Folk Songs About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809 in Kentucky and died April 15, 1865 in Washington, DC. He was US President from 1861 to 1865. See also Presidents' Day and Civil War.

Matthew Sabatella \ Songs in the Life of Abraham Lincoln (Ballad of America Volume 3) [whole CD]
Songs for Political Action collection from Bear: Earl Robinson sings Lincoln part 1 and 2
Mark Erelli, 'Abraham' from  'Delivered' on Signature Sounds.
Lincoln Freed Me Today- Joan Baez on Blessed Are
Booth Shot Lincoln- Uncle Earl on She Waits For Night
On his Folkways LP, Frank Proffitt sings "Old Abe", a soldiers' bitching song.
Art Thieme recorded "In 1861" on his Kicking Mule LP "Songs of the Heartland".
"Lincoln and Liberty Too", his campaign song, is on Oscar Brand's Smithsonian/Folkways CD of campaign songs.
Shel Silverstein's "Hey, Nelly, Nelly", which Judy Collins recorded
Lead Belly "Abraham Lincoln" on, I think, "Bourgeois Blues", a CD on Smithsonian/Folkways.
Bascom Lamar Lunsford recorded "Booth Shot Lincoln" for the Library of Congress. Others have recorded it as a fiddle tune, but I think Lunsford is the only one who did the words.
John Stewart did a song called, I believe, "Mr. Lincoln's Train", [on his album "Signals through the Glass"]
Jerry Epstein \ Booth Shot Lincoln
Oscar Brand \ Lincoln and Liberty \ Pres. Campaign Songs 1789-1996
Dion and a number of others...   "Abraham, Martin, & John"
Gorka, John   "Oh Abraham"   Cd: The Company You Keep
Hester, Carolyn  "Captain, My Captain"   Album: Carolyn Hester at Town Hall, One. (1965)
Vallillo, Chris  Cd: "Abraham Lincoln in Song"
Cornerstone--Out of the Valley
Tony Rice--John Wilkes Booth
Ben Bedford's "Lincoln's Man"
The Gordons \ Lincoln's Funeral Train \ Our Time \ Inside-Out
Chris Vallillo's release, "Abraham Lincoln in Song"
Carolyn Hester\ Captain, My Captain\ At Town Hall
Tony Rice\ John Wilkes Booth (written by Mary Chapin Carpenter)
Tony Rice and Norman Blake "Lincoln's Funeral Train"
Art Thieme\ In 1861
Frank Profitt\ Old Abe
Young Abe Lincoln \ JOHNNY HORTON \ JH Makes History \ Col
Abraham Lincoln \ PAUL ROBESON \ Songs for Political Action v2 \ Bear Family
Let The Band Play Dixie \ BOB GIBSON \ Uptown Saturday Night \ Hogeye
Funeral Train \ BOB MCNURLIN \ Cowboy Boot Heel \ Buffalo Skinners
John Reischman & the Jaybirds \ Booth Shot Lincoln \ John Reischman & the Jaybirds
Norman Blake & Tony Rice \ Lincoln's Funeral Train \ 2
Eve Selis/ Mr. Lincoln/ Nothing But the Truth/ Hot Records
Ronnie Gilbert  /  Lincoln and  Liberty  /  Songs of the  Civil War  /  Columbia 
Art Thieme\ Rock River Valley\ On The River
(mentions Lincoln and his connection with the Black Hawk Wars.)
Cordelia's Dad\ Booth Shot Lincoln/Hangman's Reel\ Comet\ Omnium (instrumental)
Lead Belly\ Abraham Lincoln\ Bourgeois Blues\ Smithsonian/Folkways

Additional song suggestions? Email Richard Gillmann


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