Ella Speed

Leadbelly, Angola Prison Farm, La., 1933

In 1894, Ella Speed, a married octoroon with two children, was employed as a prostitute in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
She was apparently having an affair with Louis "Bull" Martin, an Italian immigrant, who was one of her customers and who had become obsessed with her.
Both were 28 years old.

The song, number I 6 in Laws (page249), was taken down from a number of different sources in the 1930’s, all from black prisoners in Southern prison farms.

The words given here are those that Leadbelly sang on his October, 1944, recordings for Capitol Records in Hollywood.
However, the first verse that I repeat at the end is not what Leadbelly sang. He ended his singing of the song with verse 7.

It should also be noted that this version of Ella Speed is essentially a foreshortened version of Leadbelly’s original song, published in Lomax & Lomax: Leadbelly (1959).
That version had 17 verses and, amongst other things, it told that Bill Martin was given life imprisonment.

1.	Come all an’ take heed,
	Just remember the death of poor Ella Speed (x2)

2.	Ella Speed was down town, she was havin’ her lovin’ fun,
	Let me tell you what Bill Martin done (x2)

3.	The deed that Bill Martin done,
	First-degree murder with a Colt 41 (x2)

4.	Bill Martin, he was long and slender,
	Better known by his bein’ a bar tender (x2)

5.	Bill Martin was ’rested ’an locked up in jail,
	Oh, the judge said, “Bill Martin I’ll never fail.”

	When Bill Martin was ’rested ’an locked up in jail,
	Oh, the judge said, “Bill Martin I’ll never fail.”

6.	“The deed, Bill Martin that you done, 
	You’re a sinner — you know you oughta be hung.” (x2)

7.	When the women all heard that Ella Speed was dead,
	All goes back home and re-ragged in red (x2)

8.	So, come on an’ all take heed,
	Let me tell you ’bout the death of poor Ella Speed (x2)