Black Betty Covers

Black Betty is generally thought of as a Leadbelly song, although it was first recorded earlier by musicologists John and Alan Lomax. Leadbelly recorded “Black Betty” commercially in New York in 1939 on the Musicraft label. The next famous version was by Ram Jam in 1977. In 1990 dance remixes of Ram Jam’s version became popular and it was also part of the soundtrack of the movie “Blow” starring Johnny Depp made the top twenty of the US dance and UK charts and top thirty in Australia. There are other covers by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1986), Tom Jones (2002) and Spiderbait (2004).

Because of the diffeerent lyrics accompanying the various versions, people argue over whether the song is about drugs, others say it is about a white man’s relationship with a black woman. In Tom Jones’ version, for example, Black Betty tells him he is the father of her child and he says “She must think I’m blind.” Above is Meat Loaf’s cover. Even Sheryl Crow has a live cover on youtube.

Here are the Ram Jam lyrics that most people agree is about drugs:

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)

Black Betty had a child (Bam-a-lam)
The damn thing gone wild (Bam-a-lam)
She said, “I’m worryin’ outta mind” (Bam-a-lam)
The damn thing gone blind (Bam-a-lam)
I said Oh, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)

Oh, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)

She really gets me high (Bam-a-lam)
You know that’s no lie (Bam-a-lam)
She’s so rock steady (Bam-a-lam)
And she’s always ready (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)

She’s from Birmingham (Bam-a-lam)
Way down in Alabam’ (Bam-a-lam)
Well, she’s shakin’ that thing (Bam-a-lam)
Boy, she makes me sing (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-a-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty
Bam-a-lam

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Tags: alan, betty, john, lyrics, meat loaf, music, nick, tom