Ed Sheeran Sings Cover Of Classic Folk Song "Wayfaring Stranger" Live In The Studio

Mar 20, 2020 by apost team

Using looped recordings of his own voice, Ed Sheeran covered the traditional American folk song "Wayfaring Stranger" in a 2011 one-take live recording session in the studio. The song, which can be traced back as far as the 18th century, has a rich musical history.

In a departure from recording his own music, Sheeran uploaded the cover of the traditional American song, which is perhaps better known as "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger," on his YouTube channel. But despite Sheeran’s unique approach to this traditional song, in which he uses looped live-recordings of his voice (think acapella) in place of instruments, Sheeran isn’t the first to cover the historically significant folk tune.

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In fact, the song has a long history of other musical interpretations. According to The Bluegrass Situation, the song is perhaps best known in its gospel context, but as early as the 1940s, actor and singer Burl Ives popularized his own rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger," and by the hippy years of the 1960s, it was also known as a signature Joan Baez tune.

But Johnny Cash might be responsible for the most famous rendition when he started playing it late in his career during the 2000s. Most recently, the song even made its way onto the big screen in Sam Mendes’ award-winning film "1917" performed by one of the film’s actors, Jos Slovick, according to Classic FM. 

Despite its recent resurgence in popularity, the history of "Wayfaring Stranger" goes way back. According to The Bluegrass Situation, historians trace the song’s origins as far back as the 1780s, though its exact origins are disputed. Some speculate that Portuguese settlers from southern Appalachia came up with the folk tune, while others trace its genesis to a native hymn.

Although the lyrics have certainly changed over time thanks to the tune’s long history, the song generally tells the story of the dark and winding journey of a lost soul with lines like “I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger / Traveling through this world below / There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger / In that bright land to which I go.”

What’s distinctive about Sheeran’s unprecedented rendition, however, is that he records the song live and without instruments. And how does he do that?

Using a microphone and a piece of musical equipment that allows musicians to loop sounds over and over, he sings and records each part of the song — the melody, the drums, etc. — step by step. Sheeran essentially becomes his own acapella choir, and it’s quite an interesting experience. So despite this old song's long history, Sheeran breathes some new life into it.

What do you think of Ed Sheeran's rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger"? Let us know what you thought of his performance, and pass it on to your friends and family.