The Songcatcher's Quest

Ah, John Lomax, a scholar and a seeker of the truth, Who found his calling early, in his adventurous youth. He scribbled down old cowboy tunes, a passion strong and deep, Though academic elders once advised his dreams to keep. From Harvard's halls, a quiet voice encouraged him to dare, To find the songs of common folk, beyond all worldly care. The Great Depression struck him hard, his bank job swept away, But opened up a different path, to brighten many a day. In nineteen thirty-three, the Library of Congress heard his plea, And granted funds and gear to roam, across the land so free. A heavy machine, a cutting lathe, its needles sharp and fine, To capture voices on acetate, a truly grand design. His children, Alan, Bess, and others, joined him on the trail, To gather melodies and tales, against the wind and hail. They ventured deep where suffering dwelled, in prisons dark and grim, Unearthing songs of hardship's might, a powerful, soulful hymn. At Angola, in Louisiana's heat, a revelation came, They found a man named Huddie Ledbetter, burning with musical flame. Called Leadbelly by his peers and friends, his raw and vibrant sound, Soon gained him freedom from the bars, and on free ground.