Grey Goose (folk song)
Encyclopedia
"Grey Goose" is a traditional American
folk song
. Its subject is a preacher who hunts and captures a grey goose
for dinner on a Sunday. He tries to kill the goose prior to eating it, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot kill it, the implication being that he had not properly observed the Sabbath. The various methods the preacher used to unsuccessfully kill the grey goose were, in order according to the song:
It was recorded by Huddie Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) in the 1930s. An instrumental version of this song was covered by members of the American band Nirvana
and the Screaming Trees
in Seattle in August 1989. The song was not released until 2004 on the box set titled With the Lights Out
. In 2006, the children's music band Dan Zanes and Friends
recorded a version of this song for the album Catch That Train. The song was also recorded by the band British Sea Power
for one of the B-sides of their single "Please Stand Up
". A poignant version of the song also was recorded by Sweet Honey in the Rock
on the Grammy award winning album A Vision Shared produced by CBS as a tribute to Lead Belly (and Woody Guthrie
) for Smithsonian Folkways.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. Its subject is a preacher who hunts and captures a grey goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
for dinner on a Sunday. He tries to kill the goose prior to eating it, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot kill it, the implication being that he had not properly observed the Sabbath. The various methods the preacher used to unsuccessfully kill the grey goose were, in order according to the song:
- Shooting it
- Boiling it
- Feeding it to a hog
- Cutting it with a mill-saw
It was recorded by Huddie Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) in the 1930s. An instrumental version of this song was covered by members of the American band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and the Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees
Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period...
in Seattle in August 1989. The song was not released until 2004 on the box set titled With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004...
. In 2006, the children's music band Dan Zanes and Friends
Dan Zanes and Friends
-History:When Dan Zanes and his wife had a baby, they moved to New York City. Zanes subsequently began playing music with a group of fathers that he had met in West Village playgrounds who were also there with their kids...
recorded a version of this song for the album Catch That Train. The song was also recorded by the band British Sea Power
British Sea Power
British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
for one of the B-sides of their single "Please Stand Up
Please Stand Up
"Please Stand Up" was the second single from British Sea Power's second album Open Season. It heralded a far more mainstream, pop-oriented and produced sound for the band. Despite predictions of it being a crossover hit, it failed to grab the attention of the public and was not popular with many of...
". A poignant version of the song also was recorded by Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American Grammy Award-winning troupe who express their history as women of color through song, while entertaining their audience. They have together worked from four women to the difficult five-part harmony...
on the Grammy award winning album A Vision Shared produced by CBS as a tribute to Lead Belly (and Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
) for Smithsonian Folkways.