Goebel Reeves

Goebel Leon Reeves (October 9, 1899 – January 26, 1959) was an American folk singer. His most famous song is "Hobo's Lullaby", which has been covered by various singers, especially Woody Guthrie. Among other artists who later performed the song were Woody Guthrie's son Arlo, Emmylou Harris, David Carradine and Billy Bragg with Joe Henry. A 2016 article in the Los Angeles Times said the song is "one of the most disarmingly endearing train songs ever written", and is "inextricably linked with American folk music icon Woody Guthrie". Reeves also appeared in the 1937 Western film The Silver Trail, playing a singer named Hank in an uncredited role.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 9, 1899 (Texas), Died January 26, 1959 (Long Beach)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1935

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, composer, lyricist, yodeling

Notes: Often sub-credited on disc labels as "The Texas Drifter."

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
OKeh	W402714	10-in.	6/25/1929	The tramp's mother	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, yodeling
OKeh	W402715	10-in.	6/25/1929	I learned about women from her	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist
OKeh	W402716	10-in.	6/25/1929	The drifter	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, yodeling, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W402717	10-in.	6/25/1929	The drifter	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, yodeling, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403579	10-in.	1/3/1930	When the clock struck seventeen	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403580	10-in.	1/3/1930	Blue undertaker's blues	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403581	10-in.	1/3/1930	Blue undertaker's blues	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403582	10-in.	1/3/1930	Fortunes galore	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403588	10-in.	1/6/1930	My mountain gal	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403589	10-in.	1/6/1930	A song of the sea	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
OKeh	W403590	10-in.	1/6/1930	In the land of the never was	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer
OKeh	W403591	10-in.	1/6/1930	Blue undertaker's blues, pt. 3	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, lyricist, composer
OKeh	W403592	10-in.	1/6/1930	Blue undertaker's blues, pt. 4	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	lyricist, composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	W403593	10-in.	1/6/1930	The Texas Drifter's warning	Goebel Reeves	Male vocal solo, with guitar	instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, lyricist, composer
Brunswick	E34013	10-in.	10/15/1930	The drifter	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E34014	10-in.	10/15/1930	The drifter	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E34015	10-in.	10/15/1930	At the end of the hobo's trail	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E34016	10-in.	10/15/1930	The Oklahoma Kid	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo and yodeling, with guitar	vocalist, yodeling, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C3774	10-in.	7/3/1929	The cowboy’s dream	Arkansas Charlie	Male vocal duet, with guitar and harmonica	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C8257	10-in.	10/30/1931	I’m a lonesome cowboy	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C8258	10-in.	10/30/1931	The cowboy’s secret	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C8259	10-in.	10/30/1931	John Law and the hobo	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C8260	10-in.	10/30/1931	The prisoner’s song	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	C1762-C1763	10-in.	3/22/1928	The cowboy’s dream	Marc Williams	Male vocal solo, with violin and guitar	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA993	10-in.	4/14/1931	Hobo’s last letter	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA994	10-in.	4/14/1931	Station H.O.B.O.	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA995	10-in.	4/14/1931	Land of the never was	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA996	10-in.	4/14/1931	Railroad boomer	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA997	10-in.	4/14/1931	The tramp’s mother	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA998	10-in.	4/14/1931	Cowboy’s dream	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA999	10-in.	4/14/1931	Mother-in-law blues	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA1025	10-in.	4/14/1931	Fortunes galore	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist
Brunswick	LA1026	10-in.	4/14/1931	Bright Sherman Valley	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Brunswick	LA1027	10-in.	4/14/1931	Little Joe, the wrangler	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]	Male vocal solo, with guitar	vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9363	10-in.	8/31/1934	Cowboy's lullabye	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9364	10-in.	8/31/1934	Hobo's lullaby	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9365	10-in.	8/31/1934	The drifter's buddy	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9366	10-in.	8/31/1934	The cowboy's prayer	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9367	10-in.	8/31/1934	Happy days	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9368	10-in.	8/31/1934	The wayward son	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9369	10-in.	8/31/1934	Reckless Tex	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9370	10-in.	8/31/1934	The soldier's return	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9371	10-in.	8/31/1934	Miss Jackson Tennessee	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9372	10-in.	8/31/1934	My mountain gal	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9373	10-in.	8/31/1934	Cold and hungry	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9374	10-in.	8/31/1934	Meet roe at the crossroads, pal	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9375	10-in.	8/31/1934	The yodelin' teacher	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	C 9648	10-in.	1/14/1935	The kidnapped baby	The Texas Drifter [Goebel Reeves]		vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reeves, Goebel," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107063.

Reeves, Goebel. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/107063.

"Reeves, Goebel." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.