What are your favorite American history, folk, or Americana songs?

25 comments

1. Kaw-Liga, Hank Williams

2. I love the whole album Texas Tornados by Texas Tornados. It’s a mix of banda and country about living in San Antonio/South Texas. There’s a Spanish version, but everybody I know prefers the Spanglish version.

   My wife and I used “Baby! Heaven Sent Me You” as our first wedding dance.

3. Stars & Stripes Forever

   This Land is Your Land

   America the Beautiful

   The Anthem

   Lift Every Voice and Sing

   Proud to be an American

   I can’t lie, I have a soft spot for this genre and I feel a little ashamed of it bc it’s not exactly ‘cool’ to be patriotic. Idc tho, truly. Imo, the hokey-er the song, the better

   Edit: honorable mention – Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton

4. The Battle of New Orleans, especially the Johnny Horton version.

5. Anything by [the Petersens](https://www.youtube.com/@ThePetersens).

6. Simple Gifts

7. Shenandoah may be the most beautiful American song of all time. Particularly Keith Jarrett’s solo piano version.

   [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPqdaWZe1mQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPqdaWZe1mQ)

8. Over There, lots of artists have put their own spin on it. Love them all.

9. The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia

10. Any song by Mishief Brew.

11. I have a huge soft spot for the folk hymns and slave songs

    [Down to the River to Pray](https://youtu.be/zSif77IVQdY?si=o1rA2E1YRJ3KpJDV)

    [I’ll Fly Away](https://youtu.be/lFamN-oXRMQ?si=owaNVW7JHN06kQhv)

    [Roll Jordan Roll](https://youtu.be/S7iCMNIPNf8?si=vch1BfkowIDtTIoO)

    Beyond that, [On the Nickel](https://youtu.be/r6V5DXk6TbA?si=7WKNzelAT2BV_3rJ) by Tom Waits and [Operator](https://youtu.be/7KfI7m8zQ58?si=q5vw15JLU-_qArem) by Jim Croce.

12. Wayfaring Stranger

13. Springsteen has some good ones. I like the ghost of Tom Joad.

14. [Convoy by C. W. McCall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9BWlGP_DJw) occupies a very special place in my heart.

    Edit: Also, I grew up on John Denver, so just about anything by him is a contender for this in my mind. My favorite is either [Eagles and Horses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeMPq92ElsA) or [Me and My Uncle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziKsmnBdKmY), but he’s got a ton of great tracks.

15. [can the circle be unbroken?](https://youtu.be/qjHjm5sRqSA?si=9yLosQQ5F-3nN7hI)

16. Anything by Doc Watson. Shady Grove, Tennessee Stud, Deep River Blues, all of them

17. The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel. Also, anything else by Simon & Garfunkel.

18. I have too many favorites to list but here’s a sampling from my Folk/Country/Americana playlist…
    [Caleb Mayer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugXkgd_-84) by Gillian Welch
    [Waitin’ around to Die](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyUhQlpnKKc) by Townes Van Zandt
    [I’ll be here in the Morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCVTjmygWuU) also by Townes for something a bit less depressing.
    [If I Needed You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3jr-Xn1GM) by Townes but the link is an Emmylou Harris cover.
    [The Sweetest Gift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEQDyrbphE) by Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton
    [Wildwood Flower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT2AdYytaxw) The Carter Family.
    [Cornbread and Butterbeans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZemcWGwKqM) by the Carolina Chocolate Drops

    Edit to add some shape note singing. [I’m Going Home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4liEuDm8ac), [Hallelujah](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34OaYzG9NE) and [David’s Lamentation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwcAs0wIrik)

19. Baltimore

    The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

    Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing

    Star Spangled Banner

    Summertime

    Take Me Home Country Roads

    My Father’s Gun

20. Georgia on my Mind

21. Marty Robbins – Big Iron

    https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=zzICMIu5zFY&si=pOYeUo-0Bj5cZoxw

22. I’m reaching a little here, but “The Bird Hunters” by the Turnpike Troubadours falls pretty solidly under Americana 😉

23. This thread is severely lacking in John Prine, so I’ll nominate a few:

    [Souvenirs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lccFpJjS3N8&pp=ygUUam9obiBwcmluZSBzb3V2ZW5pcnM%3D) (I *love* this later version he recorded. I think age and time made it more poignant)

    [Sam Stone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLVWEYUqGew&ab_channel=JohnPrine) (AKA the saddest song of all time)

    And naturally, [Angel from Montgomery](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpUoILdBQXQ&ab_channel=Caper2U)

    I could post 70% of the guy’s discography, though.

    [Lest we forget this fun little ditty, too](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-YzlbgEOOA&ab_channel=JohnPrine)

24. “You’ll never leave Harlan alive”

    Great song.

25. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.