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Audio Archive of Songs Featured in our Newsletter
(all songs either public domain or posted with permission of the artist)
This page is a work in progress - please excuse our mess as we continue to update, upload and make perty!
THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME by Paul Cooper
In thinking about an appropriate song for July and the country’s birthday, I realized that we have never included Woody Guthrie’s best-known song in this column. Woody wrote the first version of “This Land Is Your Land” in 1940, and titled it “God Blessed America For Me”. He wrote it in critical response to the 1938 release of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” by Kate Smith, which he felt was overly sentimental, and failed to acknowledge some of America’s legitimate problems. Verses 4 and 5 below can be interpreted as critical of America, and are generally left out in current popular renditions of the song. Woody himself took those two verses out when he performed it in 1944. In 1940, before the US entered World War II, he had been critical of Roosevelt’s sending aid to the Allied countries, believing we should have nothing to do with the war. By 1944, in view of what Hitler was trying to do to the world, Woody changed his view and supported the US war effort.
Verse 4 below has been interpreted as anti- private property, and even as a Marxist statement. The first time I heard that verse, I took it as an affirmation of freedom and the joy of having no boundaries. I guess that verse remains open to interpretation. Verse 5 below, which I have added in italics because it is not in the version by Woody that you can listen to here, is actually one of my favorites. Written right on the heels of the Great Depression, it voices a sentiment that is still highly relevant.
IT GUARDS AND KEEPS
Cisco Houston, the artist of the month in our friend Gary Lust’s series of pickin’ parties, recorded this song around 1944 – the year I was born. After slogging through a long thread about the song’s origins on mudcat.org, I find that it was recorded as early as 1929, and may be traditional. Or not. I have transcribed Doc Watson’s version of it from his Grammy-winning album Riding the Midnight Train, which you can listen to here at the link below. Also linked below is Cisco Houston's 1944 version.
What Does the Deep Sea Say [Doc Watson's version] [Cisco Houston's 1944 version] What Does the Deep Sea Say[ lyrics and chords]
NO SURPRISE IF
YOU KNOW ME WELL
Buddy
Mondlock gave us a very fine performance at our April Second
Saturday concert. His talent and decades of experience as a
top singer-songwriter and performer were on full display.
Buddy has graciously given us permission to publish one of
his best-known songs,
The Kid, which
was famously recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1995.
Thanks to Bob Stevenson for transcribing the chords and
lyrics. The song is shown in G, while Buddy actually plays
it in G chord shape, capoed up five frets to C. You can put
the capo wherever you like, and can probably find a
comfortable place to sing it somewhere between G and C. You
can see and hear Buddy perform this song at the link below.
The Kid
[video]
The Kid [lyrics and
chords]
THEY’RE
GONE LIKE FLOATING DREAMS
I knew this song as a fiddle tune for a very long time until Andy Longo showed me that it had lyrics, and had been recorded by Kate Wolf. The song is generally credited to Texas fiddler Lucas “Red Luke” Thomasson, and was later made popular by his son Benny. Benny Thomasson says he remembers hearing his father and his uncle working on the tune on their front porch. That would have been around 1900. You can hear Kate’s rendition at the link below. Kate does it in the traditional key of D, a favorite with old-time fiddlers.
Midnight
on the Water [video]
Midnight
on the Water [lyrics and chords]
THERE IS NO BANK ON WALL STREET THAT
BELONGS TO ME
This song was written by
Will Mahoney and Halsey K. Mohr in 1906. It was
recorded as a ragtime song during that era, and
later by a variety of country, popular, and
old-time artists. Here is a good old-time version
by The New Lost City Ramblers: You can view a
video at the link below.
My
Name is Morgan But It Ain't J.P. [video]
My Name
is Morgan But It Ain't J.P. [lyrics and chords]
HOW THE JOHN B. SAILS
The Bahamian folk song originally published as “The
John B. Sails” is
known to most of us as the “Sloop
John B”.
It has been recorded by numerous artist.
The Kingston Trio and The Beach Boys have recordings
that are well known to many of us. The accompaniment
is performed in a Calypso beat ( - - - _ _ -), a
syncopated rhythm. Here
is a link to a recording that may be close to the
original style of its performance:
The
John B. Sails [video] The John B. Sails
[lyrics and chords]
THAT AGGRAVATING BEAUTY
This song is frequently attributed to A. P Carter, and indeed the Carter Family’s recording of it made it well-known for the first time, but the song is much older than that. It was recorded twice by others prior to the Carter family, and was published in Wehrman’s Universal Songster in 1887. Pa Carter had a very high voice, and this recording of him singing it Carter Family Lulu Walls is in G-sharp, so you would have to capo at the sixth fret to play along. You can
also
hear it on the HFMS Audio Archive page at the link
below.
Lulu
Walls [Video]
Lulu Walls
[Lyrics and Chords]
WHICH ON THIS DAY TO BE SERVED IS…
I think this is our first time to have an a capella song in this space. No chords. This great tune has always been one of my favorite holiday carols. The tradition of the boar’s head feast goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. Like many songs from that period, where a large number of literate people read Latin, the song is macaronic, meaning in multiple
languages.
Translation of the Latin lines are given in the
footnotes. It is an easy tune to learn. You can hear
the song at the link below.
The
Boar's Head Carol [video]
I’M GOING DOWNTOWN TO THE RACES
I learned this song from a
Norman Blake album, Live
at McCabe’s, and
the greatest thing about it is definitely Norman’s
flatpicking. But the song is also a lot of fun
to sing. You can hear Norman picking and singing
it at the link below.
Sweet Heaven When I Die [video]
Sweet Heaven When I Die [lyrics and chords]
I’LL JUST KEEP ON KICKING THIS STONE DOWN THE ROAD
Jeff Black, our October Second Saturday artist, has
graciously given us his permission to publish this
excellent song of his. Jeff has plenty more great songs,
so we hope to see you there October 14. Jeff does this
song in C as written, no capo, so you can play along
with the recording if you like. You can hear this song
on Jeff’s website at the link below.
Until
I Learn To Fly [video]
Until
I Learn To Fly [lyrics and chords]
The
Lowlands, Low by Paul Cooper
I
learned this song in the 1960s, but it is very old. A
Child Ballad published as early as 1635. My niece used to
ask me, “Uncle Bo, sing Lowlands Low”. You can listen to
the song here
as performed by Peter, Paul and Mary: The Golden Vanity .
Peter, Paul and Mary do it in the key of A, so to
play along with them, Capo II.
THE GOLDEND VAINITY
[lyrics and chords]
The Little
Cabin That Could :^)
In the year 1875, Brewster Higley was a doctor who moved into
a small cabin in Smith County, Kansas. At the time he had
widowed by three wives and loss several children. He would go
on to marry twice more. He led a simple life, and after living
there for some time, he wrote a poem, “The Western Home”.
Later, a friend of his, Daniel Kelley, set the poem to music.
It became popular with the ranchers and the western settlers.
The poem did not include “home on the range”. That line
was added to the first verse and became the refrain when
song by the ranchers who established the popularity of the
song. It was sung on the steps of the White House, the
night Franklin D Roosevelt for first elected. Admiral Richard
E. Byrd carried a mechanical Edison phonograph in his
equipment during his expedition to the South Pole in the
1930’s. When the spring on the record player froze, he
sang “Home On The Range” to pass the time after his daily work
was done. In 1935, there was a lawsuit by someone who
claim to be the composer of this most popular tune.
Fortunately, there was the likes of John Lomax who had
documented the origin of the tune in 1910 in his book, “Cowboy
Songs and Other Frontier Ballads”.
Michael
Martin Murphy's Rendition-Home on the Range
Lyrics and Chords
The Original Poem -
The Western Home
HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN
Brian Kalinec has been a well-known performer, producer
and friend of acoustic music on the Houston scene for many
years. He will perform at our Second Saturday concert Saturday,
May 13, and has graciously given us permission to publish this
song from his new CD, The Beauty of it All, which will
be available at the concert. You can hear this song at the link
below.
Next Door
Stranger [video]
Next Door Stranger
[lyrics and chords]
TOMORROW
WAS OUR WEDDING DAY
This song is often attributed to the Carter Family,
who were the first ones to popularize it, but it is much
older than the Carter Family. The song is first cited in a
1909 compilation of songs by the Missouri Folklore society.
I like this version by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and
Linda Ronstadt. Their version is found in the link below. To
play along with Dolly, capo at the first fret.
