"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" (or simply "Motherless Child") is a traditional song from the antebellum South. It probably has roots in the practice of slave owners selling children of slaves away from the parents. It is often described as a spiritual even though it has no religious lyrics. It is a lament in the family of the "I'm sad and I'm lonesome" laments in both black and white traditions. An early performance of the song dates back to the 1870s by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Like many traditional songs, it has many variations and has been recorded many times. It was printed in Pete Seeger's American Favorite Ballads.