Down in the Valley (folk song) facts for kids

Down in the Valley, also known as "Birmingham Jail", is a classic American folk song. Many artists have recorded it. It's even part of the Songs of Expanding America collection by Burl Ives. This collection is a six-album set called "Historical America in Song".

The song's lyrics sometimes mention "Birmingham Jail". This refers to a city jail in Birmingham, Alabama, which was well-known in the 1920s. However, this part of the song was often left out in later versions. A guitarist named Jimmie Tarlton said he wrote the words in 1925. He was inspired by his time in a jail in Birmingham. Tarlton and his music partner, Tom Darby, first recorded the song on November 10, 1927. They recorded it in Atlanta, Georgia, for Columbia Records. Another folk musician, Lead Belly, performed the song for Texas Governor Pat Neff in 1924.

The song is a ballad, which is a type of song that tells a story. It is played in a 3
4 time signature. Like many folk songs, the words can change. For example, the line "Hang your head over, hear the wind blow" is sometimes sung as "Late in the evening, hear the train blow". In 1927, Darby and Tarlton sang "down in the levee" instead of "down in the valley". When Lead Belly sang it in 1934, he changed "Birmingham jail" to "Shreveport jail".

Famous Recordings of the Song

Many musicians have recorded "Down in the Valley" over the years. These recordings helped the song become popular.

Early Popular Versions

• Darby and Tarlton recorded it in 1927. Their version sold over 200,000 copies. It was one of Columbia Records' best-selling songs at that time.
• The Andrews Sisters recorded their version in 1944. This version briefly appeared on the Billboard music charts. They also sang the song in their 1944 film Moonlight and Cactus.
• Patti Page released her version as a single song in 1951.

Other Notable Recordings

• Cisco Houston included his version on two of his albums.
• Bing Crosby sang the song as part of a medley on his album 101 Gang Songs in 1961.
• Connie Francis included it on her album Sing Along with Connie Francis in 1961.
• Jo Stafford recorded it for her album Do I Hear a Waltz? in 1966.
• Slim Whitman featured the song on his album Cool Water in 1968.
• Jerry Garcia and David Grisman included it on their 1996 album Shady Grove.

The Song in Movies and TV Shows

"Down in the Valley" has appeared in many different types of media.

On Screen

• The song is the basis for an opera from 1945. It is called Down in the Valley and was created by Kurt Weill and Arnold Sundgaard.
• Anne Baxter performed the song in a 1959 episode of the TV show Wagon Train. The episode was titled “The Kitty Angel Story”.
• The song was also performed on The Alvin Show and The Andy Griffith Show in 1962.
• In the movie Stir Crazy, the character Grossberger sings the song. The actual singer on the soundtrack was Dorian Holley.
• In the film Bound for Glory, Ronny Cox and David Carradine sing the song. This movie is about the life of Woody Guthrie.
• The song is used in the movie Along the Great Divide. This film stars Kirk Douglas and Walter Brennan.

In Books and Other Media

• Author David M. Pierce used parts of the song's lyrics as titles for his detective novels. These books were written between 1989 and 1996. The titles include Down in the Valley and Hear the Wind Blow, Dear.
• The first four verses of the song are featured in Catherine Marshall's novel, Christy.
• In Tillie Olsen's novel Yonnondio: From the Thirties, characters Jim and Anna sing the song. They sing it when they arrive in the Dakotas. The song's sad tune contrasts with their hopeful feelings.
• In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Dark Page”, a mental image of Deanna Troi's father sings the song. He says she could only fall asleep as a baby if she heard it.
• In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, Lucy Gray Baird sings her own version. She changes the words to "To the Capitol Jail".