N - 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.

 

Nancy Whiskey (1907)
Naomi Wise (early 1800s?)
Napoleon Crossing the Rhine
Napoleon's Last Charge
Narcissus (1891, 1899)
Natchez Under the Hill (1839)
National Emblem (1906)
Nation Once Again (1962 PD)
Navy Hymn (1861)

Neapolitan Nights (1925)
Nearer, My God to Thee (1841)
Near the Cross I Watch & Pray
Neil Flaherty's Drake (1851)
Nelly Bly (1850)
​Nellie Was a Lady (1849)
Never Be as Fast as I Have Been (1920)
Never Said a Mumbling Word (1926 PD)

New Kind of Man with a New Kind of Love (1924)
New River Train (r. 1923, older)
The Newmarket Wreck (1906)
​New Money

New Orleans Blues (1925)
New Oysters
New River Train (1924 PD)
New York Girls (Can Ye Dance the Polka) (1882)
Never Be as Fast as I Have Been (1920)
Newlyn Town (<1830)

New-Mown Hay (<1845)
New Prisoner's Song (?)
New Railroad
New River Train (r. 1923, older)
New York Girls, Can You Dance the Polka? (1882)

Nicea (Holy, Holy, Holy)
Nickety Nackety Now Now Now (1888)
Night Herding Song (1910)
The Nightingale (?)

Night in Tunisia
Nine Hundred Miles (1909)
Nine Miles from Gundagai
Nine Points of Roguery
Nine Pound Hammer (1907)
Ninety & Nine (1874)
Ninety Nine Blues (1920)
Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer (1910)
Noah Built the Ark (1887)
Noah's Ark (1920)
Noble Skewball (1784)
Noble Squire Dacre (sic)
Nobody's Dirty Business (1911)
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (1865)

Nobody Knows What a Red-haired Mama Can Do (1924)

Nobody's Sweetheart (1924)
No Bread for the Poor (1894)

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen (1865)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out (1922)
Nobody's Business
Nobody's Darling on Earth
Nobody's Fault but Mine
No Hiding Place Down Here (1922)
No Irish Need Apply (1922)
Nola (1916)
No More Auction Block for Me (1867)
No More Booze (1927 PD)

Nola (1916)
No More Cane on the Brazos (1850)
No More Pencils,; No More Books (1955 PD)
No More the Sun Shines on Lorena
No Irish Need Apply (1863)

No No Nora (1923)

Nora Darling (1879)
Not a Word of that Be Said (1860s)
Not Far from Ballston
No Sir, No Sir (1833)
No Telephone in Heaven
Nottamun Town (1865)
Nowell, Nowell (1823)
Now, Go & Leave Me If You wish To (1906)
Now Westlin Winds
Nut Brown Maiden (1885, 1537)