Bury Me
Beneath The Willow [video] Bury Me
Beneath The Willow [lyrics and chords]
WE TURN TO
THE SUN
Our February Second Saturday artist, Dana Cooper, is a
highly accomplished singer, songwriter and guitarist with
strong connections to Houston. He is a recipient of Folk
Alliance International’s Spirit of Folk award, and has
performed on Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, and at
the Kerrville Folk Festival. He has over 15 CDs to his
credit, and dozens of wonderful songs. Dana has graciously
given us permission to publish this charming love song,
which you can hear on his latest CD, I Can Face the Truth,
orat the link below.
Flower and the Vine [video]
Flower
and the Vine [lyrics and chords]
BACK TO BACK, BELLY TO BELLY
It
might be considered unusual to start the new year with a
song about zombies, but this one has special significance
for me. In
about 1959, when my Dad brought home our first Hi-Fi
record player – a little RCA in a blonde cabinet on
spindly legs, the first two LP albums he bought were The
Kingston Trio at the Hungry I and Harry
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall. I was hooked
from that point on. I
wanted to do nothing but play folk music for the rest of
my life. Zombie
Jamboree was one of the more notable songs on
the Kingston Trio’s album.
Dave Guard tells about this song in the
introduction to their rendition, which you can hear at the
link below.
Zombie
Jamboree [video]
Zombie Jamboree
[lyrics and chords]
HEY FOR CHRISTMAS
This song was first published as a
broadside in London in the 1600s. The tune is by the
legendary English Baroque composer Henry Purcell. I am
pretty sure the good Master Purcell did not write the
words, which tell of a festive and rather bawdy Christmas
celebration, which apparently was not unusual in
seventeenth century England. Many more verses exist in the
various sources. The version below is as performed by
Houston’s Wylde Meade. To hear the tune go to the link
below.
The
Shropshire Wakes [video]
The
Shropshire Wakes [lyrics and chords]
TEXAS IS CALLIN’ ME
Blair Powell was a close friend and mentor of our November Second Saturday artist Steve Fisher. Blair asked that Steve sing at his memorial service, which took place in Kerrville at the festival. Steve wrote more than one song for Blair, because he said that just one song was not enough of an homage. You can hear Steve perform this song at MEMORIAL DAY , on his CD, Count Me In or at the link below
Memorial
Day [video]
Memorial
Day[lyrics and chords]
IT’S
NOT A MASQUERADE BALL
Our
song this month comes from the timely pen of our editor, Cehlena
Solus, and is published here with her permission.
This song’s back story is pretty self-evident. One
of the things I like about it is the uncommon way it begins on
the IV chord. Many Celtic songs do that – not
surprising, considering that Cehlena is the leader of a Celtic
band called Wylde
Meade. You
can hear this song performed at the link below.
Pandemic
Shadows [video]
Pandemic
Shadows [lyrics and chords]
WHERE WERE YOU LAST FRIDAY NIGHT
There
are many versions and verses of this song. This is how
Tony Rice recorded it fairly early in his career. You
also get to hear some of Tony’s unparalleled flat-picking.
This was back when his playing was still fairly
traditional, which is my favorite era of his work. You
can hear the song at the link below.
DID THE HOT DOGS TASTE BETTER?
The things in this song are true, except
for the ones that I made up. Mostly true. The
streetcar ran down Colonial Ave. in South Dallas right by
Grandpa’s house. You can hear this song performed by Across the Water at the link below.
Grandpa, Do You
Wonder [audio]
Grandpa,
Do you Wonder [lyrics and chords]
MY FEET THEY ARE SO TENDER
The
historical setting of this ballad is most likely either the War
of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)
or the Seven
Years War (1756-1763).
High Germany refers to the mountainous, Alpine southern
part of Germany. Cecil Sharp collected a version of this
song in 1906, and it was actually recorded on phonograph by
Percy Grainger in 1908. You can hear the great English
folksinger Martin Carthy perform this song at the link below.
High
Germany [video]
High Germany
[lyrics & chords]
LET ME BE A MAN AND
TAKE IT
Otto P. Kelland wrote
this song in 1947. Kelland was a prison warden at
St. John’s Penitentiary in Newfoundland when he decided to
set to music a conversation he once had with a sea captain
about a sailor longing for his southeastern Newfoundland
home. You can listen to Stan Rogers perform the song
here at the link below.
Let
Me Fish off Cape St. Mary's [video]
Let
Me Fish off Cape St. Mary's [lyrics & chords]
WRAP
MY BODY IN A COTTON SHROUD
Our member and friend John A. Lomax III sent
us some CDs copied from a vinyl album he produced in 1964 of
live performances at the Jester in Houston. For those of
us who remember The Jester, the CD is a wonderful 60’s cultural
document. The artists include Guy Clark, Lightnin’
Hopkins, Frank Davis, Alex Martin, Kay Oslin, Scott Holtzman,
and others. I have transcribed Guy’s performance of Cotton
Mill Girls. You can hear this performance on the HFMS
Audio Archive page at http://www.houstonfolkmusic.org/HFS_Audio_Archive.html.
I have transcribed the song in D. It sounds like Guy is
playing in D with a capo on the first fret. For the first
three people who email me at pcooper1@peoplepc.com, I will bring
a free copy of the CD to the April 9 Second Saturday concert
with New York singer-songwriter Paul Sachs.
Cotton Mill
Girls [audio]
Cotton Mill Girls
[lyrics and chords]
ROVER, ROVER SEE ‘EM
SEE ‘EM
Old-time banjo fans, this is your
moment! This is one of Uncle Dave Macon’s classic banjo
tunes – and a lively, fun one it is. I found a charming
performance on Youtube by young Nora Brown CumberlandMtnDeerChase, and she
gives a great demonstration of frailing the way Uncle Dave
played it. I couldn’t understand all her words, so the
lyrics below are the way I learned it. But the tune is the
same. You can also hear it at the link below.
Cumberland
Mtn Deer Chase [video]
Cumberland Mtn
Deer Chase [lyrics & chords]
A TROUBLED
MIND CAN KNOW NO REST
This is a Canadian folk song, though it was
first published on song sheets in America in the 1820s. It
became better known when it was referred to in a serialized
story in Vanity Fair magazine called The Prrimpenny
Family in 1861. It has been recorded by an imposing
list of Celtic and folk artists, including The Clancy Brothers,
The Dubliners, The Chieftains, and Sinaed O’Connor. You
can hear a beautiful version of this song by Malachi Cush and
Dierdre Bonner at the link below.
Peggy
Gordon [video]
Peggy Gordon
[Lyrics & Chords]
WHILE GRANDPA SPUN
THE YARN
Jimmie Joe and Chrissy Natoli – The Better
Halves -- gave us a wonderful show at the November Second
Saturday Concert. In this one, from their 2014 CD, All
Over the Map Jimmy Joe dazzled us with both his Chet
Atkins-style picking and his songwriting. You can hear it
performed at their website:
Olden_Days
Olden_Days_Lyrics
& Chords
WATER STILL AIN’T
GOT ME YET
There is a traditional version of this
song. You can hear Rhiannon Giddens perform it here:
Rhiannon
Giddens Version And then Dirk Powell came along, and
penned this extraordinary song of the same title – similar in
some respects. I was so impressed with Powell’s version
that I emailed him requesting permission to publish his song
here, and he answered me right back, graciously giving his
permission, and adding that he wouldn’t mind playing Houston
some time. So here it is. You can hear a beautifully
arranged version by him at: Dirk Powell or on
the Audio Archive page of the HFMS website at
http://www.houstonfolkmusic.org/HFS_Audio_Archive.html
Video:
Waterbound - Dirk Powell
Lyrics and
Chords: Waterbound
IT STUNG LOTS WORSE THAN A HIVE OF BEES
This is one of the “orphan” lyrics Woody Guthrie wrote towards
the end of his life when he was too sick with Huntington’s
Chorea to play the guitar, so he could not compose music.
In 1998, Woody’s daughter Nora commissioned Billy Bragg and the
band Wilco to compose and record music for some of these
lyrics. This version is from Across The Water’s second CD,
Waterproof. You can hear it at the link below. Capo
IV to play along with the recording.
Audio by
Across The Water
Lyrics and Chords: Way Over
Yonder in the Minor Key
TAKES MORE THAN GUNS TO KILL A MAN
Born Joseph Emmanuel Hagglund to Swedish-American parents in 1879, union activist and songwriter Joe Hill was executed for committing murder in 1915 in Salt Lake City. Documents uncovered in the 21st century strongly suggest that Hill was innocent. He was executed by a police firing squad. His political notoriety as a vigorous and effective organizer for the IWW may have influenced his conviction. Thus, with his death he became a towering martyr to the cause of organized labor. Joan Baez performed this song at Woodstock in 1969, and it was released as a single by Vanguard in 1970. I learned it from her recording. You can hear Joan perform the song at the link below.
