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Song

Written by
,
Language
English
ISWC
T-070.881.899-8 BMI, GEMA, ISWC
Comments
"Goodnight, Irene" or "Irene, Goodnight," is a 20th-century American folk standard, written in 3/4 time. John Lomax visited the Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1933 and recorded Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter singing several takes of the song he knew as "Irene". The song's lyrics tell of the singer's troubled past with his love, Irene, and express his sadness and frustration.

Leadbelly and John Lomax regsitered the song as their own work, however several sources indicate Leadbelly adapted the song from one he learned from a family member. One possible source for this song was "Irene, Good Night" copyrighted by Gussie Lord Davis in 1892, which, in turn, was based on an earlier song.
Published by
LUDLOW MUSIC INC BMI, GEMA
Licensing
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Added by Bastien

Versions

written by , English

Title Performer Release date Info
 REC Unreleased First recording on July 16, 1933
listen on Internet Archive  REL 1943 First release
  July 17, 1950
  July 1950
  July 1950
  July 1950
  July 1950 Hit song
  July 1950
  July 1950
  August 1950
  September 1950
  September 1950
  November 1950
  1950
  1950
  1950
  1950
Goodnight Irene Gordon Jenkins 1950 Unverified
  1951
  1951
  1957
  1957
  May 1958
  July 1958
  1958
listen on Internet Archive   February 1959
  March 1959
  August 1959
  1959
  1959
  1959
  1959
  1959 Live
  1959
  November 24, 1961
  December 1961
  May 1962
  August 1962
  September 1962
  April 1963
  1963
  1963
  1963
  April 1964
  August 1964
listen on Internet Archive   September 1964
  October 1964
  November 15, 1964
  December 1964 Medley
  1964
  1964
  March 1965
  September 1965
  1965
  1965
  April 1966
  December 1966
  1967
  September 1968
  June 1969
  1969
  August 1970
  1970
  1970
  1970
  1970
  1971 Live
Goodnight Irene Jerry Reed December 1972 Unverified
  1972
  September 1973
  1973 Medley
  January 1975
  September 1975 Medley
  1975 Medley
  March 1976
  August 1, 1976
  1976
  1976
  1976
  1976
  1977
  April 1978
  1978
  1979
  1979
  1980
  1981
  1981
  1981
  1981
  1981
  March 19, 1982
  1982
  1982
  1983 Live
  1983 Medley
  1984
  1984
  1985
  1986
  1986
  1987
  1988
  1988
Goodnight Irene Michelle Shocked 1988 Unverified
  1989
  March 1991
  June 23, 1992
  1992
  1992
  1994
  June 13, 1995
  1995
  1995
  1997
  1997
  March 28, 1998
  February 16, 1999
  July 1999
  1999
  January 18, 2000 Live
  August 2001
  2001
  February 1, 2002
  December 2002
  2002
  2002
  2002
  2002
  November 29, 2003
Good Night Irene Ronny Cox 2003 Unverified
  July 5, 2004
  September 27, 2004
  2004
  2004
  2004
  2004 Live
  2005 Medley
  November 20, 2006
  2006
  2006 Medley
Live
  2006
  July 2007
  2007
  October 28, 2008
  December 2009
  2009
  November 7, 2010
  November 2010
  2010
  2011
  2011
  November 2, 2012
  December 2012
  2012 Live
  February 14, 2013
  March 12, 2013
  September 10, 2013
  2013
Goodnight Irene Martina Stafford October 31, 2014 Unverified
  2014
Goodnight Irene Thorbjørn Risager, Emil Balsgaard 2014 Unverified
  April 6, 2015
  September 18, 2015
  November 6, 2015
  December 4, 2015 Released more than 10 years after its recording
  2015
  2015
  2015
  2015
  September 4, 2016
  October 21, 2016 Live
  2016
  2016
Goodnight Irene Animule Dance April 17, 2017 Unverified
  June 2017
  March 2, 2018
  July 9, 2019
Irene Good Night The Players [FR] 2022 Unverified
Irene the Alexander Brothers Unverified

written by , instrumental

Title Performer Release date Info
listen on Internet Archive i   1950
listen on Internet Archive i   1950
i   January 1951
listen on Internet Archive i   1951
i   1955
i   August 1957
i   1957
i   August 1961 Vocalise version
i   1961
i   1961
i   1962
i   February 1964
i   1964
i   1964
i   1964 Medley
i   1965
i   1965
i   July 1967
listen on Internet Archive i   1970
i   1975 Vocalise version
i   1982
i   1992 Live
i   September 16, 1997
i   2000
i   September 2006
i Goodnight Irene Tomas Ulrich - Rolf Sturm - Michael Bisio : Cargo Cult 2010 Unverified
i   2012
i   April 9, 2013

written by , English

Title Performer Release date Info
October 1964 First recording in July 1964
First release

{Leyl menuha Irene} written by Hebrew

Title Performer Release date Info
{Leyl menuha Irene} (Shimshon Bar-Noy) 1951 First release
{Leyl menuha Irene} (Gabi Berlin) 1992