Beach Boys - Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) Lyrics

This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo racist.

a rare stereo mix

I'm still listening.

Love it!

Who is singing lead on this song......it does not sound like Carl to me.

Al Jardine on this one..

@Pam Ware Thanks!

@Raymond Your very welcome glad to help if I can

Absolutely classic !

Takes me back to an amazing childhood

LYRICS LYRICS LYRICS
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home

It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten
You can't pick very much cotton
In them old cotton fields back home

It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home

It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten
You can't pick very much cotton
In them old cotton fields back home

It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home

It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home

In them old cotton fields back home

I love this lost Beach Boys classic!

What a bop 🌮

Hope leadbelly collected his royalties from this. CCR did it as well.

Al jardine really liked old songs

They did an under-produced version on “20/20”

очень круто

i nedd the note

Creedence Clear Water cover? xD

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home


Let me tell you now well got me in a fix
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I had to walk a long long way to town
Came upon a nice old man well he had a hat on
Wait a minute mister can you give me some directions
I gonna want to be right off for home


Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten
When I got you baby, who needs cotton
In them old cotton fields back home
Brother only one thing more that's gonna warm you
A summer's day out in California
It's gonna be those cotton fields back home


It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Give me them cotton fields
(it was back in Louisiana)
Let me hear it for the cotton fields
(just about a mile from Texarkana
)
You know that there's just no place like home


Well boy it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
You should a seen their faces when they seen how I grown
In them old cotton fields back home

Do beach boys try to remake every black song thats kinda weird

i prefer cleerence clearwater

Zokhawthunder brought me here

Texarkana is more than just about a mile away though

Glad to know there are cartographer nazi's out there keeping track of this.

I saw the Beach Boys at the Bournemouth Winter Gardens. Keith Moon made a guest appearence. After the show I went through the side door and met them all. One of the greatest nights on my life....

I got all their autographs in the programme with a stubby old pencil. I still have them, I spoke to Dennis, who was playing the piano, for some time.

He was gracious and generous. Truly golden memories!

Maravillosa canción, una de mis favoritas de esta gran banda.

i don't go too much for those fat ass B. Boys but they had the best version of this tune here.

Brilliant in 1970 and equally brilliant now.

One of the first singles I bought as a child!!

best band ever

One of the best songs the boys ever released

STAY on the BEACH !

ccr much better

It Sure Feels Good To Breathe The Air Back Home, You Shoulda Seen Their Faces When They'd Seen How I'd Grown!

Justicia es dar a cada cual lo que le corresponde según su derecho.

Genialidad de Lead Belly...

This was on the Aussie release of Sunflower ... a perfect fit ..l new contract ... new label ... renewed optimism!

One of my favourites

Charted at #5 in the UK and #3 in Ireland. and yet rarely gets played today...

Fucking racist song!

I've always loved the beach boys. Been listening to them since I was just a kid. My grandmother gave me a 45 record of this song and it still gives me chills - great song and warm memories in all

I've become a Beach Bum Pensioner. My son wanted my BB vinyl. What did I do?

Leave it to him in your will!

The cotton song? BOY is that dumb. Maybe all the BB songs should be titled thus.... how about Surfer Girl (the girl song)..or, Good Vibrations (the vibration song)...maybe Be True To Your School (the school song). LAME LAME LAME

You obviously are of the 'gender issues' generation. LOL

Esta buena canción la compuso LEADBELLY quien la canto y la publico en el año 1940 y la versionaron THE BEAC BOYS quienes la cantaron y la publicaron en el año 1968

Sorry, I love the Beach Boys, but this take on the song is not my cup of tea. CCR is much closer to my liking on "Cotton Fields", maybe the first song as a little tyke that I learned to sing.

For me, CCR version is more suitable for singing in a party, while BB version is nice to listen when driving in a long trip.

Why choose? They are different. I love CCR. But/and this version is more complex -- the vocals alone. And the lyrics. And it still hangs on to the blues/country roots. I never get tired of it.

There is a video version of this that used to be OK but someone has been messing with the audio and is now fked up. This track is OK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO8IR3x0kc0 THIS IS THE BEST INTRo

It sounds more country, I like it.

This is not the best vesrion..there's aB side with an intro that is immense

great musical artists...best of all time

Love this song & The Beach Boys! Thank you for posting.

who first? this or ccr?

sung by Al Jardine

my song

Apt today. What a bad year for loss of celebrities. Nearly all my youth has been decimated. Bless you Mr. Rossi.

Just wish they hadn't changed the words. Otherwise, beautiful.