Joe Hill [video] Joe Hill [lyrics and chords]
WITH HEARTS UNDAUNTED AND COURAGE TRUE
A
song about cold weather seemed to be in order. This
traditional ballad about Lord John Franklin’s ill-fated
expedition in 1845 to find a Northwest Passage around the pole
is one of my favorites. There were a great many
recordings on Youtube to choose from – some by big “names”
like Sinead O’Connor and Pentangle. I liked this version
by Andy Toman, which you can hear at the link below. As
with all traditional songs, you will find somewhat different
words with different versions.
Lady
Franklin's Lament [video]
Lady Franklin's
Lament [lyrics and chords]
THEY ATE OF OUR MEAT
On
February 13, 1692, an estimated 30 members and associates of
Clan MacDonald of Glen Coe were killed by government forces
for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William
III of Scotland and Mary II. The MacDonalds were
Jacobites, participating in an uprising to restore James II to
the throne. The government of William III sought to make
a brutal example of them for all the Jacobites. This
tactic worked; the uprising in the Highlands ended with the
massacre of Glen Coe. You can hear a nice version of
this song by The Corries at youTube
link,
or at the link below.
Massacre
of Glencoe [video]
Massacre of
Glencoe [lyrics and chords]
HEAVEN CAN
NOT HOLD HIM
Our January issue actually
comes out closer to Christmas than the December one, so here
goes with my favorite Christmas carol. Christina Rosetti
composed it as a poem in 1872, then the noted English composer
Gustav Holst set it to music in 1906. It makes a lovely
vocal piece with acoustic guitar. You can hear a
beautiful version of this song by Dan Fogelberg at In
The Bleak Mid Winter.
Starin' Out My Window
This song by our Editor, Cehlena Solus, “…really came from staring out the window,” she says. “Seeing the wind blow through the trees on the walks I take daily with the dogs along the bayou.” “Music is all around us in nature if we just take a moment and listen.” You can hear this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gEIz2FBKpo or at the link below.
Stepin' Into Color [video] Stepin' Into Color [lyrics and chords]
ONE KIND FAVOR
I was listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins sing this on 33rpm vinyl before I ever heard him do it at the Will Rice commons in Houston in 1962. But this song goes way back before that. It was recorded (and some say written) by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1927. The list of people who have recorded it since goes on forever, as does the number of different ways to treat the song. Listening to different versions on Youtube was so interesting that I have provided two versions for contrast. First, a modern ensemble arrangement by Del McCoury and Friends where they treat it almost like a spiritual.
One Kind Favor - Del McCoury One Kind Favor - Blind Lemon Jefferson One Kind Favor [lyrics & chords]
ON THE LEFT FOOT, PEG FOOT
I got chills the first time I heard this song in about 1959. It must have been The Weavers’ version, because I don’t know if anyone else had recorded it yet. The song was first published in 1928 by the Texas Folklore Society. The A major IV chord at the beginning of the chorus gives the song a very interesting Dorian mode flavor. The Weavers are actually performing it in E flat minor, so to play along with them you could tune down a half step, or transpose it to D minor and capo up one. The drinking gourd is, of course, the Big Dipper constellation in which two of its stars point to Polaris, the north star. Pete Seeger tells more of the story of the song in the intro to their recording, which you can hear at the link below.
BRING ALL MY
WORRIED NATIONS
I think this song is a gem
tucked away amid the hundreds and hundreds of Woody’s
songs. Some of the concerns Woody writes about are
little different from those of today. You can hear
an excellent rendition of this song by Joel Raphael from
his 2-CD tribute album of Woody Guthrie songs at the
link below.
Dance
Around My Atom Fire [video]
Dance
Around My Atom Fire [lyrics and chords]
WHO WILL WEAR THE ROBE AND CROWN?
A lot of us may think of Valley to Pray as a folk song. In fact it was written by the great gospel composer Albert E. Brumley (1905-1977), who also composed I’ll Fly Away, Turn Your Radio On, and many other gospel classics. The song is also widely known as Down in the River to Pray, as recorded by Allison Krauss and many others. To me, it is Valley to Pray because that is the version I first heard by Arlo Guthrie 50 years ago. The song has been recorded by a great many people, perhaps least notably by Across the Water on their a cappella CD, No Strings Attached, so that is the version I have transcribed here, and that you can hear at the link below.
I WILL PAWN
YOU THIS HEART IN MY BOSOM
We
haven’t had a Carter Family song in this space for quite a
while. Here is one that A. P. Carter wrote in 1933
and recorded for RCA Victor. They recorded the
song in B-flat, which means it was probably played in G
shape with the capo on the third fret. So I have
transcribed it in G, and you can capo wherever it is
comfortable for you to sing it. You can listen to
the Carter Family’s original version of this song at the
link below.
GOLD
WATCH AND CHAIN [video]
GOLD WATCH
AND CHAIN [lyrics & chords]
WE LEARNED TO MAKE MUSIC OUR OWN
Thinking
of absent friends in this time of isolation, I reached out
to my old band mate Steve Goodchild, and he gave us his
permission to publish this song of his – also about an
absent friend. This
song was recorded by Across the Water, but
also more recently by Steve on his excellent solo CD, Nooks
and Crannies.
You can hear Steve’s rendition at the link below.
Time,
Gentlemen Please [audio]
Time,
Gentlemen Please [lyrics and chords]
WILL YE GANG TO THE HIELANDS
It’s
been
a while since we had a good old Child ballad in this space,
so here’s a pretty one to learn. Like most songs
this old, there are many variants out there, especially of
the lyrics on this one.
You can hear this version performed by The
Corries at
YouTube
location
,
or at the link below. I have
Americanized some of the dialect, but not all. Capo at the second
fret and play in C as indicated and you will be in tune with
the recording. Thanks
to Cehlena Solus of Wylde Meade for digging this one up.
Will Ye
Gang ... [video] Will Ye
Gang ... [lyrics and chords]
DID YOU TRY TO
ABSCOND WITH A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE?
This
song was first published in 1927 in Carl Sandbug’s American
Songbag. But
it obviously harks back to an earlier time when the
Territories were a place a person could get a new start,
and sometimes, of necessity, with a new name. You can hear
this song performed by Jimmy Driftwood at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc_GFaOBj1s
(Jimmy sings completely different lyrics, which pretty
well clinches the fact that this is a folk song. So just pick the
verses you like.) You
can also hear this song at the link below.
What
Was Your Name in the States [video]
What
Was Your Name in the States [lyrics and chords]
SHE CHURNED THE BUTTER IN DAD’S OLD BOOT
This
one was always a standard to do for kids – young or old. I learned it from
Pete Seeger’s record, How to Play the Five String Banjo,
published around 1961. I
wonder how many kids today would know what a churn was, or a
dasher. Or
butter, for that matter.
You can hear how Pete did the song with audience
participation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TIYfCTAqP8, or
at the link below.
Risselty
Rosselty [video]
Risselty Rosselty
[lyrics and chords]
THE ANGELS SING A LULLABY
Ben
Bedford returns to Second Saturday January 11 (see Page 1). Ben can bring
history and literature alive with his songwriting, and this
song from his excellent CD, Lincoln’s Man, is a
fine example. The
last verse, with its interwoven references to Jack London’s
works, is a songwriting tour de force. I’ve transposed it
to a lower key for easier singing. You can access a video of
Ben Bedford singing this at the link below.
Goodbye
Jack [video]
Goodbye Jack
[lyrics and chords]
A HUNGRY FEELIN’
This
song was first performed as part of a play by Brendan Behan,
who is credited with composing it. Learning that came
as a surprise to me, because when I first heard it performed
by Ian and Sylvia in the early 60’s it sure sounded like an
old folk song. It
is based on Behan’s personal experience at Mountjoy Prison,
where he was confined at one time. You can hear this
song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRL7pEMMIbU, or
at the link below.
Royal
Canal [video]
Royal Canal [lyrics and
chords]
HOW CAN A YOUNG MAN STAY AT HOME
This
is a great jamming tune, and the verses can go on
forever. Any
of the dozens of verses to “Shady Grove” will fit, among
others. You
can hear a nice rendition of this song by the Dublin
group We Banjo 3 at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihxwAM3wEyQ,,
or at the link below.
Down
The River Uncle Joe [video]
Down
The River Uncle Joe [lyrics and chords]
BEND DOWN THE TALLEST TREE
It’s
not Christmas yet, but not too early to start learning a carol
or two. This song
has the rare distinction of being both a Child ballad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_Ballads and
a Christmas carol. It
dates back to at least the 15th century, where it
is known to have been sung at the Feast of Corpus Christi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Christi_(feast). This is the version I
learned from a 1961 Joan Baez record (Yes, a vinyl record. I still have it). The chords are
slightly different from some other versions, but I love her
treatment of it, which you can hear at the link below.
