Folk Song "Tom Dooley"

Many of us who were raised in the '60s and '70s know the folk song "Tom Dooley".  The song was popularized by the Kingston Trio and even named one of the "Songs of the [20th] Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America (which sadly has since changed from praising songs to sponsoring draconian limits to downloading).  This also led to many parodies including The Incredible Bongo Band's "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley, Your Tie's Caught in Your Zipper".

I've certainly sung the Kingston Trio version loudly and enthusiastically many times, always assuming the song was being sung by someone telling that obviously horrible Mr. Dooley to hang his head in shame.  Much to my double surprise, the song (first surprise) is actually composed by Tom Dula--singing to himself just before his hanging--and (second surprise) is based on a real conviction from Wilkes County, North Carolina, which occurred just after the Civil War.

Alan Lomax, in his rich volume giving the history of many folk songs along with their tunes, words, and chords (most of these prepared by Peggy Seeger), gives the history behind the song "Tom Dooley" or "Tom Dula".  Apparently, Tom Dula was a bit of a wild young man who sought intimacy with many young women in the Wilkes County lands west of Winston-Salem and Pilot Mountain.

People from that time claim that Tom Dula successfully courted Laura Foster who was "wild as a buck" but, after some sexual activity, his attention turned to Ann Melton who was described by one man as "the purtiest woman I ever looked in the face of".  Tom Dula discovered that he had "caught a disease from Laura Foster" (and, presumably, one that Yaupon tea couldn't repair).  Tom and Ann Melton, his new flame, are thought to have then murdered Laura Foster.

Laura Foster's absence was immediately noticed (especially because she had left her father's home in the company of Tom Dula) but her shallow grave wasn't discovered for another six weeks.  Both Tom Dula and Ann Melton were arrested but only Tom Dula confessed and was convicted.  Local people believed that both were guilty but Dula insisted he had acted alone, even writing the night before he was hung "I declare that I am the only person that had a hand in the murder of Laura Foster, April 30th, 1868."  Ann Melton did get a short sentence in the jail but only Tom Dula was executed for the murder but not before leaving us with these words sung by and to himself...

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,

Hang down your head and cry,

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,

Poor boy, you're bound to die.

Bibliography

• Lomax, Alan.  1960.  The Folk Songs of North America in the English Language.  Double Day & Company, New York.