Jesse James in music
Encyclopedia
Jesse James
became a hero
in folklore
and dime novel
s before he was killed in 1882. A manifestation of this was the emergence of a wide body of music that celebrates or alludes to Jesse James. The most famous song about Jesse James is the folk song "Jesse James" recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
, and subsequently by many artists, including Woody Guthrie
, Pete Seeger
, The Pogues
, The Country Gentlemen
, Van Morrison
and Bruce Springsteen
on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
.
, though there is no evidence to indicate that he actually "stole from the rich and gave to the poor".
Robert Ford
, who killed Jesse, was James' gang member. Mr. Howard was the alias that James lived under in Saint Joseph, Missouri
at the time of his killing.
The folk song "Jesse James" was recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
, and subsequently by many artists, including Woody Guthrie
, Pete Seeger
, The Country Gentlemen
, The Pogues
, The Kingston Trio
, Van Morrison
and Bruce Springsteen
on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
, and it is the most famous song about James. Part of the song is heard at the end of the 1939 movie, "Jesse James". The song was used in a 1958 episode of the TV western series "Lawman", in which the marshal tries to get Robert Ford (played by Martin Landau) out of town safely. A portion of the song is performed on-screen by Nick Cave
, playing a strolling balladeer in a bar patronised by Robert Ford, in the 2007 movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
.
Michael Martin Murphy recorded "Frank James' Farewell" with the lyric "Tonight I can hear Jesse calling, and tonight we will ride once again".
who gained fame by killing the Jesse James in 1882, also depicted in the songs.
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
became a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
in folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and dime novel
Dime novel
Dime novel, though it has a specific meaning, has also become a catch-all term for several different forms of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S...
s before he was killed in 1882. A manifestation of this was the emergence of a wide body of music that celebrates or alludes to Jesse James. The most famous song about Jesse James is the folk song "Jesse James" recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford was a lawyer, folklorist, and performer of traditional music from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians."- Early life :...
, and subsequently by many artists, including 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...
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen were a bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, DC, United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's founders who in its later years served as the group's "focal point...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
-Personnel:* Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, B-3 organ, and percussion* Sam Bardfeld – violin* Art Baron – tuba* Frank Bruno – guitar* Jeremy Chatzky – upright bass* Mark Clifford – banjo...
.
Folk song
The lyrics are largely biographical containing a number of details from Jesse James' life, portraying him as an American version of Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, though there is no evidence to indicate that he actually "stole from the rich and gave to the poor".
"But that dirty little coward / That shot Mr. Howard / Has laid poor Jesse in his grave."
Robert Ford
Robert Ford (outlaw)
Robert Newton "Bob" Ford was an American outlaw best known for killing his gang leader Jesse James in 1882. Ford was shot to death by Edward O'Kelley in his tent saloon with a shotgun blast to the front upper body...
, who killed Jesse, was James' gang member. Mr. Howard was the alias that James lived under in Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
at the time of his killing.
The folk song "Jesse James" was recorded in 1924 by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Bascom Lamar Lunsford was a lawyer, folklorist, and performer of traditional music from western North Carolina. He was often known by the nickname "Minstrel of the Appalachians."- Early life :...
, and subsequently by many artists, including 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...
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen were a bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, DC, United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's founders who in its later years served as the group's "focal point...
, The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
on his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
-Personnel:* Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, B-3 organ, and percussion* Sam Bardfeld – violin* Art Baron – tuba* Frank Bruno – guitar* Jeremy Chatzky – upright bass* Mark Clifford – banjo...
, and it is the most famous song about James. Part of the song is heard at the end of the 1939 movie, "Jesse James". The song was used in a 1958 episode of the TV western series "Lawman", in which the marshal tries to get Robert Ford (played by Martin Landau) out of town safely. A portion of the song is performed on-screen by Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, playing a strolling balladeer in a bar patronised by Robert Ford, in the 2007 movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his killer, Robert Ford.Filming took place in rural Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba...
.
Lyrics
Most common stanzas of many versions:- Jesse James was a lad that killed many a man,
- He robbed the GlendaleGlendaleGlendale is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means valley of fertile, low-lying arable land. The name originates from Scotland.It may refer to:-Places:Australia*Glendale, New South Wales**Stockland, a shopping centre...
train, - He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor,
- He'd a hand and a heart and a brain.
