4 Folk Songs From the 70s That Will Put You To Sleep (In a Good Way)

You haven’t truly heard a lullaby until you’ve listened to these four folk songs. From Simon & Garfunkel to Bob Dylan, here are some folk tracks that’ll knock you out by the second verse.

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“Song For The Asking” by Simon & Garfunkel

“Song For The Asking” is the only song on Bridge Over Troubled Water featuring just Paul Simon’s voice. This feels significant if you know about the tension involved in the album’s making. Simon wrote most of the songs for the project while Garfunkel was acting in Catch-22, a Mike Nichols film that came out in 1970. Garfunkel ended up singing most of Simon’s writings, as he was known for having the better voice.

There is something soothing about this track, though, even if it’s the last thing we hear from the duo before their split.

“Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor

In this track, James Taylor literally sings about rocking to a lullaby. So if you fall asleep while listening to this one, it’s only fitting. James wrote this song for his older brother’s baby son at the time, who was named after him. Even though he didn’t write this lullaby for himself, it’s kind of cool to think of it as though he’s singing to his inner child.

“Photographs and Memories” by Jim Croce

If you don’t listen to Jim Croce and you’re a folk music fan, you’re in for a treat. Croce easily made some of the best folk songs of the 70s, even though most people likely know him for tracks like “Bad Bad Leroy Brown”. In “Photographs and Memories”, Croce paints the perfect picture of a love that once was, using sweet details to give the listener a sense of nostalgia.

But we sure had a good time
When we started way back when
Morning walks and bedroom talks
Oh how I loved you then.

“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan

While you might know this song for the Guns N’ Roses version from 1991, the original Dylan version is simply unmatched. There’s something about the refrain of this song that almost puts you in a trance and makes you feel as though you truly are knocking on heaven’s door.

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