Listening to Prison Song: Music and Incarceration in the United States and The Ballad in American Popular Music
I have put together Spotify playlists for the songs covered in Prison Song: Music and Incarceration in the United States and The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to Beyoncé. There is a playlist for each chapter or interlude, and the songs appear in the order in which they are discussed. Enjoy.
Prison Song: Music and Incarceration in the United States
Introduction (Open in Spotify)
1.“Break Every Chain,” M. Kyles from Parchman Prison Prayer: Some Mississippi Sunday Morning
2. “Prison Song,” Graham Nash
3. “Prison Song,” Carlton Williams
4. “Prison Song,” Daycare Swindlers
5. “Prison Song,” System of a Down
6. “Prison Song,” J Dogg
7. De Profundis, Frederic Rzewski
8. “I Could Have Gone Right (Just as Easy as I Went Wrong), Stonewall Jackson
9. “Prison,” X Clan
10. “Prison,” Space
11. “I Pity the Country,” Willie Dunn
12. “Charlie,” Willie Dunn
13. “O Canada!,” Willie Dunn
Chapter One: The Prisoner’s Song (Open in Spotify)
1. “The Prisoner’s Song,” Vernon Dalhart
2. “Wreck of the Old 97,” Vernon Dalhart
3. “The New Prisoner’s Song,” Dock Boggs
4. “In the Jailhouse Now,” Jimmie Rodgers
5. “The Prisoner’s Lament” Ernest Stoneman
6. “The Prisoner’s Lament,” Asher Sizemore and Little Jimmy
7. “The Convict’s Dream,” Gene Autry
8. “No Home/The Prisoner’s Dream,” Carter Family
9. “The Prisoner’s Plea,” The Dixon Brothers
10. “The Prisoner’s Farewell,” The Delmore Brothers
11. “The Convict and the Rose,” Vernon Dalhart
12. “The Chain Gang Song,” Vernon Dalhart
Chapter Two: A Community of Song: Recordings of Women at Parchman Farm (1933–39) (Open in Spotify)
1. “Noah Built the Ark,” Josephine Douglas
2. “Is Anybody Here Wants to Buy Some Cabbage,” Women at Parchman Farm
3. “How’m I doin’ it, hey hey,” Josephine Parker
4. “Old Apple Tree in the Ground,” Elizabeth Moore
5. “To Be Sho,” Annabelle Abraham
6. “Susie Gal,” Edna Taylor
7. “Penitentiary Blues,” Mattie May Thomas and Beatrice Tisdale
8. “No More Freedom,” Mattie May Thomas and Eva White
9. “Woman Trouble Blues,” Bessie Smith
10. “Cell Bound Blues,” Ma Rainey
11. “Judge Harsh Blues,” Furry Lewis
12. “Georgia Stockade Blues,” Sara Martin
13. “Rickitest Superintendent,” Mary Alice Vanderson, Margarete Miller, Opal Brown, Elizabeth Moore, and Mary James
14. “Dangerous Blues,” Mattie May Thomas
15. “Jail House Blues,” Ida Cox
16. “Big Mac from Macamere,” Mattie May Thomas
17. “Workhouse Blues,” Mattie May Thomas
18. “Levee Camp Blues,” Beatrice Perry
19. “Shake ‘Em on Down,” Lucille Walker
20. “Shake ‘Em on Down,” Booker (“Bukka”) White
21. “I Know You Rider,” Joan Baez
22. “Rider,” The Kingston Trio
23. “Woman Blue,” Judy Roderick
24. “I Know You Rider,” Grateful Dead
Chapter Three: Death Row (Open in Spotify)
1. “The Convict and the Rose,” Vernon Dalhart
2. “The Convict and the Rose,” Hank Snow
3. “The Convict and the Rose,” Willie Nelson
4. “Death Row,” Thomas Rhett
5. “Green, Green Grass of Home,” Porter Wagoner
6. “The Convict’s Dream,” Gene Autry
7. “No Home/The Prisoner’s Dream,” Carter Family
8. “Paul Crump,” Phil Ochs
9. “Caryl Chessman,” Country Johnny Mathis
10. “Ballad of Caryl Chessman,” Ronnie Hawkins
11. “Sing Me Back Home,” Merle Haggard
12. “Jailbirds Can’t Fly,” Curly Putnam
13. “Death Row,” Chris Stapleton
14. “Lightning,” Eric Church
15. “Billy Austin,” Steve Earle
16. “Over Yonder,” Steve Earle
17. “Ellis Unit One,” Steve Earle
Chapter Four: Johnny Cash, At Fulsom Prison (Open in Spotify)
1. “La Prisión de Folsom (Folsom Prison Blues),” Los Tigres del Norte