- Well it was Robert FordRobert Ford (outlaw)Robert Newton "Bob" Ford was an American outlaw best known for killing his gang leader Jesse James in 1882. Ford was shot to death by Edward O'Kelley in his tent saloon with a shotgun blast to the front upper body...
, that dirty little coward, - I wonder how he feels,
- For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed,
- And he laid poor Jesse in his grave.
- Well Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life,
- Three children, [now] they were brave,
- Well that dirty little coward that shot Mr. [Mister] Howard,
- He laid poor Jesse [Has laid Jesse James] in his grave.
- Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor,
- He'd never rob a mother or a child,
- There never was a man with the law in his hand,
- That could take Jesse James alive.
- Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor,
- He'd never see a man suffer pain,
- And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank,
- And stopped the Glendale train.
- It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright,
- They robbed the Glendale train,
- And people they did say o'er many miles away
- It was those outlaws, they're Frank and Jesse James
- Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death,
- And wondered how he ever came to fall
- Robert Ford, it was a fact, he shot Jesse in the back
- While Jesse hung a picture on the wall
- Now Jesse went to rest with his hand on his breast,
- The devil will be upon his knee.
- He was born one day in the County Clay,
- And he came from a solitary race. And the race is on and on and he comes pride in the back seat.
Other appearances
- Prefab SproutPrefab SproutPrefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...
's 1990 album, Jordan: The ComebackJordan: The ComebackJordan: The Comeback is the fifth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in August 1990.- Album :Jordan: The Comeback showed Prefab Sprout continuing their musical evolution from the prickly jangle guitars of Swoon, their debut...
featured a song called "Jesse James Symphony", which segued into another named "Jesse James BoleroBoleroBolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
". (These songs are bracketed by a corresponding pair about Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, to whom Jesse is implicitly compared.) - Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
, wrote and recorded a song called "Frank and Jesse James", and the song "Poor Poor Pitiful MePoor Poor Pitiful Me"Poor Poor Pitiful Me" is a rock song written by Warren Zevon.-Content:In keeping with Zevon's sardonic lyrical style, the song's verses deal with a failed suicide, domestic abuse, and a brush with sadomasochism. The song appeared first on Zevon's 1976 self-titled solo album...
", which contains the lyric "I met a girl in West Hollywood, but I ain't namin' names/She really worked me over good/She was just like Jesse James", on his self-titled second album. - Rap singer ScarfaceScarface (rapper)Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
released a song titled "Jesse James" on his seminal 1994 album The Diary - Irish folk-punk band The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
have a track (a version of the above mentioned traditional song) named "Jesse James", about him on their album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. - ClublandClublandClubland may refer to:* Clubland , an American film by Mary Lambert* Clubland , an Australian comedy film* Clubland , a 1990s house-music group* Clubland , a UK dance album and events brand...
recorded a ska tune entitled "Jesse James", in which Jesse is referred to as "the rudest rude boy..." - Terry Allen's song "New Delhi Freight Train" begins "Some people think that I must be crazy / But my real name is just Jesse James", and is narrated by the outlaw. Originally recorded on Allen's 1979 album Lubbock (On Everything)Lubbock (On Everything)Lubbock is a 1979 double album by Texas singer, songwriter and piano player Terry Allen, released on Fate Records. It was reissued on compact disc in 1995 by Sugar Hill Records. It was recorded in 1978 at Caldwell Studios in Lubbock, Texas, and was engineered and mastered by Don Caldwell and Lloyd...
, the song has been covered by Rick Nelson, and by Little FeatLittle FeatLittle Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
. - In the 1970s Mary McCaslinMary McCaslinMary McCaslin is an American folk singer who wrote, recorded and performs contemporary folk music. She recorded primarily for Philo Records and traveled and performed with her husband, Jim Ringer....
, noted American folk singerFolk SingerFolk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
, recorded "The Band of Jesse James," written by her performing partner and husband Jim Ringer. "He's wild as a half grown child at a grown-up party Like a mustang dang near kicking down the stall He's the kind to pay no mind to what he started He don't care, `cause he'll be somewhere else by fall A wanted man in Reno, he moves on to Cour d'Alene You know that man could've rode with the band of Jesse James."