The
Cherry Tree Carol [video]
The Cherry
Tree Carol [lyrics and chords]
ALL THE LADS HAVE GOT THE SACK
The
Rhondda
Valley in South Wales has been synonymous with coal mining
since the mid-nineteenth century, and the fortunes of the
region and its people have always paralleled those of the
coal industry. Pete
Seeger’s song “The Bells of Rhymney” based on the poem by
Welsh poet Idris Davies mentions “the black bells of
Rhondda” – black from the coal dust. This song was
written by Frank Hennessey during a miners’ strike. The reference to
“Roben’s axe” refers to Alfred Robens, who was Chairman of
the National Coal Board from 1961 to 1971. You can hear this
song performed by The New Barleycorn
at the link below.
If
all the Welsh names in the last verse don’t roll easily off
your tongue, it would probably not violate the folk process
to substitute Anglicized Welsh names like Morgan, Davis,
Edwards.
Farewell
to the Rhondda [video]
Farewell
to the Rhondda [lyrics and chords]
ONE CHORD WOODY
This
one
presents a real dilemma between authenticity and art. As you can see
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH2DJvgNlMA,
Woody performed it playing a D major chord throughout the
song. And the
purity and earnestness of the song certainly comes out when
it is done that way. But
to my musical taste, the melody cries out for a minor chord
at the beginning, and the dramatic change to the relative
major in the second line, as in this fine rendition from
1965 by Tracy Newman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTGilvIw7Y
You can
take your pick. That’s
why they call it folk music.
I have notated the chords the way Tracy plays it. You can play it as
she does in the A minor chord shape and capo anywhere from
open up to V or so to fit your vocal range.
Pastures
of Plenty [video with Woody]
Pastures of Plenty [video with Tracy Newman]
Pastures
of Plenty [lyrics and chords]
YER ILL-SPUN YARN
This old Scottish song has an
interesting prescription for the young man whose girl is
in a family way: Enlist
and see the world. If
you don’t care for the dialect, it is perfectly
appropriate to sing the conventional English words. Most are easy to
figure out. “Owsen
wis tae rin” means
“Oxen was to run”. A
bairn is, or course, a baby.
You can hear this song performed by The Corries
at the link below.
Paul Clayton recorded this song in 1960, and it is widely acknowledged to be the source of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice. This is an excellent song in its own right, and Paul’s autoharp accompaniment is a very nice touch.
Paul’s rendition from a Monument Records compilation is on an album that included tracks by Roy Orbison, Billy Grammar, Grandpa Jones and others. Sounds interesting. I would like to look it up. You can also hear the track available on youTube at the link below.
Who's
Is Gonna Buy You Ribbons [video]
Who's Is
Gonna Buy You Ribbons [lyrics and chords]
THE
WORST
THAT I’VE EVER BEEN HURT IN MY LIFE
The
Louvin
Brothers were an American country music duo composed of
brothers Ira Lonnie Loudermilk (1924–1965) and Charlie Elzer
Loudermilk (1927–2011), better known as Ira and Charlie
Louvin. They helped popularize close harmony, and could be
considered direct forerunners of duos like The everly
Brothers.. The brothers are cousins to John D. Loudermilk, a
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member. You can hear a
lovely rendition of this sing by Jim and Jesse at the link
below.
When I
Stop Dreaming [video]
When I Stop
Dreaming [lyrics and chords]
STILL AN ODE TO JOY
Our March 9 Second Saturday artist Steve Fisher has graciously given us permission to publish this lovely and wistful song from his new 2-CD release, Growin’ Roses. Old-time Kerrverts will remember him winning New Folk in 1990, and his presence around the late-night campfires (and he’s there still). You can hear this song on Steve’s new CD, or at the link below.
NO ONE EVER ASKED ABOUT IT
Pierce says he carried the idea for this song and his memories of Mr. Zeidman around for many years before he finally wrote it. The newspaper article that you can find here: open_the_article tells the story better than I could. He uses a very original chord progression in the song, but just about all the chords are quite accessible. For the A9 chord in line 2, just fret the third and fourth strings both at the second fret, and that will work fine in this song. This song is on Pierce’s new CD, Father’s Son, just released in January of this year, or you can listen to it by using the link below to view Pierce and David Webb performance of the song. To play along with the recording, capo at the first fret and refer to the lyrics and chord sheet linked below.
Mr. Zeidman [video] Mr. Zeidman [lyrics & chords]
HEAVEN CANNOT HOLD HIM
This
is my favorite Christmas carol, "In The Bleak Midwinter", and
it goes very nicely with a guitar accompaniment. The words are from a
poem by Christina Rossetti published in 1872, and it was set
to music in 1906 by the great Scandinavian composer Gustav
Holst. You can
hear a very creditable version of this carol (in the same key,
but slightly different chords) by James Taylor at
the link below.
Heaven
Cannot Hold Him [video]
Heaven
Cannot Hold Him [lyrics & chords]
AND I HEARD THE ANSWER
This
song became well known around Houston when Bill graciously
allowed Across The Water to perform and record it. Bill and Kate are
returning to Second Saturday October 13, and Hobos
will no doubt be requested, and much of the audience will
sing along. Here
are the chords and lyrics in case you want to practice up
for Second Saturday. You
can hear Bill and Kate perform this song at the link below.
I
have transcribed the song in G. If you want to
play along on the video, capo at the first fret.
Hobos
in the Roundhouse [video]
Hobos in
the Roundhouse [lyrics and chords]
DON’T TELL A SOUL
Paul Sachs is an alumnus
of Jack Hardy’s Monday night songwriting gatherings in
Greenwich Village. In 2010, he ventured from his life-long
home of New York City for a road trip to Kerrville, Texas with
Jack. He returned to Texas as a finalist in the Kerrville Folk
Festival New Folk Competition in 2012 and as a winner in 2013.
Paul’s maternal grandparents met in New York City after they
emigrated from Ireland. This Irish heritage is subtly evident
in some of his songwriting, including Family Secrets.
You can hear this song on his excellent just-released CD, Full
Detroit, or at the link below.
Family
Secrets [audio]
Family Secrets
[lyrics and chords]
THE BIG FOOL SAID TO PUSH ON
I heard this song before I knew it was by Pete Seeger, It could be taken as “political.” Or not. I took it as a pretty cool piece of music, and a good cautionary tale, and still do. You can hear Pete perform this song at the link below.
Waist Deep In The Big Muddy [video] Waist Deep In The Big Muddy [lyrics and chords]
WHE
STOLE THE CUDDY?
This one is a shout-out to my wonderful friends from
the North of England. Geordie
Ridley was not the original Geordie, but a much revered one
among these folks who love their music and their musicians. Blaydon is about 4
miles from Newcastle. And
yes, interurban bus service (horse-drawn) did exist in England
in 1862. Some of
the events in the song are real, it seems. Coffy Johnny was an
actual historical figure.
Ridley sang this song at Balmbra’s Music Hall on June
5, 1862. “Blaydon
Races” has become an anthem for Newcastle United,
and they sing it at all the games. Indeed, some call
this song the unofficial Geordie anthem. This goes out to
Helen, Steve, Chris, Michael and John – though Helen is the
one actually from the town where they hung the monkey. You can hear this
song at the link below.
Blaydon
Races [video]
Blaydon Races [lyrics
and chords]
I HOPE HE
LIVES A LIFE OF EASE
David
Massengill put on an outstanding show for us at the March
second Saturday concert.
This song is always one of his most-requested, and I
have heard a number of people say that it is their favorite
among David’s many great songs.
The rolling, dulcet tones of his dulcimer provide a
perfect accompaniment. David
has graciously given us permission to publish his song. The rendition
here is from a live performance at the Austin Acoustical Café;
you can hear at
the link below.
Rider on
An Orphan Train [video]
Rider
on An Orphan Train [lyrics and chords]
WRAP ME UP IN ME OILSKINS AND JUMPER
The
notion of an afterlife called Fiddlers Green where old sailors
go (those who don’t go to hell, anyway) first appears in
literature in an 1856 novel by Frederick Marryat called The
Dog Fiend. This
song was written in 1960 by John Connolly and paints a lovely
picture of this place long-celebrated in myth, story and song. You can hear a nice
version of this song by The New Barleycorn at the link below.
Fiddler's
Green [video]
Fiddler's
Green [lyrics and chords]
WE TOOK CARE OF THE BOYS
The Folk Alliance International invited Joe Crookston, our February 10 Second Saturday artist (see Page 1) to be the Artist in Residence at the 2016
Conference in Kansas City MO. Joe collaborated with the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, digging into their archives of letters,
photographs, field recordings and objects from WWI. After reading hundreds of letters, Joe chose to tell the story of Florence Hemphill, a woman.
