Goodnight Irene
Goodnight Irene by Lead Belly is 85 BPM — Andante (walking pace).
Half-time 43 BPM · Double-time 170 BPM · released 1994
Song DNA
This sits gently on the calm side. It moves moderately between quiet and loud with nothing abrupt to catch you off guard, over a even texture. A light, easy vocal, at an unhurried mid-tempo. It’s easy enough to follow without going flat. On our 19,209-song scale, it reads gentler than 85% of everything we’ve measured.
Cultural Context
Lead Belly, known for his powerful voice and storytelling, brought folk music to wider audiences. 'Goodnight Irene' showcases the emotional depth of folk traditions and has been covered by many artists.
Listening Prompt
Let the soothing melody wash over you as you unwind.
What to Expect
Goodnight Irene is a tender farewell that evokes feelings of nostalgia and longing. The song flows gently, with Lead Belly's soft vocals and acoustic guitar creating a calming atmosphere. As it unfolds, the emotional weight of the lyrics resonates with listeners, making it a cherished classic in the folk music repertoire.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: calm, melancholy
"Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly
85 BPM, dynamic range 5/10, smooth texture, soft vocals. Sits in the middle band — neither built for stillness nor pitched at workout intensity. Whether it works for a given moment depends more on mood and lyrical content than on the acoustic profile. The full sensory breakdown follows.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 5/10 is within the normal pop-mix band. There is variation between verse and chorus, but it's the kind of variation most listeners encounter routinely.
Sudden changes: none. Transitions are musically signaled — nothing will surprise you if you're only half-listening.
Texture: smooth.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: soft vocals.
1994 context
Released in 1994. We have 365 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.7/10. This track is quieter / less dynamic than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Goodnight Irene"?
85 BPM — Slow (downtempo / ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.
Browse more songs at 85 BPM.
When "Goodnight Irene" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
No — 85 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
The Calmest Songs We’ve Ever Measured
Out of 19,144 songs scored for intensity, these measure as the very calmest — the gentlest, steadiest, lowest-energy music in the library. A…
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide
The 10 Calmest Albums Ever Recorded — A low-intensity Listening Guide — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Why Music in Languages You Don't Understand Can Be More Calming
Why Music in Languages You Don't Understand Can Be More Calming — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
See how “Goodnight Irene” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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For calm, low-stimulation listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-04. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 85% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 23/100 comes from a dynamic range of 5/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 88% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1994 in context
The 365 songs we’ve measured from 1994 average a dynamic range of 6.7/10. At 5/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Goodnight Irene"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly?
"Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly has a tempo of 85 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 43 BPM, and at double-time 170 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly?
"Goodnight Irene" by Lead Belly rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 5/10, none sudden changes, smooth texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Goodnight Irene" — what is its dynamic range?
"Goodnight Irene" has a dynamic range of 5/10. Within normal pop-mix variation. Movement between verse and chorus but nothing dramatic.
Does "Goodnight Irene" have sudden or surprising changes?
No. "Goodnight Irene" has no sudden unsignaled changes. Every transition is musically telegraphed.
What is "Goodnight Irene" best for?
In our library "Goodnight Irene" is recommended for: meditation, sleep. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Goodnight Irene" released?
"Goodnight Irene" is from 1994, on the album "Lead Belly's Last Sessions, Vol. 1". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Goodnight Irene"?
We tag "Goodnight Irene" as calm, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Goodnight Irene"?
The vocal style is soft vocals.
Is "Goodnight Irene" good for running?
Not really — at 85 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Goodnight Irene" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (5/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Goodnight Irene" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Dynamic range is too high — quiet moments will be ambushed by louder ones.
Should I listen to "Goodnight Irene"?
"Goodnight Irene" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
smooth texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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