2. “The Prisoner’s Song,” Hank Snow
3. “Soul of a Convict,” Porter Wagoner
4. “25 Minutes to Go,” Johnny Cash
5. “I Got Stripes,” Johnny Cash
6. “The Wall,” Johnny Cash
7. “Greystone Chapel,” Johnny Cash
8. “The Prisoner’s Song,” Johnny Cash
9. “Give My Love to Rose,” Johnny Cash
10. “Send a Picture of Mother,” Johnny Cash
11. “Jacob Green,” Johnny Cash
12. “Happiness is You,” Johnny Cash
13. “Folsom Prison Blues,” Johnny Cash
14. “The Conductor (The Second Dream),” Gordon Jenkins
15. “(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle,” Hank Williams
16. “On a Monday,” Lead Belly
17. “Tres veces mojado,” Los Tigres del Norte
18. “La jaula de oro,” Los Tigres del Norte
Chapter Five: The Attica Uprising (Open in Spotify)
1. Coming Together, Frederic Rzewski
2. Attica, Frederic Rzewski
3. “The Hostage,” Tom Paxton
4. “Attica State,” John Lennon and Yoko Ono
5. “Attica Blues,” Archie Shepp
6. “Invocation: Attica Blues,” Archie Shepp
Chapter Six: Joan Baez, “Prison Trilogy” (Open in Spotify)
1. “Right on Be Free,” Voices of East Harlem
2. “I Shall Be Released,” Joan Baez
3. “Prison Trilogy,” Joan Baez
4. “A Song for David,” Joan Baez
5. “Long Black Veil,” Joan Baez
6. “Sing Me Back Home” Joan Baez and Jeffrey Shurtleff
7. “Mama Tried,” Joan Baez and Jeffrey Shurtleff
8. “Deportee,” Joan Baez
9. “George Jackson,” Bob Dylan
10. “Hurricane,” Bob Dylan
11. “Joanne Little,” Sweet Honey in the Rock
12. “Waltzing Will Trilogy,” Lavender Country
Chapter Seven: Life Stories of the Incarcerated in Early Hip Hop (Open in Spotify)
1. “The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
2. “Living for the City,” Stevie Wonder
3. “Ball and Chain Blues,” Peg Leg Howell
4. “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos,” Public Enemy
5. “Express Yourself,” N.W.A.
6. “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted,” Ice Cube
7. “My Summer Vacation,” Ice Cube
8. “Check Yo Self—Remix,” Ice Cube, Das EFX
9. “Lil Ass Gee,” Ice Cube
10. “What Can I Do?” Ice Cube
11. “The Moment I Feared,” Slick Rick
12. “Behind Bars,” Slick Rick
13. “Behind Bars—Dum Ditty Dum Remix,” Slick Rick, Warren G
Chapter Eight: Prison Letters and Calls (Open in Spotify)
1. “One Love,” Nas, feat. Q-Tip
2. “Tie a Yellow Ribbon around the Old Oak Tree,” Tony Orlando and Dawn
3. “Dear Mrs.,” Johnny Cash
4. “Calldrops,” A$AP Rocky, Kodak Black
5. “Penitentiary Blues,” Convicts, feat. J. Prince
6. “Goin Wild in the Penile,” Tim Dog
7. “Changes,” 2Pac, feat. Talent
8. “One Love,” Whodini
9. “She Don’t Really Care 1_Luv,” Alicia Keys
10. “Soopaman Luva 3,” Redman
11. “Jail Call,” Casanova
12. “Never Had a Friend Like Me,” 2Pac
13. “I Ain’t Mad at Cha,” 2Pac, feat. Danny Boy
14. “1-Luv,” E-40, feat. Leviti
15. “One Love,” Cormega
16. “Do Your Time,” Ludacris, feat. Beanie Sigel, Pimp C, and C-Murder
17. “Bid Long,” Plies
18. “Danger,” Erykah Badu
19. “Prisoner 1 & 2,” Lupe Fiasco, feat. Ayesha Jaco
20. “Don’t Blow It,” Murphy Lee, feat. City Spud
21. “Confessions Part II (Remix),” Usher, feat. Twista, Kanye West, and Shyne
22. “Behind Enemy Lines,” dead prez
23. “Commissary,” Pistol Annies
24. “Make It Rain,” Pop Smoke, feat. Rowdy Rebel
Chapter Nine: Mass Incarceration: Life Stories, Rage, and Healing (Open in Spotify)
1. “Reagan,” Killer Mike
2. “Prisoner 1 & 2,” Lupe Fiasco, feat. Ayesha Jaco
3. “Trauma,” Meek Mill
4. “Stay Woke,” Meek Mill, feat. Miguel
5. “I’m Feeling Love,” Raphael Saadiq
6. “Riker’s Island,” Raphael Saadiq
7. “Riker’s Island Redux,” Raphael Saadiq, feat. Daniel J. Watts
8. “Who We Be,” DMX
9. “Prison Song,” System of a Down
10. “Unquenchable,” La Armada