A nurse of Scottish ancestry from Wilson County Kansas. A worker less honored in the history books. Florence was a courageous medical presence
in France during some of the most intense fighting. This song is on Joe’s newest CD, Joe Crookston 2017, or you can hear it at the link below.
Letters
of Florence Hemphill [audio]
Letters
of Florence Hemphill [lyrics and chords]
AND HIS BODY
HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND
This
song was not composed by Lead Belly, but is a traditional song
that he seems to have been the first to record. Though popular in
the folk music and bluegrass community for decades, this song
received its greatest boost when Nirvana performed it
on MTV Unplugged in
1993, and Kurt Cobain referred to Lead Belly as his favorite
performer ever. The
song is played in E major, but to sing it like Lead Belly you
need to start the first note on the word “my” a little flat –
around a G note – and slide up in the direction of the G# that
is contained in the E
chord. You
can hear this song performed by Lead Belly at the link below.
Where Did
You Sleep Last Night [video]
Where Did
You Sleep Last Night [lyrics and chords]
THE LONELIEST BOY IN THE TOWN
Michael
Troy’s music may be one of the lesser-known treasures of 21st
century American acoustic music.
His sad ballads of life in his home town of Fall River,
Massachusetts earned him the sobriquet of “The Poet Laureate
of Fall River”. Michael
played for us at Second Saturday in 2007 and 2011, and was a
Kerrville New Folk winner in 2010. We lost
Michael to cancer on November 29, 2015. This deeply
evocative Christmas song from his CD Mill Town Boy
is representative of Michael’s best work. The CD is still
available on CDBaby, or you can hear the song on the link
below.
Shine Boy
[video]
Shine
Boy [lyrics and chords]
HE’LL GO NO MORE A-ROVIN’
The delightfully bawdy Maid of Amsterdam was first documented in the mid-1800’s, but is attributed by some scholars to a work by Thomas Heywood in 1608. You can hear it performed by Wylde Meade on the link below. Wylde Meade introduces the song with Bayou Town Shanty, which is also shown here.
Maid of Amsterdam [audio] Maid of Amsterdam [lyrics and chords]
OH ME OH MY, I MISS MY MAMA
We are very fortunate to have Thad Beckman as our September, 2017 Second Saturday artist, and he generously gave us permission to publish one of his songs this month. This bluesy lyric is the title song of Thad’s 2015 CD, Streets of Disaster. Not only will we hear this and many more of Thad’s fine originals Saturday night, but he has promised to teach us that cool introductory lick at the fingerpicking workshop he will give Sunday afternoon, September 10 at 2:00 PM at Paul Cooper’s house. You can hear this song at the link below.
NOTHING MATTERS WHEN YOU’RE FREE
Written in 1970 by Pete St. John, this song became world famous in 1990 when it was adopted as an anthem by the Irish National Football team. The song is set during the Great Famine of 1845-1850. “Trevelyan” in the song refers to Charles Edward Trevelyan, a senior British civil servant at Dublin Castle who famously said, “The judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson.” You can hear this song performed by The Dubliners at [Daily Motion Video], or at the link below.
Fields of Athenry [video] Fields of Athenry [lyrics and chords]
LIKE OUR FEET ARE BORNE OF
WINGS
We
are a little late to bring you this song for May Day, but
still very pleased to offer this one up. Though he penned
scores of great songs, like the one below, Jack Hardy’s
influence on folk and acoustic music goes far beyond the songs
he wrote. He was
a mentor and coach to a great many young singer-songwriters,
hosting regular Monday night workshops at his flat in New York
for decades. He
established a musical cooperative called Fast Folk, which
provided the first recording opportunity for a large number of
young artists, including Lyle
Lovett,
Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman and Shawn Colvin. You can hear his
song on Jack’s 1978 CD, The Nameless One, or the
link below.
May Day
[youTube Video]
May Day [lyrics
and chords]
I BELIEVE IN LIGHTNING BUGS
Our March Second Saturday artist Danny
Schmidt graciously gave us permission to reprint this
anthem-like song. His
partner
Carrie Elkin did a wonderful job singing lead on it at our
March 11 concert. Danny
and Carrie were both veteran road warriors and
singer-songwriters when they became a couple a few years ago. You can hear their
arrangement on their 2104 duo CD, For Keeps, or
at the link below to Danny Schmidt's webpage (Company of
Friends is track #4).
Company of
Friends [audio]
Company of
Friends [lyrics and chords]
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A BONNIE WEE LASSIE
In
honor of St. Paddy’s day this month, we offer this well-known
Irish ballad. Despite the Scots-sounding“bonnie wee lassie”,
this song is definitely Irish in origin. Carnlough Bay is in
Northern Ireland, and is, in fact, the location of Pat Hamill’s
Hotel (though it is now called the Glencloy Inn). Pat Hamill’s was a
center for cycling enthusiasts, where folks could stop off on
their excursions, and a brisk business in renting bicycles was
carried on there. You
can hear a lovely version of this song, sung by Jenny Martin at
the link below.
Sweet
Cornlough Bay [video]
Sweet
Cornlough Bay [lyrics & chords]
A BACH
ROAD JOURNEY
The Road to Lubeck by Paul Cooper
In 1705, when he was twenty years
old, J.S. Bach took a six-week leave of absence from his job as
music director at the Lutheran Church in Arnstadt, Germany and
walked two hundred miles to Lubeck to hear an organ recital by
his hero Dietrick Buxtehude the greatest organist of his
day. I was struck
by this commitment and passion for music on Bach's part. I started speculating
about what might have gone through his mind on this journey. First I guessed he
might have been thinking about his career and his contributions
to music inventing the well-tempered scale and such. Getting a little more
whimsical, I saw him looking into the future, comparing himself
to other composers maybe getting a little jealous of
Handel.
Listen carefully to the melody in
the last two lines of the chorus.
The song changes key every measure as it works its way
around the circle of fifths.
Road To
Lubeck(audio)
Lyrics and
Chords
MINSTREL BOY TO THE WAR HAS
GONE
submitted
by Paul Cooper
This is one of those
songs that many can recognize, but few can name that
tune. The tune is familiar, because it has been used as
background in several movies (Saving Private Ryan,
Blackhawk Down, The Man Who Would Be King) and TV shows
(Star Trek). The song was originally composed as an
Irish patriotic air by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) who
composed it in memory of his Trinity College friends who
died in the irish rebellion of 1798. Over the centuries
it has come to stand as a universal anti-war song.
The
Minstrel Boy sung by Tommy Makem (audio)
Lyrics and
Chords
STEADY AND GRACEFUL, SOLID AND WISE
Submitted By Paul Cooper
For those of us who don't attend hockey games or ice skating rinks, a Zamboni is the big four-wheeled machine that comes out and smooths out the ice between skating sessions. Named for its inventor, Mr. Zamboni, this graceful monster makes quite an impression especially on kids. This song was written by Chris Hartman's sister Mary Hartman. The chorus of it was read by Garrison Keiller on his radio show during his Christmas song contest, and the song has also been heard on NPR's popular program, Car Talk. Mary says "Our local (minor league) hockey arena sometimes plays part of it between periods at hockey games when the Zamboni comes out". Mary says "We play it in C. I play G chords with the capo on the 5th fret, and Janet plays in C with no capo."
Mary performs with the trio Humphrey, Hartman and Cameron out in state of Washington. Their website is http://humphreyandhartman.com/. (It is worth visiting for the banjo haiku alone.) Please note that the audio file was made available by Mary for purposes of learning the song. It is not to be added to your permanent collection.
TIME, GENTLEMEN PLEASE
By Steve Goodchild
The notes to Across the Water's second album say: Joe Scurfield was a schoolmate, fellow soccer and rugby team player, and one of Steve's first musical collaborators. Came the time for the leaving, Steve and Joe went separate ways, neither knowing that they were to attend universities in adjacent towns, not 20 miles apart, both continuing to pursue their musical interests. Thirty years later, watching the Old Rope String Band while both were appearing at the Chester (England) Folk Festival, Steve recognized the balding, bearded troubadour as his erstwhile friend despite playing the fiddle whilst being supported upside-down with his head in a bucket of water! Sadly only a couple of years after renewing the acquaintance, Joe was run down by a drunk, speeding 'joyrider'in a stolen car whilst making his way to his local pub in Newcastle to catch last orders. "Time gentlemen, please" is a common phrase in the parlance of English pub landlords to announce that it is closing time.
Jack Hardy was kind enough to give Across the Water permission to record this song, and I am boldly assuming his permission also extends to reproducing our version of it here. This song was inspired by one of Jack's many trips to Ireland. Some of the details in the song are no doubt products of the poetic imagination, but Killorglin and Caherciveen are real places along the Ring of Kerry, and Jack asserts that there really was a tinker named Willie Goggins, and Jack Hardy did end up with his hat! You can hear our version of the song on Across the Water's third CD, Watercolour, or on the HFMS link below.