Memorial songs
- The Legend of Jesse JamesThe Legend of Jesse JamesThe Legend of Jesse James is a 1980 country music concept album by various artists singing songs by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James....
is a concept albumConcept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
documenting his life. It features Levon HelmLevon HelmMark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Charlie DanielsCharlie DanielsCharles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
and Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, and Albert LeeAlbert LeeAlbert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
among others. Written by Paul KennerleyPaul KennerleyPaul Kennerley is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer working in the American contemporary country music industry. His works include the concept albums, White Mansions and The Legend of Jesse James...
, it was originally released in 1980. Two songs on this album, "High Walls" and "One More Shot" have been covered by the roots band, Marley's Ghost. - The Irish folk singer Christy MooreChristy MooreChristopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
wrote a song called "Jesus Christ and Jesse James" about the two of them visiting BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, together during the TroublesThe TroublesThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. - The late Timmy Brown wrote a song called "Fighting Man" about Jesse James.
- The Cannonballs produced a song about the history of Jesse James called "Outlaw Jesse James"
- Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
wrote a track titled "James and the Cold Gun" about Jesse JamesJesse JamesJesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
, for her 1978 debut album The Kick InsideThe Kick Inside-Personnel:*Kate Bush: Piano, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals*Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals, Bottle*Paddy Bush: Harmonica, Mandolin, Vocals*Barry DeSouza: drums*Stuart Elliott: Drums...
. - DezperadozDezperadozDezperadoz is a German "Western-metal" band and is the side-project of Tom Angelripper's guitarist Alex Kraft. The band plays heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by the soundtracks of the '60s and '70s Spaghetti western movies. They've released three albums, two on the German heavy metal...
, with the song "Jumpin' Down The Running Train" - Dan FogelbergDan FogelbergDaniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
, the 1985 bluegrassBluegrass musicBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
/traditional acoustic musicTraditional musicTraditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
album "High Country SnowsHigh Country SnowsHigh Country Snows is the ninth album by American singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1985 .-Track listing:All songs written by Dan Fogelberg, except where noted.#"Down the Road" – 0:27...
" features the song "The Outlaw" composed by Jay Bolotin
Mentions in group names
- In the 1970s there was a musical group named The James Gang
- From 1968 to 1971 rock guitarist Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
, who later joined the Eagles, played in the band whose hits included "Funk #49" and "Walk Away."
- From 1968 to 1971 rock guitarist Joe Walsh
Mentions in lyrics
- George StraitGeorge StraitGeorge Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
states "Sometimes I feel like Jesse James / Still trying to make a name" in the chorus of his 2008 hit "Troubadour (song)Troubadour (song)"Troubadour" is the title of a song written by Leslie Satcher and Monty Holmes, and recorded by American country singer George Strait. It was released in June 2008 as second single from his 2008 album Troubadour. The song was the 86th chart single of his career...
". - Joe Scruggs mentions in his rendition of Aunt Lucy that she had a baby named Jesse James
- Toby KeithToby KeithToby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
states "Running wild through the hills chasing Jesse James Ending up on the brink of danger" in Should've been a Cowboy. - Swollen MembersSwollen MembersSwollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada consisting mainly of the duo Mad Child, and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only and producer Rob the Viking, an official group member since 2002...
mentioned Mr. James in their song, "Sinister", when Mad ChildMad ChildMadchild is the stage name of Shane Bunting , a Canadian rapper. He is part of the Vancouver-based hip hop group Swollen Members. In 2009, he released his solo EP entitled The Mad Child EP...
says "Hang the hang man. Jesse James gang" - SynthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band The Magnetic FieldsThe Magnetic FieldsThe Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...
mentions Jesse in the first verse of "Two Characters in Search of a Country Song," from their 1994 album The Charm of the Highway StripThe Charm of the Highway StripThe Charm of the Highway Strip is the fourth studio album by The Magnetic Fields, released in 1994. It is the first Magnetic Fields album to have its original release with Merge Records. Its title, lyrics and musical styling are a nod to country music, though the songs of Stephin Merritt remain...