Dude, this is country folk song written by black dude. Many black musicians were inspired by folk and country music as well southern country gospel music. Lead Belly as well Ray Charles and many more black musicians wrote country songs or did covers on country songs. Beach Boys sound here is typical country sound.

Thanks for that very insightful and knowledgable comment , Theo. It sounds like you have a thorough musical past behind you! l. Look for my comments on St. James Infirmary. I'd like to share more of your opinions on THAT song. --- Al the best! ----Bill

Barber shop singers that sold over 160 million records, hippie dylan. How many records have you sold dude.

Strangely, most of their best albums were commercial failures.

You started out strong and finished super lame. Go away...

I first heard this at my local fun fair when i was in my teens, i'll never forget it. i was stood at the rifle duck shoot shooting with cork bullets. I saved up to buy the single :-)

Does anyone know who the woman is that sings the opening lines?

Donnie Tucci It's Al Jardine

the one in the center

woman ? bahahahaha

This song reminds me my childhood

Cotton fields 老人之歌    詞: © 2018  ASIA & Group
Chorus 1: When I was a little bitty baby，My mama would rock me in the cradle,In them old cotton fields back home;
副歌1 : 當我老了變作 baby，啲嬸嬸幫我躺在床上，港老人流落老死劍橋!Chorus 2:It was down in Louisiana, Just about a mile from Texarkana, In them old cotton fields back home.
副歌2 : 無食飽飲水無涼沖，就這樣咁普通過踢晒腳瓜，住在裡面就去左冇人知!Chorus 3 : Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten, You can't pick very much cotton, In them old cotton fields back home.
副歌3 : 噢人老就會多病痛，醫都無辦法醫咁多啦，住在裡面就去左冇人知!
副歌2,1,2,3,2,1,2!

Bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at #105 in May 1970

What memories, I saw them at the New Theatre In Oxford 1970 .. I live in Australia now, would love to see them out here

so did @Robert Coltman apparently

This takes me back to about 1970 when I went to a Beach Boys concert at the New Theatre in Oxford (England). They opened with this number, it made the hairs on the back of my head stand up, still does. Was the best music concert I have ever been to. Going to see them (some of) at the royal Albert Hall next May, can't wait.

I think their version was the best , was at the concert in Oxford in 1970 too , great memories, Then shortly after I emigrated to Australia...

Robert Coltman I saw them the same year in Manchester, fell desperately in love with Bruce Johnston. I was 15.

Robert Coltman rsp

Early 70's this always reminds me of my long lost school friend Mark and his lovely mum Barbara.

Barbara ann?

Beach boys are up there with the best, the contribution they have made to music is fantastic, they stand tall against any other major band.

@Cole Phelps imo the Beach Boys would've gotten way more notoriety if Smile would've been released instead of smiley smile

@rocknrallsoul94 Rockero Really? I know that old man Wilson sold all of their music at one stage for a fraction of what it was worth, but what did Mike Love do?

@rocknrallsoul94 Rockero You might be correct about Smiley Smile or maybe not. The rest of the band felt it was a risk not worth taking. Mike did actually try surfing not a whole lot tho, maybe he didn't like it? Dennis, Bruce & Mike(kinda) were the surfers in the group. Glen Campbell counts as a member as he went touring with them.

@rocknrallsoul94 Rockero I did say it was MOSTLY Brian doing all the work. The other band members wrote hits during the period in time where Brian went AWOL. Kokomo was one of those hits.

I think so ,too:they have the most perfect harmony and sweet voices!

Just love the way songs remind people of parts of there lives, just read a comment, "just got back from Nam when I heard this" what a great comment, god bless you Fenton.

An unusual song selection for the Beach Boys. But Al Jardine was a big fan and historian of folk music, and I understand he took over the production. It was a hit overseas, but American kids decided the Beach Boys were has-beens and ignored it. A wonderful, powerful effort.

@TheBoldImperator They certainly had a lot of influences. And they were masters of music, and for me the best band ever.

I don't know if I ever heard it on a U.S. radio station. Seems like I heard it on Armed Forces Radio while I was in the army in Germany about 1971, and bought a copy of it in a PX over there.

Al also suggested Sloop John B.

Steve 1 this wasn’t a folk song. It was a Delta Blues Song Lead Belly from the early 40’s

@GregMF Here in the early sixties some people called the blues "folk" not meaning any disrespect but pointing to it being a traditional music made by ordinary people.

tato verze je lepší než na desce 20/20 prostě super

absolutly the best version of this song

+Roque
Yeah, it's a matter of preference. I prefer this, because it has longer verse. CCR version contain shorter verse which is repeated throughout the song. I think Beach Boys modified the lyrics in order to tell more story of their own. This is suitable to listen during long trip when driving a car, etc. That's why I prefer their version.

roberto cioccari - leadbelly is the dark and black version of this traditional song. The nightversion to this bright ( and white ) beach boys version.

