“Little Sadie” is a 20th-century American folk ballad12. It tells the story of a man who is apprehended after shooting his wife/girlfriend. He is then sentenced by a judge. The song is also known variously as “Bad Lee Brown”, “Penitentiary Blues”, “Cocaine Blues”, “Transfusion Blues”, “East St. Louis Blues”, “Late One Night” and other titles1. According to one source, the protagonist went out one night and met someone named Little Sadie. They ended up shooting Little Sadie and then went back home to bed. The next morning, the police came and arrested them for the murder. They were taken to jail and sentenced to forty one years3.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
