Early Morning Rain

By Gordon Lightfoot
Rise Up Singing chapter: Traveling, p.232
(in D) A G D - / Em A D - / Em A D / A G D -

In the early morning rain, with a dollar in my hand
With an aching in my heart, and my pockets full of sand...

Jacob's Ladder

A traditional American spiritual
Rise Up Singing chapter: Spirituals, p.210
C - - - / G - F C / - - F C / - G C -

1.We are climbing Jacob's ladder (3x)
Soldiers of the cross [brothers, sisters, all]

2.Every round goes higher, higher
3.Sinners do you love your Jesus?
4.If you love him, why not serve him?
5.Rise, shine, give God glory
6.We are climbing higher, higher

Go Tell It On The Mountain (take 2)

Better than take 1, I think.

Traditional American spiritual
Rise Up Singing chapter: Spirituals, p.209

D - - - A - D G A / D - - DG D A D -
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ was born

D - - - A - D - / - - - - E - A A7
When I was a sinner, I prayed both night and day
I asked the Lord to help me and he showed me the way

When I was a seeker, I sought both night and day
I asked my Lord to help me and he taught me to pray

The Lord made me a watchman upon the city wall
And if I am a Christian I am the least of all

Go Tell it on the Mountain

Traditional American spiritual
Rise Up Singing chapter: Spirituals, p.209

D - - - A - D G A / D - - DG D A D -
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ was born

D - - - A - D - / - - - - E - A A7
When I was a sinner, I prayed both night and day
I asked the Lord to help me and he showed me the way

When I was a seeker, I sought both night and day
I asked my Lord to help me and he taught me to pray

The Lord made me a watchman upon the city wall
And if I am a Christian I am the least of all

Ezekiel Saw the Wheel

Traditional American spiritual
Rise Up Singing chapter: Spirituals, p.209

D - - - / - - DA7 D ://
Ezekiel saw that wheel, way up in the middle of the air
Ezekiel saw that wheel (whirling) way in the middle of the air
Now the little wheel runs by faith and the big wheel runs by the grace of God
It's a wheel in a wheel way in the middle of the air

GD D DA7 D / GD D DA7 D
or as I do:
G D DA7 D / G D DA7 D
Some go to church for to sing and shout
(Way in the middle of the air)
Before six months they are all turned out
(Way in the middle of the air)

Let me tell you, brother, what a hypocrite'll do
He'll talk about me and he'll talk about you

One of these days about 12 o'clock
This old world's gonna reel and rock

Here are some different lyrics, along with a midi file of the melody: http://www.my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/ezekiel.html

And here's a link to Woodie Guthrie's less-religious version: http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/woody_guthrie_lyrics_38185/other_lyrics_68964/ezekiel_saw_the_wheel_lyrics_756554.html

Community Power (My Bonnie)

Words by Joanna Cazden; melody, traditional (My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean)
Rise Up Singing chapter: Ecology, p.34
A D A - / A B7 E - / A D A - / B7 E A - / A - D B7 / E - A - / A - B7 - / E - A -

They're taking away all our power
By bringing in nuclear plants
They talk of technology's flower
We'd rather give safety a chance
Power, power / Community power is ours for free
Power, power / Oh bring back my power to me

They're fish washing up in the rivers
Pipes crack and the cancer rates rise
They can't find a dump for the garbage
It's trouble catastrophe-sized

The companies can't get insurance
The dangers are so plain to see
How long can they lie to the public
About "public utility"?

But now folks are coming together
Control of our lives we demand
We think we might handle it better
Than experts in Washington-land

Some make this task their occupation
They're camping out, going to jail
While others work hard in the courtrooms
Combined efforts will never fail

They're taking away all our power
And bringing in nuclear plants
Like doomsday machines they will tower
We'll stop 'em however we can (& meanwhile)

I've heard of some farms using windmills
And houses kept warm with chopped wood
And factories running on water-wheels
And the sun heating bathtubs real good!

Mercedes-Benz

By Janis Joplin and Michael McClure
Rise Up Singing chapter: America, p.3
D - G D / D - - - / - - G D / - - G D
or the way I like to play it:
D - G D / D - - A / D - G D / - - G D

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?
My friends all have Porsches, I must make amends
[I don't think it would be such a wild guess to suggest that Janis Joplin probably didn't know what 'to make amends' meant. I a friend of mine wrote that in a poem, I'd cringe. Somehow it seems to carry the weight of history in this song, however.]
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

Oh Lord won't you buy me a colour T.V.?
Dialing for dollars is trying to find me
I'll wait for delivery each day until three

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town?
I'm counting on You, Lord, please don't let me down
Prove that you love me and buy the next round

Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies

Geordie

RUS Bonus: Shortning Bread Strum Pattern

This is for Liverlipsyyz, who gave me a huge compliment in actually asking for my strum pattern for this song. Downright made my day. I had to go back and figure it out, but here it is, more or less. It's a 4-minute video, but the last 2 are where I've actually got it down, I think.