("You were Jesse James, I was William TellWilliam TellWilliam Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....
/ You were Daniel WebsterThe Devil and Daniel Webster"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. This retelling of the classic German Faust tale is based on the short story "The Devil and Tom Walker", written by Washington Irving...
, I was the DevilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
Himself"). - The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for their 1979 hit, "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation....
reference Jesse James in their song, "Apache" with the lyrics "My tribe went down in the Hall of Fame/'Cause I'm the one who shot Jesse James". - A little known Jerry ReedJerry ReedJerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
song called "The Legend", found on the Smokey and the BanditSmokey and the BanditSmokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
soundtrack, opens with the lyric "You heard about the Legend of Jesse James and John Henry just to mention some names/But there's a truck drivin' legend in the south today/a man called Bandit from Atlanta GA." - EverlastEverlast (musician)Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
, in their 1998 song "Ends," from the album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, contains the lyrics "And all of a sudden he's like Jesse James, trying to stick up kids for their watches and chains." - Mark KnopflerMark KnopflerMark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
and Emmylou HarrisEmmylou HarrisEmmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, in the song "Belle Starr" from their 2006 album All the Roadrunning, have the line "I can be your Belle Starr and you can be my Jesse James" in the chorus. - "A Train Robbery" by Paul KennerleyPaul KennerleyPaul Kennerley is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer working in the American contemporary country music industry. His works include the concept albums, White Mansions and The Legend of Jesse James...
, (with the chorus, "We will burn this train to cinders, so throw that money on down,") appears on the 1999 re-release of The Legend of Jesse James. Levon HelmLevon HelmMark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
included a new version on his 2007 album Dirt FarmerDirt FarmerDirt Farmer is an album by American musician Levon Helm, former drummer for The Band. The album was released on October 30, 2007 on Vanguard Records, and was Helm's first studio album since 1982. The album contains covers of songs by Steve Earle and J. B. Lenoir, and features his daughter Amy, as...
. - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, in his song "Outlaw Blues" from his 1965 album Bringing It All Back HomeBringing It All Back HomeBringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated...
, defends his decision to "go electric" with the line "Ain't gonna hang no picture, ain't gonna hang no picture frame/Well, I might look like Robert Ford, but I feel just like a Jesse James." - The Hal BynumHal BynumHal Bynum is an American songwriter most notably associated with the Outlaw country movement in the 1970s. Bynum has written more than 200 songs for popular country artists, including Kenny Rogers Patty Loveless , Johnny Cash , Cash and Waylon Jennings , and Jim Reeves...
/Dave Kirby song (made popular by Cash and Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
) "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" declares "I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James." - GWARGWARGwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
mentions Jesse James in their song "Bad Bad Men". - The Lead Belly song, "Out on the Western Plains", contains the lyrics "When me and a bunch of cowboys run into Jesse James / The bullets was a-fallin' just like a shower rain". Rory GallagherRory GallagherWilliam Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
sings a version of the song on his 1975 album Against the Grain. - Reggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full Effect was a Kansas City indie rock band, the solo project for The Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees.-Early years, Greatest Hits 1984-1987, Promotional Copy and Under the Tray :...
mention James in the song "G" on their album Last Stop: Crappy TownLast Stop: Crappy Town-Personnel:*James Dewees - Vocals, Keyboard*Billy Johnson - Drums*Paul Gray - Bass*Cory White - Guitar*Sean Beavan - Producer-Album Position:-External links:* *...
. During a verse in which the singer's psychologist raves about a daylight bank robbery, he responds by saying, "He doesn't even realize that Jesse James did that shit in motherfucking Liberty." - CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
had a hit with her song "Just Like Jesse JamesJust Like Jesse James"Just Like Jesse James" is a December, 1989 top ten hit, the third North American and second European official single release on October 1989 by Geffen Records from American singer-actress Cher's twentieth album Heart of Stone...
