"I'm Alabama Bound" is a ragtime melody composed by Robert Hoffman in 1909. Hoffman dedicated it to an M. T. Scarlata. The cover of its first edition, published by Robert Ebberman, New Orleans, 1909, advertises the music as "Also Known As The Alabama Blues" which has led some to suspect it of being one of the first blues songs. However, as written, it is an up-tempo rag with no associated lyrics. The song has been recorded numerous times in different styles—both written and in sound recordings—with a number of different sets of lyrics. Two recording artists claimed composing credits for the tune under two different titles and both with differing lyrics: Trixie Smith for "Railroad Blues" and Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton for "Don't You Leave Me Here". In addition, Lead Belly also recorded another well-known version of "I'm Alabama Bound", in 1940.
History
The earliest lyrics expressing the sentiment found in some of the later songs are found in a minstrel song, "I Hab Leff Alabama", written by Marshall S. Pike and published in 1849. The chorus did not have the same melody, and was written in dialect. The first lyrics actually recorded to the music were by Prince's Band in November, 1909. The music was attributed to Hoffman and words to John J. Puderer, owners of a New Orleans sheet musicpublishing company. Charles Adams Prince was a popular march band leader of the day, performing cake-walks and military marches. Puderer was the proprietor of The Music Shop in New Orleans, who published Hoffman's sheet music. The verses, in rag-time, were pretty much the same as those found in later versions. The actual source of the lyrics is unclear, but they may have come out of a folk tradition. John W. "Blind" Boone included a short section of "I'm Alabama Bound" in his "Southern Rag Medley No. Two." The sheet music, published by Allen Music Co., Columbia, Missouri,, was transcribed from Boone's piano roll which he recorded for the QRS company in 1912. Alan Lomax attested to words found in his 1934 collection of "Alabama Bound" as being found in Newman I. White's Negro Folk-Songs. White's fragments were not set to music. Alan Lomax's "Alabama Bound", collected from prisoners in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, contains verses including the words "Alabama bound". Trixie Smith's 1925 "Railroad Blues" contains lyrics with "I'm Alabama bound". The Tennessee Ramblers' 1928 recording "Preacher Got Drunk and Laid His Bible Down" contains the chorus with the words "Alabama bound". The Ramblers' banjo player, James "Mack" Sievers, claimed to have learned the song from an African-American blues musician in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jelly Roll Morton's 1939 "Don't You Leave Me Here" has verses including "Alabama bound". Lead Belly recorded perhaps the best-known version of "I'm Alabama Bound". In the 1960s, the Charlatans recorded a version of "Alabama Bound" based on Lead Belly's in their San Franciscopsychedelic style. Lonnie Donegan released a version of "I'm Alabamy Bound" on the 1956 Pye 10" LPShowcase, which reached no. 26 in the UK Singles Chart. The chorus, which featured a rare echoing vocal by guitarist Denny Wright, included the words "Alabamy bound". Odetta released a version of "Alabama Bound" on the 1956 Tradition label Odetta SingsBallads and Blues, featuring folk songs, spirituals and blues.