The original video of me demonstrating the song, lyrics and all, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7pZFlsfQA8

There'll Come A Time

By Malvina Reynolds (the great)

The People Are Scratching

Words by Ernie Marrs and Harold Martin, melody by Pete Seeger.
peteseeger.net claims that both words and melody are by Ernie Marrs and Harold Martin. I really don't know.
A nice version from Pete Seeger is on his album "God Bless The Grass", all about ecology and environmental problems and solutions.
Rise Up Singing chapter: Ecology, p.37
Am E / - Am / C G C E / Am - D / E EAm

Come fill up your glasses and set yourselves down.
I'll tell you a story of somebody's town.
It isn't too near and it's not far away.
It's not a place where I'd want to stay.

Chorus:
Now the people are scratching all over the street
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.

The winter came in with a cold icy blast.
It killed off the flowers and killed off the grass.
The rabbits were starving because of the freeze.
They started eating the bark off the trees.

The farmers said, "This sort of thing just won't do.
Our trees will be dead when the rabbits get through.
We'll have to poison the rabbits, it's clear;
Or we'll have no crops to harvest next year."

So they brought the poison and spread it around.
And soon dead rabbits began to be found.
Dogs ate the rabbits and the farmers just said,
"We'll poison those rabbits till the last dog is dead."

Up in the sky there were meat-eating fowls.
The dead rabbits poisoned the hawks and the owls.
Thousands of field mice the hawks used to chase
Were multiplying all over the place.

The fields and the meadows were barren and brown.
The mice got hungry and moved into town.
The city folks took the farmer's advise
And all of them started to poison the mice.

There were dead mice in all the apartments and flats.
The cats ate the mice and the mice killed the cats.
The smell was awful and I'm glad to say
I wasn't the man hired to haul them away.

All through the country and all through the town
There wasn't a dog or cat to be found.
The fleas asked each other, "Where can we stay?"
They've been on the people from then till this day.

All you small creatures that live in this land
Stay clear of the man with the poisonous hand!
A few bails of hay might keep you alive
But he'll pay more to kill you than let you survive.

Power

Shenandoah

The Little White Duck

(Song begins at 1:00)
Words by Bernard Zaritzky and melody by Walt Barrows
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.173
D - - A / - - - D / G - D - / E - A - / D - - A / - - D -

There's a little white duck, sitting in the water
A little white duck, doing what he oughter
He took a bite of a lily pad
Flapped his wings and he said, "I'm glad
I'm a little white duck, sitting in the water
Quack! Quack! Quack!"

There's a little green frog swimming in the water...
He jumped right off of the lily pad
That the little duck bit...
Glug! Glug! Glug!

There's a little balck bug floating on the water...
He tickled the frog on the lily pad
That the little duck bit...
Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

There's a little red snake playing in the water...
He frightened the duck and the frog so bad
He ate the bug...
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Now there's nobody left sitting in the water
Nobody left doing what they oughter
There's nothing left but the lily pad
The and the frog ran away — I'm sad
'Cause there's nobody left sitting in the water
Boo! Hoo! Hoo!

Rise and Shine

Sorry I've been away a few days! I'm back and singing still. I just recorded three songs tonight to make up for missing the past three days. Here's the first: Rise and Shine.
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.176
C - F - / C - F - / C - F C / - G C -
I play it like this:
C - F - / C - F - / C - (pause) F / C G C -

Chorus:
Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory (2x)
Rise and shine and (clap!) give God the glory, glory
Children of the Lord

The Lord said to Noah, "There's gonna be a floody, floody (2x)
The whole world is (clap) gonna be muddy, muddy
Children of the Lord

The Lord said to Noah you'd better build an arky, arky (2x)
Build it out of (clap) hickory barky, barky (birchy barky, barky)
Children...

The animals came on board, they came on by twosies, twosies (2x)
Elephants and (clap) kangaroosies, roosies
...

