The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs (Music in American Life)

By Ed Cray

Book Overview

Ever wanted to know the "correct" words to "Roll Me Over?" Wondered where the melody of "Sweet Betsy from Pike" came from? Ed Cray ranges from "The Cod Fish Song" to "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" in a tireless quest to answer such questions and restore bawdy to an esteemed place in our folk music canon.

Extensively revised and including forty more songs than its predecessor, the second edition of The Erotic Muse is a unique collection of bawdy and even forbidden American folksongs. Cray presents the full texts of some 125 works with melodies for most and detailed annotations for all. In addition, he adds lively commentary that places the songs in historical, social, and, where appropriate, psychological context.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252017811
• ISBN13: 9780252017810
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

The Erotic Muse

Seems to have most of the music I expected but can be a very slow read, being written in a research format. Good just the same.