I prefer the original Leadbelly version, and CC Revival's too.

Lotus Hempelonium Leadbelly wrote this song. It's his song.

One of my favorite 45's back in the day!

+reekashade Me too along with break away.

On this day in 1970 {December 17th} the Beach Boys appear in concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and one of the concert goers was Princess Margaret of Great Britain...
 Earlier in 1970 on June 14th the Beach Boys' covered version of "Cotton Fields"* had peaked at #5 {for 2 non-consecutive weeks} on the United Kingdom Singles chart...
And on July 6th, 1970 it reached #1 {for 1 week} on the Australian Kent Music Report chart, it also peaked at #1 in Norway and Sweden...
* "Cotton Fields" was composed in 1940 by Huddie 'Leadbelly' Ledbetter, he was also the first to record it...

I LIVE IN BENEFICIA CALIFORNIA.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Residents-Raise-Concerns-Over-Valeros-Proposed-Crude-Oil-By-Rail-Through-Benicia-330048491.html

Well hearing that just makes my day!!

by far the best version of this song... love it!

I think CCR had the best version

You obviously never heard of the carter family's version.

Don't kid yourself. CCR has the best version

Chistian Armistead yes!

mws755 agreed!

First heard this on a 78 back in the 50s can't remember who was singing it .

This is my favorite version of this song.  Great rendition.

gumbo mine too - but the ccr version comes close

Quite different from the 20/20 version. Is this a new take or just a different mix for the 45 release?

@Brant Barnett this is a stereo mix of the mono mix that you're more familiar with

+Brant Barnett I noticed it was different from the 20/20 version too.

One of my personal favorite Beach Boys songs.

they didn't write this song, Leadbelly did

I'm aware.

@Taste Soap They didn't write Sloop John B or Barbara Ann either so what's your point?

barber shop singers,thats all they were.

@hippie dylan Get a load of this troll.

@Meade Skelton Its an excellent music form.

+hippie dylan I love The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson is tops when you listen to albums like Pet Sounds and the sadly aborted SMiLE album (released in 2004 by Brian) So unique. Cabinessence...Surf's Up to name just two amazing pieces from that era.

Dylan - tone deaf fraud.

If this is barber shop then give me more.

This song was written by Leadbelly as gesture to some good old boy who had been yelling at him during a show to play "them good old tunes". Leadbelly wrote this all purpose "good old tune" as a reply and never played it again after recording it.

recording in 1940 !

He was a master of writing songs on the fly.

My favourite Beach Boy's songs

They didn't write this song, Leadbelly did

I did not say they did.

so what?

Thank God the slave owners were unable to steal the music from the Afircan.

I did. AIUI, if it was about slavery, then why was slavery in the North and there was no laws ready to ban slavery? If that was the case then why would the south fight about a law that was not to be implemented? It doesn't fit.

This song is written in country style. Lead Belly was country and folk lover. He wrote many songs in country style.

@Theo Martin
It was a country song given the Beach Boys treatment.

Amanda, Ya, it took the Beatles to do that.

Wonderful treatment of Huddie Leadbetter's authentic lyrics. Wonder what Huddie would have made of John Burns idea that the Civil War was not about slavery. After he'd split a gut laughing, he would no doubt point out that the Civl War made slavery illegal in the USA, though it's a shame that so many white people can't admit that their country was built on the back of African slave labour for its first 100 years and more, especially people in the southern states. It's one of the 3 original sins of the great US of A.

CCR on my mind.

Love ccr but you have to admit this is the best version

@Alan Neill I like led belly's and johnny cash's too.

CCR bara oväsen.
//AWA

@Alan Neill love both bands, love both records.

Best version!

I have this song on an old 70s compilation album (vinyl), and it's in a horrible "fake stereo" mix. It's nice to hear it properly for the first time.

@Throatwobbler Mangrove R you serious? Youtube/MP3 quality is the lowest sound quality possible.

i love the slide guitar on this... awesome!

Evergreen Super Golden Oldie ! 

man everyone sang this song!

love it

It was good but like other ones a lot more.

If you grew up in the 70's

i didnt know the beach boys didnt suck

thats because its not their song. its a cover. this song is originally by Leadbelly

@Andy Flores I prefer this version most of all including the CCR version.

@stickybandit
ever drink any?

I detect "Vinus Acidus" (!) :)

They probably do...on lollipops!

What can I say.carl and Dennis

Fabulous cover by the Beach Boys, infusing this classic with their own style.

That's the hat-trick :)

Merry Christmas to all :)