L - PD Songs
A note on the stuff in parentheses: “c” = circa, “r” = recorded (which doesn't mean copyrighted or "first written"; that may have happened well before), "TA" = Traditional Anonymous. “<” = before, and “>” = after. For instance, a song about a train wreck that happened in 1909 might have a “>” after the date because no one would have written about an event that had not yet occurred (duh). A song found in a book published in 1857 might have a “<” as we know the song was known at least by that date. If you see a date after 1923 followed by "PD", it means the song was apparently known for a long while, but not recorded or put into a song books until the date cited. In most of these cases, the name of the writer was never recorded or is now lost. Or perhaps a name was given that was only a good guess and cannot be proven or dis-proven. An acute observer may notice a disproportionate number of 1927 dates. This is the year Carl Sandburg published his "American Songbag", a cornucopia of old American songs. A question mark (?) means I suspect it belongs in this list, but am less than sure. Whenever I found a choice of two dates, which was frequent, I usually cite the older one. A few songs well-known by multiple names are entered under each name. Many are known by multiple names, by first line or by repeated phrases. If you do not find what you want on the first try, think outside the box, as it may be here under a variant of the name you know.
Scroll to your heart's content.
La Amour Toujours (1922)
La Bergamasca
La Cucaracha (1916)
Ladies on the Steamboat
Lady Alice (Child 85)
Ladybug, Ladybug (1950 PD)
The Lady & the Gypsy (Child #200)
The Lady & the Shepherd (Child #214)
Lady Diamond
Lady Franklin's Lament (1861)
Lady Gay
Lady Isabel & the Elfin Knight (Child 4) (1776)
Lady Ishbel & Her Parrot (Child #4)
Lady Maisry (Child #65)
Lady Margaret (Child 74) (1720)
Lady Margot & Love Henry (Child #68)
Lady Margot & Sweet Willie (Child #74) (1720)
Lady Mary
Lady of Carlisle (1500's)
Lady of the Lake
Lady of York (Child #20)
La Gui-Annee
La Harpe Street Blues
Laird O'Cockpen (1885)
Lake Chemo
Lakes of Ponchartrain (1922)
La Laine de Moutons
La Marseillaise (1792, 1797 sic)
Lament of the Teamsters
L'Amour Toujours L'Amour (1922)
Lampkin (Child #93)
Lamplight Hour
Lamplighting Time in the Valley
Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl
Land of the Unclouded Day
Lane County Bachelor (1862)
Lang A'Growing (<1864)
Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl (<1750)
Lannigan's Ball (<1886)
Lanse des Belaires (1800s)
La Paloma (1864)
La Pique (1838)
Lark in the Morning (1905)
The Lark's March
La Rosita (1923)
La Rumba - Tango Argentine (1913)
The Lass from the Low Country
Lassie wi' the Yellow Coatie (1816)
Lass of Glenshee (<1900)
Lass of Loch Royale (Child 76)
The Lass with the Delicate Air (1767)
Last Chance (PD)
Last Cigar
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (?)
Last Longhorn (1890's)
Last Mile of the Way
Last Rose of Summer (TA)
Late Last Night When Willie Came Home (1926 PD)
Lavender Blue (1685, 1750)
Lavender Cowboy (1927 PD)
Lay Down Baby, Take Your Rest
Lazarus & Dives (1889)
Laz'rus (1916)
Lazy (1924)
Lazy Mary, Will You Get Up? (1700's)
Lavender Blue (1685)
Lead, Kindly Light
Lead Me, Savior
The Leaf
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (1888)
Leather Britches (1922)
The Leatherman
Leatherwing Bat (1733)
Leave Her, Johnny, Leave her (1830s)
Leave It There (1916)
Leaving Home (1904)
Leaving of Liverpool
Lee Highway Blues (?)
Leezie Lindsay
Legend of the Rebel Soldier
Leola (1905)
The Leprechaun
The Legend of the Durgarvon Whooper
Let It Alone
Let It rain, Let It Pour (I'll Be in Virginia in the Morning (1923)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1910)
Let Me Linger Longer in Your Arms (1924)
Let My People Go
Let the Bullgine Run (1921)
Let the Church Roll On'
Let the Cocaine Be (1928 PD)
Let the Deal Go Down (1935 PD)
Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me
Let Mr. McGuire Sit Down (1922)
Let Them Wear Their Watches Fine (1930 PD)
Let the Rest of the World Go By (1919)
Let's Sew Wild Oats
Let's Talk About My Sweetie (1926)
Letter Edged in Black (1897)
The Letter that Never Come (1886)
Let the Great Big World Keep Turning (1917)
Let the Heavenly Light Shine on Me (1901)
Let Your Feet Tramp, Tramp
Let Your Light Shine on Me
Levee Song (1894)
Liberty (>1781)
Liebesfreud (1911)
Life is Like a Mountain Railroad (1890)
Life's Railway to Heaven (1893)
Lightly Row
Lights in the Valley
Like a Monkey Likes Coconuts?
Lilli Bulero (1681)
Li'l Liza Jane (1916)
Lily of the Lake (1960 PD)
Lily of Laguna (1898)
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the West (<1830)
Limehouse Blues (1922)
Limerick Rake
Lime Rock (?)
Lincoln & Liberty (1860)
Lincolnshire Poacher (<1834)
Linda Lou
Linger Awhile (1923)
Linin' Track
Linstead Market (1907)
Listening (1924)
Listen to the Mockingbird (1855)
Little Annie Rooney (1890)
Little Ball of Yarn ·890)
Little Beggarman
Little Bennie
Little Bessie
Little Birdie (1909)
Little Bit of Heaven (Sure, They Call It Ireland) (1914)
Little Black Mustache
Little Black Train (1800s)
Little Boy Billee
Little Boy Blue
Little Boy Blue (Death of a Child) (1891)
Little Brown Bulls
Little Brown Church (1865)
Little Brown Jug (1869)
Little Buttercup
The Little Carpenter (?)
