The album was augmented with three non-film songs recorded earlier in the year. It peaked at number 18 on the Top Pop Albums chart.
"Someday Soon" is a song composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson who recorded the song with Sylvia Fricker as the duo Ian & Sylvia in 1963. Cited by Richie Unterberger of Allmusic as "clearly point[ing] toward [its writer's] future C&W/cowboy direction", "Someday Soon" would be brought to prominence via a 1968 recording by Judy Collins, and subsequently recorded by a number of artists primarily in the country and western field. In 2010 "Someday Soon" was honored by the Western Writers of America as one of the "Top 100 Western Songs" of all time.
Bayard Rustin Sings Twelve Spirituals on The Life of Christ with readings from the Bible by James Farmer is a 10-inch LP released in 1952 by civil rights and peace activist Bayard Rustin on Fellowship Records, a label owned by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), for which Rustin was working as a youth organizer. The album consists of Rustin singing a cappella spirituals in the tenor register with scripture reading by James Farmer. The album was recorded shortly before Rustin left for Africa on a trip for the FOR. Rustin also recorded Elizabethan Songs and Negro Spirituals, with harpsichord accompaniment by Margaret Davison. It was also released by Fellowship Records. Both of these recordings were combined on a compact disc, Bayard Rustin: The Singer.
Feelin' the Spirit is an album by vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon featuring that was recorded in 1957 and released by the HiFi label.
"One More Dance" is a song written by C. C. Carter. It is a satirical song about cynical lovers. It was first recorded by South African singer Miriam Makeba with Charles Colman for her debut album Miriam Makeba (1960). Makeba performed the song live with American singer Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall in 1960. Their duet was released on his album Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall (1960). Israeli folk duo Esther & Abi Ofarim recorded popular renditions of the song in different languages.
Sing! is an album by Israeli folk duo Esther & Abi Ofarim. It was released on Philips Records in 1966. The album was released as The New Esther & Abi Ofarim Album in the UK, Sing Hallelujah! in the Netherlands, and Das Neue Esther & Abi Ofarim Album in Germany.
I Hear the Word is a studio album of inspirational songs by Kay Starr. It was released in 1959 by RCA Victor. Starr was backed up on the album by The Jimmy Joyce Singers and an orchestra conducted by Bill Stafford.
Asakawa Maki no Sekai is the debut album by Japanese musician Maki Asakawa, released in September 1970 by Toshiba Records.
"It Feels So Right" is a song written by Ben Weisman and Fred Wise and originally recorded by Elvis Presley with backing vocals provided by the Jordanaires for his 1960 album Elvis Is Back. In 1965, a song titled "(Such an) Easy Question", used for that year's Presley movie Tickle Me, was coupled with "It Feels So Right" for a single release. "(Such an) Easy Question" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "It Feels So Right" peaked at number 55.
