Home » Music » Children's Music » Burl Ives: A Great Introduction to Folk Music

Burl Ives: A Great Introduction to Folk Music

© Jennifer T. Stack

A perfect introduction to folk music is found in the songs of Burl Ives. His grandfatherly voice leads listeners, both young and old, through the past century of American music, and sometimes beyond. Carl Sandburg called him "the mightiest ballad singer born in any century." Although there are a few sugar-coated numbers (The Lollipop Tree, The Donut Song, many of his songs have unvarnished endings. For example, his Froggie Went A’Courtin’ ends with the entire wedding party “swallowed by a big, black snake.”

Although he may best be remembered by this generation for his narration of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, this contemporary of Leadbelly helped popularize folk music through his 1940s CBS radio show “The Wayfaring Stranger.” Spending his youth as a hobo allowed Burl Ives to accumulate a huge collection of folk music including spirituals, cowboy songs, old English ballads, and children’s songs of all types. His albums boast a remarkable number of train songs, including a musical version of Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine that Could.” Many songs, like Mr. Rabbitand The Moon’s the Northwind’s Cookie, defy easy categorization. Then their are songs that are quite silly, and quirky to boot, like The Whale, a very tall tale indeed, and Lavender Cowboy about a cowboy tough enough to "battle for Red Nellie's honor" and "clean out a hold-up's nest," but who just couldn't seem to get hair to grow on his chest!

Young children will best enjoy Burl Ives Sings Little White Duck and Other Children's Favorites. The album also contains Burl Ives' collection of Mother Goose songs.

For a complete biography, soundclips and much more, visit the official Burl Ives site at http://www.burlives.com/.

The copyright of the article Burl Ives: A Great Introduction to Folk Music in Children's Music is owned by . Permission to republish Burl Ives: A Great Introduction to Folk Music in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.