“Goodnight, Irene” or “Irene, Goodnight,” is a 20th century American folk standard, written in 3/4 time, first recorded by American blues musician Huddie ‘Lead Belly’ Ledbetter in 1933.
The lyrics tell of the singer’s troubled past with his love, Irene, and express his sadness and frustration. Several verses make explicit references to suicidal fantasies, most famously in the line “sometimes I take a great notion to jump in the river and drown,” which was the inspiration for the 1964 Ken Kesey novel Sometimes a Great Notion.
In 1950, one year after Leadbelly’s death, the American folk band The Weavers recorded a version of “Goodnight, Irene”. The single first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on June 30, 1950 and lasted 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. Although generally faithful, the Weavers chose to omit some of Leadbelly’s more controversial lyrics, leading Time magazine to label it a “dehydrated” and “prettied up” version of the original. Due to the recording’s popularity, however, The Weavers’ lyrics are the ones generally used today. The Weavers’ enormous success inspired many other artists to release their own versions of the song, many of which were themselves commercially successful.
Subsequent to 1950, the song was recorded by numerous artists across several genres. In 2002, Lead Belly’s 1936 Library of Congress recording received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Frank Sinatra’s cover, released only a month after The Weavers’, lasted nine weeks on the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 10, peaking at #12. Later that same year, Ernest Tubb & Red Foley had a #1 country music record with the song, and both Dennis Day and Jo Stafford released versions which made the Best Seller chart, peaking at #22 and #26 respectively. Moon Mullican also had a country hit with it in 1950.
On the Cash Box chart, where all available versions were combined in the standings, the song reached a peak position of #1 on September 2, 1950, and lasted at #1 for 10 weeks.
The song was the basis for the 1950 parody called “Please Say Goodnight to the Guy, Irene” by Ziggy Talent. It also inspired the 1954 “answer” record “Wake Up, Irene” by Hank Thompson, a top ten hit on Billboard’s country chart.
By Brothers Four
Lyrics
When I asked your mother for you She told me you were too young Now I wish I had never even seen your face Or heard your lying tongue
So Saturday night I got married Me and my wife settled down Now me and my wife are parted I’m gonna take another stroll downtown
Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene I’ll see you in my dream
Sometimes I live in the country Sometimes I live in town Sometimes I have a great notion To jump into the river and drown
Oh, stop your carousin’, stop you gamblin’ Stayin out late at night Go home to your wife and family Sit down by the fireside, bright
Irene goodnight, Irene goodnight Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene I’ll see you in my dream
Goodnight Irene, goodnight Irene I’ll see you in my dreams…