Jesse James

This article is about the outlaw. For the bike builder, please see Jesse G. James. For the 1939 film, please see Jesse James (1939 film).

Jesse James in music

Perhaps one of the most famous songs about Jesse James is the eponymous popular American folk song recorded by Leadbelly and others. It contains the lyric "But that dirty little coward / That shot Mr. Howard / Has laid poor Jesse in his grave."http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/jesse1.html Cher had a hit with her song "Just like Jesse James", and Warren Zevon wrote and recorded a song called "Frank and Jesse James" on his second album. There is also a concept album documenting the life of Jesse James titled The Legend of Jesse James, featuring Levon Helm, Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, amongst others, written by Paul Kennerley, originally released in 1979. In the song "Outlaw Blues" from his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan 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." He is also mentioned in the Hal Bynum/Dave Kirby song (made popular by Cash and Waylon Jennings) "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" with the narrator declaring "I ain't cut out to be no Jesse James." John Lee Hooker also wrote a song titled "I'm Bad like Jesse James". Elton John had a minor hit in 1976 with the single "I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)." The Cannonballs produced a song about the history of Jesses James called "Outlaw Jesse James" at http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/175/music.php

Related Topics:
Leadbelly - Cher - Warren Zevon - Concept album - Levon Helm - Johnny Cash - Emmylou Harris - 1979 - Bringing It All Back Home - Bob Dylan

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