Little Creek
Little Darling, Pal of Mine (1928 PD)
Little David, Play on Your Harp
Little Dolly Daydream (1897)
The Little Drownded Girl (Child #10)
The Little Dustman
The Little L'Eau Pleine (1870)
Little Gal'll Fool Me (PD)
Little Girl & the Dreadful Snake (1952 PD)
Little Girl Up There (1908)
Little Grave in Georgia (>1913)
Little Henry Lee (Child 68)
The Little Horses
Little Jazz Bird (1924)
Little Joe, the Wrangler (1898)
Little Judique Reel
Little Log Cabin in the Lane (1871)
Little Maggie
Little Matty Groves (Child #81) (1613)
Little Mohea (1847)
A Little More Faith
Little Moses (1890)
Little Musgrave & Lady Barnard (Child #81) (1613)
Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane (1872)
Little Old Sod Shanty on the Plain (<1882)
Little Omie
Little Pink
Little Rabbit & Rabbit, Where's Your Mammy?
Little Rosewood Casket (1870)
Little Sadie
Little Sally Saucer (1849)
Little Sally Walker
Little Seaside Village (1903)
Little Stream of Whiskey (1912)
Little Sweetheart, Pal of Mine (trad m)
Little Wee Croodin' Doo
Little White Church
Little White house at the end of Honeymoon Lane (1926)
Little White Robe
Little Willie
Linin' Track
Little Black Train
The Little Dead Boys (Child #79)
Little Joe, the Wrangler
Little Love
Little Mohea
Little Sadie (?)
Little Streams of Whiskey )1912)
Little Whitewashed Chimney
Little Willie
Liverpool Handy
Liverpool Judies (192 PD)
Livery Stable Blues (Barnyard Blues) (1917)
Liza Jane (1917)
Lizie May (Child #51)
Lizie Wan (Child #51)
Lizzie Borden (1948 PD)
Lizzie Lindsay (Child #226) (1796)
Loch Lomond (1841)
Locks & Bolts (1876)
Logger's Alphabet (1904)
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (1599)
Lolly Toodum (1904)
London Bridge is Falling Down (1744)
Lone Pilgrim
Londonderry Air (1855)
Lonesome and Sorry (1926)
Lonesome Blues (1916)
Lonesomest Girl in town (1925)
Lonesome Valley
London Julie
The London Steamer (~1866)
The Lone Pilgrim
Lonesome Blues (1916)
Lonesome Hill
Lonesome John
The Lonesome Jig
Lonesome Road Blues
Lonesome Valley (1800s)
Lone Star Rag
Longing for Old Virginia
Long John
Long Journey Home (c 1890)
Long Lankin (Child 93)
Long, Long Ago (1843)
Long Lonesome Road
Long Time Ago (1837)
Long Time Gone
Long Time Man
Long Time Traveling
Long Ways from Home (1950 PD)
Look Away from the Cross (1907)
Look Down that Lonesome Road (1923 PD)
Look for the Silver Lining (1920)
Looking at the World Through Rose-Colored Glasses (1926)
Looking for the Bully of the Town (1896
Looking for the Stone
Looky, Looky Yonder (1939 PD)
Lord Arnold (1613)
Lord Bateman (Child 53) (1783)
Lord Dillard & Lady Flora (Child #65)
Lord Franklin (1845-59)
Lord, I'm Coming Home
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian (1909)
The Lord in Londontown
Lord Lovel (Child #75) (1765)
The Lord is My Shepherd
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian (1909)
Lord, Let Me in the Lifeboat
Lord Lovel (Child 75) (1765)
Lord MacDonald Reel
Lord Randall (<1700 Child 12)
Lord Thomas (Child 73, 1687)
Lord Thomas & Fair Ellen (Child #73) (1677)
Lord Thomas & Fair Elinor (Annet) (Child 73)
Lord Thomas & Lady Margaret (1750)
Lord William's Death (Child #7)
Lorena (1857)
Loss of the Albion
Loss of the Ship Jane Maria
The Lost Chord (1877)
Lost Indian
Lost Jimmie Whalen (1926 PD)
Lost John(1920)
Lost on the Lady Elgin (1860s)
Lough Erne
Lough Tay Boat Song
Louis Collins (1928 PD)
Louisiana Mazurka
Louisville Burglar (1886)
Louisville Lou (1923)
Lou's Handy
Love Has Brought Me to Despair
Love Henry (Child 68)
Love Is Pleasing (1905)
Loveless Love (1921)
Love Lifted Me (1988 PD)
Lovely Ann
Lovely Evening
The Lovely Lowland Maid
Love nest (1920)
Lover's Farewell (Child #26)
Lover's Ghost (Child 248)
Love's Old Sweet Song (1884)
The Lover's Proof
Lovers Quarrel
Lover's Return
Lovesick Blues (1922)
Love's Old Sweet Song (1894)
Love Somebody
Love Will Find a Way (1917, 1921 - two songs)
Loving Babe
Loving Hannah
Low-Backed Car (1883)
Low Bridge, Everybody Down (1913)
Low Down Blues
Low Down Rounder Blues
Lowery's Quadrille
Lowlands Away (<1870)
Lowlands of Holland (Child 92) (1760)
Lowlands Low (1685)
The Loyal Lover
Lucky Day (1926)
Lullaby from Erminie
Lullay the Son of mary
Lulu Walls (late 1800s)
Lumberman's Alphabet (mid 1800s)
Lydia Pinkham (1927 PD)
Lye Soap
Lynchburg Town (r 1929)
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