The Lead Belly Songbook - Lead Belly, no stranger to the blues
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Gallis Pole
Click here to listen to Real Audio format recording of MIDI file 28.8 modem
Click
here to see Harry perform Gallis pole in RealVideo format
This song shares some musical elements with Fannin Street. It is probably no coincidence. Fannin Street depicts Huddie as a brash unstoppable force with his family crying about his plans to go carousing while Gallis Pole depicts Huddie behind bars, pleading for his family to save his life - two sides of the same coin as it were.
The bass note held halfway into the third beat and through the fourth is the distinguishing feature of the song. Because of the similarities, I find that performing these songs during the same musical "set" is not a good idea.
Yes, this is a difficult song to learn and play. It can take years of playing and listening and understanding before you can adequately perform this one.
D.M. Tomovich suggested that I post another MIDI file at a faster tempo.
Click here to listen to MIDI file G2 up tempo.
Alvin Youngblood Hart is a terrific guitar player and singer.
Click here to listen to Alvin Youngblood Hart play Gallis Pole G2 player.
His arrangement of this song may have started with an older ballad sometimes known as the Maid Saved From The Gallows Pole. Lead Belly actually found himself in prison, charged with murder (actually convicted of manslaughter) in DeKalb County, Texas, under the alias of Walter Boyd. It is safe to assume that this song and the way he sang it were greatly influenced by that experience. He makes a prominent reference to the fact that his friends DID NOT bring him the silver or gold to escape, but that his family did.
Led Zepplin was inspired to do this song, after hearing a recording of Fred Gerlach play it on the 12-string guitar in the same way that Lead Belly played it. Led Zepplin changed the lyrics, some and the poetry and intent some, but still made mention of the friends who did not bring any silver or gold to save him from the hangman.
Click here to listen to Led Zepplin play a version of Gallis Pole.