Leadbelly (film) it has lost its former glory, and he is reunited with Miss Eula. He returns to his father's home only to find that a new family lives there. A group of men attack Leadbelly and slash his throat. Leadbelly happens to stab and kill a man in self-defense but is thrown back in prison. John and Alan Lomax visit the prison and interview Leadbelly, having him play all his songs for them. After he finishes telling his life story, they tell him they will see what they can do about getting him out of prison. The film ends with a
When the War Was On When the War Was On "When the War Was On" is a call and response blues song recorded in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson and Willie B. Harris, who is thought to have been his first wife. Johnson plays bottleneck guitar, and sings throughout in his 'growl' (false bass) voice; Harris sings soprano. The war referred to is World War I (191418). The lyrics reference U.S. President Wilson (191321) and the German Kaiser; the United States entered the war in 1917. Unusually for Johnson, the song deals with a temporal rather than a spiritual subject. It shares tune and lyrics