Ballad Of Sam Hall

Album: Songs from the Victorian Musical Halls (1925)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In 2011, BBC Television broadcast The Story Of Music Hall (also referred to as The Story Of The Music Hall), which threw light on a number of contemporary songs. "Ballad Of Sam Hall" or "The Ballad Of Sam Hall" was described therein as was one of the world's first one-hit wonders.

    Performed by W.G. Ross, it was a Kiplinesque style ballad about an unrepentant murderer, a chimney sweep, on his last night in his cell before going to the gallows.

    Probably the best known contemporary recording is by Johnny Cash. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

George Clinton

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.