We perform the song in G, capoed up two frets. You can of course adjust the capo position to suit your vocal range,
A POPPY BY ANY COLOR
I CAN SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY
Way out Here by Ken Gaines
Ken
opened our May Second Saturday Concert songwriter's circle
with this fine original.
Having heard Ken perform it for six or seven years
now, it's still one of my favorites. You can
substitute an F chord
for the Fmaj7
Ken plays at several points if you want a more folky
feeling, instead of the shimmery Fmaj7. You can
hear Ken perform this song with Karen Mal on his excellent
CD, Catfish Moon,
or solo on the HFMS Music archive web page at http://houstonfolkmusic.org/HFS_Audio_Archive.html
Lyrics and Chords
Way Out
Here [audio]
MY WEDDING DAY
(C. Mims) Pandulce Music BMI
Connie was one of the panel of three singer-songwriters who gave us such a fantastic show at our May Second Saturday Concert. She graciously gave us permission to publish this song of hers in the Rag. "My Wedding Day" is from Connie's 2008 CD release "Go Deep", produced by Jack Saunders at White Cat Studios, Houston. Connie performs this one with capo at Fret III.
The chord designated as C2 in the chorus looks like this:
You can see Connie perform this song on YouTube at: Connie on YouTube, or listen to it on the Audio Archive page of the HFMS website at: http://houstonfolkmusic.org/HFS_Audio_Archive.html.
Fireside Banjo
Sampler
posted by Andy Longo
I recently completed a Fireside Banjo kit sold by Backyard
Music . The ring of the banjo is cardboard, and
the top is white pine. I was asked about a sample of
the sound so I am storing the audio file on this page for a
link of Facebook.
Wildwood Flower_sampler
JUST PUT 'IM IN A HEARSE
Bully of the Town
You will hear this tune frequently as an instrumental performed by bluegrass and old-time music groups. For years I thought it was a fiddle tune without words until I heard someone sing it at a bluegrass jam in New Jersey. There are many variations on the lyrics -- these are my favorites. I think the last verse is a classic! Even if you don't choose to learn the song, you should listen at least once to Gid Tanner and his great guitarist Riley Puckett. They were important pioneers in the development of the music we know today as bluegrass.
THE ANGELS SING A LULLABY
Ben Bedford's songs are often historical -- sometimes literary -- sometimes both, as in this fine song about Jack London. The last verse is comprised almost entirely of allusions to London's better-known works. With his fine tenor voice, Ben performs this song way up around the key of G. I have pitched it for those of us with more regular voices in the People's key of D, but you may of course capo or transpose it to suit your own vocal range, You can hear Ben perform this song on his excellent CD, Lincoln's Man.
Lyrics and Chords Goodbye Jack [audio]
AND WILLIE WILL SING AT MY SERVICE
By Paul Cooper
Gerald Connor was a real
cowboy -- an inducted member of the Texas Rodeo Cowboy
Hall of Fame, in fact, which helps explain why there
was Willie Nelson music playing in the chapel at his
funeral. Gerald
was also a decorated veteran of World War II, and a
lifelong member of the Masonic Lodge. All of these
institutions were represented at his funeral, and all
of them show up in the song. You can hear
this song on Across the Water's first CD, Watermark.
Lyrics and Chords
Gerald's
Song [audio]
SECOND GENERATION SUNSHINE
By Paul Cooper
This
is a first for our recently inaugurated song column. In January
we featured Mattie
May by Zachary's mom, Carolyn Davis. This month
we are happy to present this lyrical delight which
Zachary first performed for us at one of the pickin
parties a few months back. The first
verse and chorus show the actual chords created by
the lively guitar lick he uses in the accompaniment. The second
verse and chorus show a simplified version if you
just want to strum it.
You can hear this song on Zachary's online
profile at Reverbnation
or at the link below.
Lyrics
and Chords
Sunshine
[audio]
GARFIELD, HE'S AS HUMAN AS HUMAN CAN BE
A
song by Eric Johnson
Another song by one of our talented members, Eric wrote this song back in the 1980s. He says he sent the song to the creator of the Garfield cartoon series, but it was not adopted as a theme song. That's a loss for all of Garfield's loyal fans, in my opinion. It's a good song. It is sung to the tune of 'So Long, Its Been Good To Know You' by Woodie Guthrie. Eric recorded the audio track at World Music in Sugarland, TX
FAEN WOULD I BE IN MY AEN COUNTRY
HFMS member Tony Paiotti did a nice job performing this fine old traditional song at our May 2013 Second Saturday concert. Tony plays it in G, capoed at the third fret. You can of course capo to suit your own vocal range. You can hear a recording of Tony's performance by using the link below. You can hear more of Tony's songs at www.youtube.com/user/1AcousticTony.
The
Broom of the Cowdenknowes [Lyric & Chords]
Audio_File
SO LONG IT'S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YUH
by Paul Cooper
This one is dedicated to
our member and good friend Cal Perry,
who passed away on June 6. This
is one of the songs Cal and I performed
at Houston Christian High School's
presentation on Shakespeare's As
You Like It with a backup folk
band.
Cal
enjoyed doing this song, and it was a
pleasure and a privilege performing with
him.
So
Long It's Been Good To Know You
[Lyrics]
Video
with Rob Tepper lyrics as shown Video with Woody
(alternative lyrics)
THEY FOUGHT ALL IN ONE MIND
by
Paul Cooper
I first heard this
great old traditional English song on the CD Dark Fields
by the excellent folk duo Show of
Hands.
It's not hard to figure out that the song
is both English and traditional, since making
fun of Napoleon ("Old Boney in the song) is one
of England's
most
cherished traditions. You
can hear the song performed solo by Phil Beer of
Show of Hands at the link below (
The song
begins about four minutes into the video, so
you can skip over to the song if you like):
The
Warlike Lads of Russia [audio]
Lyrics
and Chords
I WAS ONCE A STATELY MANSION
by Paul
Cooper
In
this gospel-sounding melody, Bryan speaks
through the voice of an ante-bellum Southern
Home. The
song will work with guitar just as well as
autoharp. You
can hear this song on Bryan’s CD Home, Home
on the Road or at the link below.
Stately
Mansion [audio]
Stately
Mansion [lyrics and chords]
RUN OL' MOLLY RUN
by
Paul Cooper
This
song is a fictional account of the July
4,
1878 match race between
the
Kentucky horse Ten
Broeck
and
the
California mare Mollie
McCarty
at
the
Louisville Jockey Club (now Churchill Downs). Ten Broeck won the
race before a record crowd of 30,000. The song
commonly states that Ten Broeck "was a big bay
horse", and although he was a bay, he was
"very compactly built" The song
refers
to a fatal outcome, which did not in fact
occur; Mollie McCarty lived nearly five more
years,
winning
multiple races and producing three foals. This
song was first recorded by the Carver Brothers
in 1929, and later by Bill Monroe. You can
hear the song performed by Tony Rice, Sam Bush
and Bela Fleck at the
link below.
Run Ol'Molly Run
[audio]
Run
Ol'Molly Run [lyrics and chords]
TELLIN’ HER LIES ON ME
by Paul Cooper
Elizabeth Cotton was a pioneer of American urban folk music, and particularly of the guitar style known as two finger pickin’. She played a standard strung guitar left-handed, which to most of us would be upside down. If you don’t know the story of how she was “discovered’ while working in the household of Pete Seeger’s family, it is worth looking up. Cotton wrote a number of other great songs, including Freight Train and Shake Sugaree, that have been recorded by a great number of artists. I suspect a lot more people know her music than know her name. You can hear this song performed by Elizabeth Cotton on YouTube on the link below:
BEEN SO LONG
HFMS member Gaylee Malone performed this classic sixteen-bar blues at the November pickin’ party – one of many fine songs she has written. Gaylee says everything in the song is taken from actual experience. She was one of the girls sittin’ at the station waving at the boys in green. You can hear this song on Gaylee’s CD, or at the link below.
SHE WAS VERY FOND OF DANCING
Twenty-something
years
ago I took a trip to Connecticut with the
family.
At the restaurant where we were
having lunch one day, a quartet dressed in
renaissance garb was performing folk and
traditional music, and they were very good. Fine
guitar players, terrific harmony. One
of the members was a a red-haired Australian
lady with a wonderful strong soprano voice. I
bought their tape (remember
audiocassettes?), learned that the name of
the group was Sheelta,
and listened to it all the way home. Fast
forward twenty years. When
I moved to Houston and heard Sue Atkins sing
at a pickin’ party, her voice seemed very
familiar.