11. “4 Your Eyez Only,” J. Cole
The Ballad in American Popular Music
Introduction: What is a Ballad? (Open in Spotify)
The Carpenters, “Goodbye to Love”
Barbra Streisand, “The Way We Were”
James Brown, “Please, Please, Please”
Alicia Keys, “Fallin’”
Rihanna, Mikky Ekko, “Stay”
Dionne Warwick, “A House is Not a Home”
Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”
Britney Spears, “Sometimes”
Pink, “Try”
Harry Connick, Jr., “If I Only Had a Brain”
Willie Nelson, “Always on My Mind”
Pet Shop Boys, “Always on My Mind”
Roy Orbison, “Crying”
k.d. lang, “Crying”
Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get It On”
Isaac Hayes, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”
TLC, “Waterfalls”
Wings, “Silly Love Songs”
The Four Aces, “Love is a Many Splendored Thing”
Eric Clapton, “Tears in Heaven”
Green Day, “Wake Me Up When September Ends”
Chapter One: The 1950s (Open in Spotify)
Elvis Presley, “I Was the One”
Elvis Presley, “My Happiness”
Elvis Presley, “Blue Moon”
Elvis Presley, “Young and Beautiful”
Elvis Presley, “Don’t”
Elvis Presley, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
Elvis Presley, “I Need You So”
Elvis Presley, “Love Me Tender”
Little Richard, “I’m Just a Lonely Guy”
Pat Boone, “I’ll Be Home”
Pat Boone, “Love Letters in the Sand”
Pat Boone, “I Almost Lost My Mind”
Ivory Joe Hunter, “I Almost Lost My Mind”
The Platters, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
Fats Domino, “I’m in the Mood for Love”
Connie Francis, “Who’s Sorry Now?”
Wanda Jackson, “Fujiyama Mama”
Ray Anthony and His Orchestra, “Dream”
Frankie Avalon, “Where Are You”
Nat King Cole, “When I Fall in Love”
Doris Day, “Secret Love”
Frank Sinatra, “Only the Lonely”
Johnnie Ray, “Cry”
Johnnie Ray, “The Little White Cloud That Cried”
Bing Crosby, “I Cried for You”
Paul Anka, “Puppy Love”
The Griffin Brothers, “Weepin’ and Cryin’”
Roy Brown, “Hard Luck Blues”
Roy Brown, “Laughing but Crying”
LaVern Baker, “I Cried a Tear”
Interlude I: Patsy Cline, "Crazy" (Open in Spotify)
Patsy Cline, “Crazy”
Patsy Cline, “I Fall to Pieces”
Patsy Cline, “Sweet Dreams”
Patsy Cline, “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray”
Jim Reeves, “Four Walls”
Jim Reeves, “Then I’ll Stop Loving You”
Ferlin Husky, “Gone”
Don Gibson, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Brenda Lee, “I’m Sorry”
Eddy Arnold, “Make the World Go Away”
Willie Nelson, “Crazy”
Floyd Tillman, “I Gotta Have My Baby Back”
Chapter Two: The Soul Ballad (Open in Spotify)
Sam Cooke, “Lovable”
Sam Cooke, “You Send Me”
Sam Cooke, Soul—Hidden Track
Sam Cooke, “A Change is Gonna Come”
Ray Charles, “I Got a Woman”
Ray Charles, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Ray Charles, “You Don’t Know Me”
Don Gibson, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Eddy Arnold, “You Don’t Know Me”
Etta James, “At Last”
Otis Redding, “These Arms of Mine”
Otis Redding, “My Lover’s Prayer”
Otis Redding, “Try a Little Tenderness”
Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”
Otis Redding, “A Change is Gonna Come”
Bing Crosby, “Try a Little Tenderness”
Aretha Franklin, “Skylark”
Aretha Franklin, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”
Aretha Franklin, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
Aretha Franklin, “Ain’t No Way”
Aretha Franklin, “A Brand New Me”
Aretha Franklin, “A Change is Gonna Come”
Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On”
The Impressions, “People Get Ready”
Interlude II: It Still Hurts. . . (Open in Spotify)
The Everly Brothers, “Love Hurts”
The Everly Brothers, “Love Hurts”
Roy Orbison, “Love Hurts”