". "Tonight you're gonna go down in flames Just like Jesse James/I'm gonna shoot you down Jesse James" - NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
, from the album oud 'n' Proud] in the song "Not Faking It" "Jesse James was a born killer/Me, I'm just a rock'n'roll singer" - Laurel AitkenLaurel AitkenLorenzo Aitken , better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaican ska music. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of ska".-Career:...
recorded "Jesse James" in 1969. "Jesse James rise again/Don't call me Billy the Kidd, call me James, Jesse James" - Hank Williams, Jr.Hank Williams, Jr.Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
's 1983 album Strong StuffStrong StuffStrong Stuff is a studio album by American country music artist Hank Williams, Jr.. It was released by Elektra/Curb Records in February 1983. "Gonna Go Huntin' Tonight" and "Leave Them Boys Alone" were released as singles...
has the song "Whole Lot of Hank," part of which indulges outlaw mythology with the lyrics, "Frank and Jesse James knowed how to rob them trains / They always took it from the rich and gave it to the poor, they might have had a bad name but they sure had a heart of gold." Also Hank's 1979 album Whiskey Bent and Hell BoundWhiskey Bent and Hell Bound (album)Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound is an album released by Hank Williams, Jr.. It was released in November 1979 by Elektra Records and Curb Records. It peaked at #5 on the Country Albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA...
has the song "Old Nashville Cowboys" which features the words "Where are the cowboys and the home on the range / Does anyone know they've killed Jesse James". - Johnny "Guitar" Watson wrote a song called "Gangster of LoveGangster of Love"Gangster of Love" is a blues song recorded by Johnny "Guitar" Watson in 1957. When Watson re-recorded the song in 1978, it became a hit. It has been identified as "his most famous song" and has been recorded by several artists.-Original song:...
". "Well, there's Frank James and Jesse James/Billy the Kid and all the rest" - BrazzavilleBrazzaville (band)Brazzaville is an indie pop band founded in 1997 by David Brown. Brown was at one time Beck's saxophonist and took part in recording of Odelay and Midnite Vultures...
have a song on 2006 album East L.A. BreezeEast L.A. BreezeEast L.A. Breeze is the fifth studio album of the indie group Brazzaville. For the first time this CD was released by a Soyuz Records sub-label Zakat in 2006...
called "Jesse James". "When he was runnin’ from the cops/He said ... I don’t wanna live your life/I wanna die like Jesse James" - Snap!Snap!Snap! is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, but was most successful when fronted by rapper Turbo B, who performed on the UK number 1 singles "The Power" and...
in its hit "The Power" sings "I'm the lyrical Jesse James". "maniac brainiac winning the game/i'm the lyrical jesse james" - John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
wrote a song titled "I'm Bad like Jesse James". "'Cause I'm mad, I'm bad, like Jesse James"
Michael Martin Murphy recorded "Frank James' Farewell" with the lyric "Tonight I can hear Jesse calling, and tonight we will ride once again".
- Ry Cooder did a cover of the classic version of "Dirty Little Coward Who Shot Mr. Howard" using slide guitar on one of his early albums.
- Lil' Wayne in the song Right Above It ft DrakeDrake (entertainer)Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
"And you niggas know I rep my game like Jesse James"
Robert Ford in Music
Robert Newton "Bob" FordRobert Ford (outlaw)
Robert Newton "Bob" Ford was an American outlaw best known for killing his gang leader Jesse James in 1882. Ford was shot to death by Edward O'Kelley in his tent saloon with a shotgun blast to the front upper body...
who gained fame by killing the Jesse James in 1882, also depicted in the songs.
- In the Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "Outlaw Blues", Dylan alludes to Ford with the lines, "I ain't gonna hang no picture/Ain't gonna hang no picture frame/Well I might look like a Robert Ford/But I feel just like a Jesse James." - In 1975 Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
had a minor hit with the song "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"I Feel Like a Bullet " is a song on British pop singer Elton John's 1975 album Rock of the Westies.The song's lyrics compare the shooting of Jesse James by James' outlaw-partner Robert Ford to a failed romance....
" refers to a betrayal in a romantic relationship that is metaphorically likened to Jesse James' assassin. - In the Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
song "Frank and Jesse James," Ford is mentioned in the lyrics "Robert Ford, a gunman/In exchange for his parole/Took the life of James the outlaw/Which he snuck up on and stole."