I overheard her mention Sheelta,
and sure enough, it was the same person. This
is the closing song on the tape – a great
story of disappointed love, as sad as it is
lively.
For the rhyme to work, you have to
give “clerk” the English pronunciation –
more like “clark”. You
can hear Sue perform this song at the link
below.
Calico
Printer's Clerk [audio]
Calico Printer's Clerk
[lyrics and chords]
MOVED HIS BODY LIKE A CANNON BALL
From Pete Seeger’s
American Favorite
Ballads:
In 1908 John
Lomax listened to a woman sing
as she washed clothes for her
man working in a levee
camp. Next year he tried
to look her up again. The
townspeople motioned up to the
end of the street where the
graveyard was. "That's
where Dink's living
now." The Lomax
family remembered her song and
passed it on to us, a great
flower of beauty.
You can hear this beautiful
song in the movie or on the
soundtrack recording of Inside
Llewyn Davis, or at
the link below.
Dink's Song [audio]
Dink's
Song [lyrics and chords]
A SONG
PRESERVED BY ERIC JOHNSON
Sometime in the late 1970’s,
Eric received from his brother a copy
of a radio show broadcast in
Washington, DC.
It was a recording of Richard
K. Spotswood program.
R.K. Spotswood (b.1937) is a musicologist and author
from Maryland who has catalogued and
been responsible for the reissue of
many thousands of recordings of
vernacular music in the United States. From
this tape, Eric learned a song
recorded by Walter Lee Moore
(1914-1997), a long time country
western performer who traveled across
the country with a variety of groups.
The song is called “Where The
Water Lilies Grow”. It
is one of Eric’s more moving and
melodic tunes. After
some searching, I have found no other
copy available but Eric’s recording at
the link below.
Where
the Water Lilies Grow[audio]
Where
the Water Lilies Grow[lyrics and
chords]
At our April 2014 song circle, Jorge Palomarez sang this beautiful love song in Spanish. His title for the song is “No Me Dejes Aqui” (Don’t Leave Me Here).
You can go to links below for the audio and the lyrics in Spanish along with the English translation.
No Me Dejes Aqui [audio]
No
Me Dejes Aqui [lyrics & trans
A Memorable Moment From
Bill and Kate Isles Concert
April 2014
It was mentioned in the last
month’s CPR, that the April concert with
Bill and Kate Isles was memorable when
he brought up several in the audience to
join in on the “Hobo’s” chorus. As
fortune
would have it, Cathy Phillips was on
hand with her iPhone to capture this
event in sight and sound, and she did so
admirably. Below are two
links; One is a link to the full
audio and the other is an excerpt of
video.
Hobos in the Roundhouse [audio]
Hobos in the Roundhouse[video]
UPSIDE DOWN LICKIN’ UP THE
WHISKEY
by Paul Cooper
We learned this song at a a
performance of English music hall numbers
the last night of the Chester Folk
Festival.
The connection with folk music is
that many old music hall songs, such as
this one, from the 1800s are now
considered folk music, and thought by
many to be traditional. You
can hear this song on YouTube at link
below.
Old Dun Cow [audio]
Old
Dun Cow [lyrics]
RIPPLE IN STILL WATERS
by Paul Cooper
Not
all fans of folk music include the
Grateful Dead in their regular
playlist. But
the Dead did a great deal to spread
the gospel of folk, acoustic and
singer-songwriter material. They
recorded
many traditional folk songs, and a
lot of their original tunes, such as
the one below, would be a nice fit
in any sing circle. Robert
Hunter was their main lyricist, and
Jerry Garcia the principal music
writer. Hunter
was a poet in his own right,
publishing collections of poetry and
a translation of Ranier Marie
Rilke’s Duino Elegies, in addition to
his many songs.
Below are links to the lyrics and
to the audio available on youTube.
Ripple
[video on youTube]
Ripple
[lyrics and chords]
HAVE TO DO IT
WHILE I’M HERE
by
Paul Cooper
Phil Ochs was a major voice in the Folk Revival and Anti-war Movement of the 1960’s, though his music is not heard much today. Born in El Paso, Texas, he took his own life in 1976 at the age of 35. This song, "When I'm Gone", is a philosophical statement couched in lovely poetic images, and based on a simple “turnaround” chord progression.
ONCE WE WERE BOLD…
With 24 CDs
going back to 1971, Allan Taylor is
one of the premiere troubadours of
the western world. And I
am happy to announce that we have
been able to book Allan for Second
Saturday for our April 11, 2015
concert. In
the meantime, you can enjoy this
great song of his at the
link below, as well as get a good
look at how he plays it in Open G
tuning.
Bold
Companeros[video on youTube]
Bold
Campaneros[lyrics and chords]
THAT KIND OF LOVE
Pierce
Pettis gave us a fine show at the
September Second Saturday concert,
which included this song, one of his
best known. If
you are looking for a love song to
learn, this near-scriptural paean to
love itself would certainly qualify. This
is the title song of a wonderful CD
Pierce produced on his own label,
Compass records Group of Nashville www.compassrecords.com. See
links below for the audio file and
the lyrics and chords document.
Pierce performs the song in
the key of E. I
have transposed it down to D to make
it a little more easily sung for
most of us.
That
Kind Of Love [audio]
That
Kind of Love [lyrics and chords]
THROW THE VANDALS IN COURT
BRENNAN ON THE MOOR
Willie
Brennan
was an outlaw from County
Tipperary – the same county as the
Clancy brothers, whose inspiring
version of this song can be heard
at the link below.
This is such a great story,
it is hard not to be sympathetic
to Willie – though he is hanged in
the end, according to the rules
that outlaw ballads must follow.
Brennan
on the Moor [youTube video]
Brennan
on the Moor [lyrics and
chords]
OH, SWEET MAMA
Growing up in Dallas in the 1950s, I was aware there was a place east of downtown called Deep Ellum, but I knew very little about it. I did know that it was inhabited by folks with considerably darker complexions than ours, but I did not know that much of the music that represents mainstream 20th century American blues was being invented and performed there. Most importantly, I knew that Mom and Dad didn’t think it was any place us kids should be going. In the 1920s and ‘30s, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith all performed there. The 1950s still saw the likes of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Blund Willie Johnson and T-Bone Walker performing there, among many others. Today, Deep Ellum’s status has been elevated to that of a historical district, but I think this song captures well the flavor of the place in its heyday. You can hear Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead perform this tune at the link below.
MAYBE – IT’S HARD TO SAY
Joe
Crookston from Ithaca, N.Y. is an
amazing songwriter who has penned a
great many songs about a great
variety of people and their stories. In
this highly philosophical tale, the
melody is simple and
traditional-sounding, but the chords
are actually a little bit tricky,
with frequent changes creating a lot
of harmonic movement. This
song, from Joe’s excellent 2011 CD,
Darkling
& the Bluebird Jubilee is
published here with Joe’s gracious
permission. You
can access the lyrics, chords, and
audio from the links below.
Good Luck John [audio]
Good
Luck John [lyrics and chords]
RIDE THROUGH THE LONELY NIGHT
This
song was first published in Carl
Sandburg’s The American Songbag
in the 1930’s. Sandburg
said he collected the song from a
cowboy who was in the hospital with
a broken leg. The
portrait of the cowboy’s lost love
(Laura) in the song is as poignant
as it is brief. You
can hear this lovely song at the
link below.
The
Colorado Trail [audio]
The
Colorado Trail [lyrics and chords]
WHAT A FINE PLACE FOR ONE TO BE
Hickory
Hill
put on a fine show for us at the
April Second Saturday concert.
This song by John Early,
one of the founding members of the
group, was among the ones they
performed.
Like many bluegrass lead
singers, John pitches his songs
pretty high.
I have taken it down from
the key of A to G for slightly
easier singing. If you want to
play along with the recording, you
can just capo at the second fret
and follow the chord symbols shown
below.
You can listen to the song
on Hockory Hill’s CD, Freedom,
or at the link below.
Freedom
[audio]
Freedom
[lyrics and chords]
SPEED, BONNIE BOAT
This beautiful song tells the story of how Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) escaped in a small boat after the defeat of his Jacobite uprising of 1745. Disguised as a serving maid, Charles was spirited from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. You can hear this song at the link below. If you want to play along with the group on the recording, capo at the first fret and play the chords in D as indicated below.
SCRIPT
ENOUGH
TO BUY THE COMPANY STORE
Jean
Ritchie,
who died June 1 of this, first
recorded The
L & N Don’t Stop Here
Anymore in 1965.
Since then it has been
covered in recordings by at least
21 other artists, and live by
countless other folk singers.