Gram Parsons, “Love Hurts”
Nazareth, “Love Hurts”
R.E.M., “Everybody Hurts”
R.E.M., “Try Not to Breathe”
Patti Smith, “Everybody Hurts”
Helping Haiti, “Everybody Hurts”
Paul Potts, “Ognuno Soffre”
Chapter Three: The Power Ballad (Open in Spotify)
Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You”
Dolly Parton, “I Will Always Love You”
Barry Manilow, “Mandy”
Barry Manilow, “Weekend in New England”
Melissa Manchester, “Through the Eyes of Love”
Dionne Warwick, “I’ll Never Love This Way Again”
Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”
Neil Diamond, “Hello Again”
Kenny Rogers, “Through the Years”
REO Speedwagon, “Keep on Loving You”
Journey, “Who’s Crying Now”
Journey, “Open Arms”
Heart, “What About Love?”
Heart, “These Dreams”
Mötley Crüe, “Home Sweet Home”
Guns N’Roses, “November Rain”
Warrant, “Heaven”
Poison, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”
Aerosmith, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”
Whitney Houston, “Greatest Love of All”
Whitney Houston, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”
Whitney Houston, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”
Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day”
Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
Céline Dion, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”
Josh Groban, “You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up)”
Il Divo, “Regresa a Mi (Unbreak My Heart)”
Miley Cyrus, “The Climb”
29 Joe McElderry, “The Climb”
Charice, “Note to God”
Kelly Clarkson, “A Moment Like This”
Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful”
Mariah Carey, “Hero”
R. Kelly, “I Believe I Can Fly”
Idina Menzel, “Let it Go”
Interlude III: Sarah McLachlan, “Angel” (Open in Spotify)
Sarah McLachlan, “Angel”
James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze”
Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit”
The Velvet Underground, “Heroin”
Johannes Brahms, “Wiegenlied (Lullaby)”
Interlude IV: Hip Hop Ballads (Open in Spotify)
LL Cool J, “I Need Love”
LL Cool J, Boyz II Men, “Hey Lover”
LL Cool J. “Luv U Better”
Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, “Holy Grail”
Drake, “Marvin’s Room”
Chapter Four: Indie Ballads (Open in Spotify)
Elliott Smith, “Miss Misery”
Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
Beyoncé, “Flawless”
Elliott Smith, “Waltz #1”
Elliott Smith, “Waltz #2 (XO)”
Elliott Smith, “Between the Bars”
Sufjan Stevens, “To Be Alone With You”
Regina Spektor, “Samson”
Cat Power, “Wild is the Wind”
Johnny Mathis, “Wild is the Wind”
Tori Amos, “Raining Blood”
Slayer, “Raining Blood”
Tori Amos, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Nirvana, “Smells Lie Teen Spirit”
Cat Power, “Sea of Love”
Phil Phillips, “Sea of Love”
The Magnetic Fields, “The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure”
The Magnetic Fields, “When My Boy Walks Down the Street”
The Magnetic Fields, “A Pretty Girl is Like. . .”
Rudy Vallee, “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody”
The Magnetic Fields, “Papa Was a Rodeo”
The Magnetic Fields, “The Book of Love”
Interlude V: I Confess (Open in Spotify)
Adele, “Someone Like You”
Frank Ocean, “Bad Religion”
Claudio Monteverdi, “Lamento della ninfa”
The National, “Sorrow”
Kanye West, “Runaway”
Joni Mitchell, “Little Green”
Carly Simon, “You’re So Vain”
Conclusion: Goodbye (Open in Spotify)
George Strait, “Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye”
Willie Nelson, ‘You Wouldn’t Cross the Street to Say Goodbye”
The Manhattans, “Kiss and Say Goodbye”
Usher, “Final Goodbye”
Bon Jovi, “Never Say Goodbye”