It rained and it rained for forty nights and daisies, daisies (2x)
Almost drove those (clap) animals crazy, crazy

Noah, he looked up annd saw a dovey, dovey (2x)
Saw it up in (clap) heaven a-bovey, bovey

The sun came out and dried up all the landy, landy (2x)
Everythin was (clap) fine and dandy, dandy

This is the end of, the end of my story, story (2x)
Everything was (clap) hunky-dory, dory

Mama Don't Allow

Blowin' in the Wind

By Bob Dylan

Saint James' Infirmary

You've Really Got A Hold On Me

By William "Smokey" Robinson
Rise Up Singing chapter: Love, p.130

C - - - / Am - - - / - - F - G -
I don't like you, but I love you
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
Though you treat me badly
I love you madly

C - - - Am - - - / - - F G / C - G -
You've really got a hold on (me) (4x) baby!
(2nd and 3rd chorus) I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me (4x)

Comin' Thro' the Rye

By Robert Burns
By Robbie Burns
Rise Up Singing chapter: Love, p.122
D A - D / D A - D / D A D G / DA DA A D

Gin a body meet a body
Comin' thro' the rye
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry?
Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a' the lads they smile at me
When comin' thro' the rye

Gin a body meet a body
Comin' frae the town
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body frown?
Amang the train there is a swain
I dearly lo'e myself
But what his name or whaur his hame
I dinna care to tell

Other lyrics (with the "Jenny's a' wet" chorus):

1. O, Jenny's a' weet, poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry:
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!

Chorus:
Comin thro' the rye, poor body,
Comin thro' the rye,
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!


2. Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Chorus:

3. Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl' ken?
Chorus:

4. Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing's a body's ain.
Chorus:

5. Ev'ry Lassie has her laddie,
Nane, they say, have I,
Yet all the lads they smile on me,
When comin' thro' the rye.
Chorus:

Wynken Blynken and Nod

Acres of Clams (Anti-Nuke Song)

Words by Charlie King, to the tune of "Old Rosin the Beau"
Rise Up Singing chapter: Ecology, p.33
C - / - Am / C CF / CG C / C F / C Am / C CF / CG C

I've lived all my life in this country
I love every flower and tree
I expect to live here 'til I'm ninety
It's the nukes that must go and not me
It's the nukes that must go and not me
It's the nukes that must go and not me
I expect to live here 'til I'm ninety
It's the nukes that must go and not me

I swallowed enough radiation
It's time I was standing my ground
So I'm joining that grand occupation
We're shutting that power plant down
...

Now Seabrook, New Hampshire's a swell town
It's there that we're taking our stand
Don't sit home and wait for a meltdown
Come fight for your freedom and land

And Seabrook is just the beginning
We'll soon have the nukes on the run
It's a fight that the people are winning
The fight for our place in the sun

We're seizing that land with a vision
Exposing the P.S.C.'s shams
As I sing of my happy condition
Surrounded by acres of clams

Streets of London

By Ralph McTell
Rise Up Singing chapter: City, p.21

C G Am Em / F C D G / C G Am Em / F C G C
Have you seen the old man in the closed down market?
Kicking up the papers with his worn-out shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride, hands held loosely at his sides
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news

Chorus:
F Em G Am / D - G - / C G Am Em / F C G C
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind

More verses that I'll type up later.....

Bourgeois Blues

The Great Silkie

Blow The Man Down

I'm in the Mood (for Singing)

By Raffi
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play
D - - A / - - - D / - - - G / - D A D / G D A D

Grandfather's Clock

By Henry Clay Work
Rise Up Singing chapter: Time and Changes, p.224
D A D G / D A D - :// D - A - / D - A - / D A D G / D A D -

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf
So it stood 90 years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
And was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

Chorus:
D GD D - / D GD D - / D A D G / D A D -
Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tock, tick, tock)
His life seconds numbering (tick, tock, tick, tock)
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro
Many hours had he spent as a boy
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door
With a blooming and beautiful bride
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

Now my grandfather said that of those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he found
It wasted no time and it had but one desire
At the end of each week to be wound
And it stayed in its place, not a frown upon its face
And its hands never hung by its side
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

It rang an alarm in the dead of the night
An alarm that for years had been dumb
And we knew that his spirit was pluming its flight
That his hour of departure had come
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime
As we silently stood by his side
But it stopped short, never to go again
When the old man died

Dock of the Bay

A.K.A. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
By Otis Redding and Steve Cropper
Rise Up Singing chapter: Traveling, p.231
G B / C A / :// G E / G E / G A / G E

Bridge: GD C / GD C / GD C / F - D -
Looks like nothng's gonna change
Everything remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same

Mairi's Wedding

A.K.A. Mari's Wedding, Mary's Wedding
A traditional Scottish song
Rise Up Singing chapter: Love, p.126
Chords: E - A B7 ://

Chorus:
Step we gaily on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm in arm and on we go, all for Mairi's wedding

Over hill ways up and down, myrtle green and bracken brown
Past the sheeling through the town, all for the sake of Mairi

Plenty herring, plenty meal, plenty peat to fill her creal
Plenty bonny bairns as weel, that's the toast for Mairi

Cheeks as bright as rowans are, brighter far than any star
Fairest of them all by far is my darling Mairi

A quick Scots lesson:

bairn = child
weel = well
wir ain leed = our own language

for more Scots, go here: http://www.scots-online.org/grammar/goamins.htm