Born in an unincorporated
community in the Cumberland
Mountains of south eastern
Kentucky, Jean went on to graduate
Phi Beta Kappa from Kentucky
University, and later was awarded
a Fulbright Scholarship to trace
the links between American ballads
and songs from Britain and
Ireland.
You can hear Jean’s
original recording of this song at
the link below.
I
have transcribed the song below in
the same key as the original
recording, Am.
The
L & N Don't Stop Here
Anymore [video]
The L &
N Don't Stop Here
Anymore [lyrics and
chords]
HE
DIED
WITHOUT A PENNY
This traditional song has been covered countless times by folk, folk rock and country artists – often with the lyrics altered to memorialize the passing of a particular person, as in the Byrds’ 1963 version that was a eulogy for John F. Kennedy. The lyrics shown here are the way I learned it from a folksinging friend in the early 1960’s, before different versions such as Willie Nelson’s (which can be heard on the sound track of Brokeback Mountain) and others became popular. The version recorded by The Greenbriar Boys, which can be heard at the link below. It is very similar to the way I first heard it (which is the way that sounds right to me, of course). A couple of chords shown below are slightly different, but fit perfectly with the melody.
GONNA LAY MY HEAD
Wikipedia lists 38 recorded covers of this song since it was written in 1924 by jazz pianist Richard M. Jones. It quickly became a blues standard, and many artists added lyrics of their own. I have included my favorite verses from a variety of sources in this transcription. The song can be found in a variety of styles, treatments and chord progressions. The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band’s 1987 version is based on the chords shown here. You can hear this version at the link below.
A FLOWING GLASS I’LL RAISE
I was thinking about our October Second Saturday concert with Bryan Bowers, and remembered Bryan’s lovely rendition of this song (The Lake of Ponchartrain). The story obviously happens in America, though the song is a staple in the repertoire of many Irish groups, such as the Hothouse Flowers, whose beautiful version can be heard at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKq0odvgtmc, or at the link below.
[note: The map insert shows the
names given to what was referred
to the 'Lakes of Ponchartrain'.]
Lakes
of Ponchartrain [video]
Lakes
of Ponchartrain [lyrics and chords]
GONNA SLIP MY CABLE
There
are
many types of sea chanteys (see
p.6). This chantey is Caribbean and
was probably sung as a halyard
chantey, to be sung while raising
the sails. Chanteys
usually have simple tunes and
harmonies, which makes them great
for improvising harmonies in group
singing. And
some pretty rowdy fun. You
can hear this chantey performed by
The Watersons on their CD, Blue
Murder, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9zM46tfRGE
or the link below.
Bully
in the Alley [video]
Bully
in the Alley [lyrics and chords]
AND FRANCE SO FULL OF WINE
While
this
song sounds pretty traditional, it
was written by Scottish
singer-songwriter Ian McCalman and
released on his 1975 album, Smuggler.
Ailsa Craig is an
uninhabited island 10 miles off
Scotland where granite is quarried
to make curling stones. There
is a Hazleholm in Cumberland County
in Northwest England. There
is another song called The
Lads of Lendalfit, but I could
not identify it geographically. You
can hear a fine performance of this
song by the Sheringham Shantymen at
the link below.
The
Smuggler [video]
The
Smuggler [lyrics and chords]
AND SHE WELCOMES THEM WITH OPEN ARMS
Brother
Sun
knocked us out with this song at the November Second Saturday
Concert. Joe Jencks
has graciously given us permission to reprint the song here. The sheet music was
also published in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Sing Out
magazine. We don’t
publish many, if any, “political” songs in this column, but I
hope you’ll agree this one rises above any politics that may
surround the topic. You
can hear this song on Brother Sun’s CD, “Some Part of the Truth”,
or at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3gOoySyNlI,
or at the link below.
Lady of
the Harbor [video]
Lady of the Harbor [lyrics & chords]
TO DESTROY THE COMMERCE OF THE NORTH
This hard-driving shanty tells the story of two Civil War Vessels, the Confederate Sloop of War Alabama and the U.S.S. Kearsarge. The Alabama was built in England in the shipyards at Birkenhead (the South had no significant shipbuilding industry at that time), while the Kearsarge came from Maine and was named after Mount Kearsarge in New Hanpshire. You can hear a great version of this song, including the line from Oh Susanna by a group called Schooner Fare at the link below.
Roll Alabama Roll [video] Roll Alabama Roll [lyrics & chords]
GOOD NIGHT AND JOY BE WITH YOU ALL
This beautiful traditional Irish song was also the most popular parting song in Scotland till Robert Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne in 1788. The Parting Glass is one of many traditional songs that Bob Dylan adapted, giving it the title Restless Farewell, and penning some lovely lyrics of his own (not stealin’ – it’s the folk process). Sometimes the song is sung to a slow, regular cadence, and sometimes very freely without a consistent rhythm. It is beautiful either way. You can listen to a fine solo rendition by the now-departed George Donaldson of Celtic Thunder at the link below. You can play along with the recorded track using the chords below and capoing at the third fret (C minor). The arrangement below has a lot of chord changes. It reminds me of a hymn. But the frequent chord changes are quite manageable if you take it slow, which Is a nice way to do the song anyway.
The Parting Glass [video] The Parting Glass [lyrics & chords]
AT THE DAWNING OF THE DAY
These words were first published as a poem in 1946 by the Irish Poet Patrick Kavanaugh. Later, when the poet met Luke Kelly of the Dubliners, Kelly set it to the tune of the traditional Irish song, The Dawning of the Day, which is also still performed today. This song has been performed and recorded by a great many artists. You can hear a lovely version by Mark Knopfler at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zftcuVQDcNM, or at the link below.
Raglan Road [video] Raglan Road [lyrics and chords]
LOVE BETRAYS ALL SECRETS
David Massengill tells the story that when this song was once recorded by a group in Montana, they listed the song as “traditional” because it sounded so much like a “real” folk song it never occurred to them to look up whether there was an author. David says that was one of the greatest compliments he ever received. There are several recordings of David performing this song on YouTube. I like the one at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juFDzw94fJ8, or you can listen to it on at the link below.
Road To Fairfax Co. [video] Road To Fairfax Co. [lyrics and chords]
WILL YE GO, LASSIE, GO?
Bob Stevenson did a lovely job of leading the group in this one at the June pickin party at Steve and Deb Baltzell’s house. One might guess that this song is centuries old, and in a sense it is. Though it was composed in its current form by Francis McPeake of Belfast and first recorded in 1957 for a BBC series, the song is generally felt to be a variant of “The Braes of Balquhither” by the Scottish poet Robert Tannahill (1774-1810), a contemporary of Robert Burns. Wikipedia cites recordings of the song by 78 different groups and artists. For learning, I recommend listening to the version by The Corries at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKvB3g3HEPQ, or at the link below.
Wild Mountain Thyme [video] Wild Mountain Thyme [lyrics and chords]
THAT’S THE GEM OF IRELAND’S CROWN
This is another very traditional-sounding song that was actually written by a known composer. “Star of the County Down” was written by Cathal McGarvey, who was actually from County Donegal and lived from 1866 to 1927. The tune, however, is similar to several older pieces, including several hymns. A “boreen” is a term for a narrow, unpaved road in rural Ireland. My favorite version is the one recorded in 1988 by Van Morrison with The Chieftains, which you can hear at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSvVVzH3O5E, or at the link below.
Star of the County Down [video] Star of the County Down [lyrics and chords]
WHEN EVERYBODY’S HOME
by Paul Cooper
I wrote this song in the winter of 1995. Someone asked if I could post it in the Rag, so here it is. 1995 was a time when my kids were pretty much grown and had left the nest to seek their fortunes, but from time to time would show up back at the nest, still in a pre-fortune condition. But that Christmas everybody was home. You can hear this song by clicking on the link below.
It Only Seems Like Christmas [audio] It Only Seems Like Christmas [lyrics & chords]
I NEVER WANTED TO FLY HIGH
Welsh singer-songwriter Anne Lister graciously gave us her permission to reprint this song. A modern rendering of the Greek myth by the same name, this song moves me as much as any I have ever heard. I first heard it in England performed by a young artist named Greg Russell http://www.russellalgar.co.uk/ at the Chester Folk Festival. You can hear this song performed by the wonderful guitarist Martin Simpson on a youTube video at the link below.
ICARUS [video] ICARUS [lyrics and chords]
YOU WONDER CAN YOU EVER GO HOME
We love to listen to HFMS Board member Gayle Fallon do her original songs. Her honey-colored contralto voice and her World War II-era Martin guitar make a perfect combination. Gayle’s varied career took her many places. She served in the military for a number of years before being President of the Teachers’ Union here in Houston. This song speaks of deep personal experience, and we appreciate Gayle sharing it with us. You can hear this song at the link below.
