The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs

by Ed Cray

Ever wanted to know the "correct" words to "Roll Me Over?" Wondered where the melody of "Sweet Betsy from Pike" came from? Ed Cray ranges from "The Cod Fish Song" to "Hallelujah I'm a Bum" in a tireless quest to answer such questions and restore bawdy to an esteemed place in our folk music canon.  Extensively revised and including forty more songs than its predecessor, the second edition of  The Erotic Muse  is a unique collection of bawdy and even forbidden American folksongs. Cray presents the full texts of some 125 works with melodies for most and detailed annotations for all. In addition, he adds lively commentary that places the songs in historical, social, and, where appropriate, psychological context.

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Cray was a longtime freelance writer who has been published in many of the country's leading newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Cray is the author of 18 published books, including General of the Army, a biography of George C. Marshall; Chief Justice, a biography of Earl Warren; and most recently Ramblin' Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie. He has organized an international Consortium for the Study of Biography.

Cray joined the School of Journalism faculty at the University of Southern California as an adjunct instructor in 1976 and is now a tenured professor.