Sunday, February 28, 2010

Hevenu Shalom Alechem הבאנו שלום עליכם


Traditional Hebrew
Rise Up Singing chapter: Good Times, p.86

Song links: 1) http://www.hebrewsongs.com/?songID=437
2) http://www.greatjewishmusic.com/Midifiles/HevenuShalomAleichem.htm

Different ways to transliterate הבאנו שלום עליכם :
Hevenu Shalom Alechem
Heveinu Shalom Alechem
Heveinu Shalom Aleichem
Hevenu Shalom Aleichem

With special guest from Myanmar: Gabby

Saturday, February 27, 2010

East Virginia Blues (Bonus)



Traditional American
This song shares a tune with "I Don't Want Your Millions, Mister", which I recorded a few days ago.
Lyrics from www.bluegrasslyrics.com
C - - C7 / F - C - / F - C - / G7 - C -

I was born in East Virginia
North Carolina I did go
There I courted a fair young maiden
But her age I did not know

Oh her hair was dark and curly
And her cheeks were rosy red
On her breast she wore a lilly
Where I longed to lay my head

Molly dear, go ask your mother
If you my bride might ever be
If she says no, come back and tell me
And I'll run away with thee

No I'll not go ask my mother
Where she lies on her bed of rest
In her hand she holds a dagger
To kill the man that I love best

The ocean's deep and I can't wade it
And I have no wings to fly
I'll just get some blue-eyed boatman
For to row me o'er the tide

I'll go back to East Virginia
North Carolina ain't my home
I'll go back to East Virginia
Leave old North Carolina alone

I don't want your green back dollar
I don't want your watch and chain
All I want is you my darling
Say you'll take me back again

For you know I'd like to see you
At my door you're welcome in
At my gate I'll always greet you
For you're the girl I tried to win

Greenback Dollar


By Hoyt Axton

Lyrics and chords from: http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/toc.htm

Some people say I'm no count
Others say I'm no good
But I'm just a natural born traveling man
Doin' what I think I should, oh Lord
Doin' what I think I should

Em - G - / Em - G - / C7 - G - / D - Em - / D - Em - /

And I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar
Spend it fast as I can
But a wailing song and a good guitar
The only thing that I understand, poor boy
The only thing that I understand

G C G C / G C G C / G C G C / D - Em - / D - Em - /

When I was a little baby
My mama said hey son
Travel where you will and learn to be a man
And sing what must be sung, poor boy
Sing what must be sung

Now that I've grown to be a man
I've traveled here and there
I've learned that a bottle of brandy and a song
The only ones who ever cared, poor boy
The only one's who ever cared

Friday, February 26, 2010

The Prisoner's Song (R.U.S. Bonus)


Recorded in 1925 by Vernon Dalhart. He did make some recordings with Thomas Alva Edison, but this wasn't one of the songs he did. A commenter on a video of his version (see bottom) claims that a singer named Frank Crummett recorded the song before Dalhart. I don't really care who recorded it first, which makes me wish I hadn't said anything about it in the video.

A.K.A. "I Wish I Had Someone to Love Me"
Chords: D D7 G - / A A7 D - ://
Lyrics:
Oh, I wish I had someone to love me
Someone to call me their own
Oh, I wish I had someone to live with
'Cause I'm tired of livin' alone

Oh, please meet me tonight in the moonlight
Please meet me tonight all alone
For I have a sad story to tell you
It's a story that's never been told

I'll be carried to the new jail tomorrow
Leaving my poor darling alone
With the cold prison bars all around me
And my head on a pillow of stone

Now I have a grand ship on the ocean
All mounted with silver and gold
And before my poor darlin' would suffer
Oh, that ship would be anchored and sold

Now if I had the wings of an angel
Over these prison walls I would fly
And I'd fly to the arms of my poor darlin'
And there I'd be willing to die

Here's Vernon Dalhart doing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0tg5u9y2Ps

Re: Going Down the Road (Feeling Bad)


Envoi direct depuis le caméscope

Thursday, February 25, 2010

I Don't Want Your Millions, Mister


Words by Jim Garland, melody from the traditional "East Virginia"
Written by Jim Garland for the Almanac Singers (Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays, Millard Lampell + a bunch of others at different times, including Cisco Houston, Bess Lomax Hawes, Sis Cunningham, Josh White and Sam Gary)
Rise Up Singing chapter: Rich and Poor, p.182

Chours and verses are the same chords and tune:
D - / G D / G D / A D

Chorus:
I don't want your millions, mister
I don't want your diamond ring
All I want is the right to live mister
Give me back my job again [or: Give to me a job again]

I don't want your Rolls Royce, Mister
I don't want your pleasure yacht
All I want is food for my babies
Give to me my old job back

I know you have the land deed, Mister
The money is all in your name
But where's the work that you did, Mister?
I'm demanding back my job again

We worked to build this country, Mister
While you enjoyed a life of ease
You've stolen all that we've built, Mister
Now our children starve and freeze

Think me dumb if you wish, Mister
Call me green or blue or red
There's just one thing I sure know, Mister
My hungry babies must be fed

Take the two old parties, Mister
No difference in them I can see
But with a Farmer-Labor Party
We could set the people free
[or: We will set the workers free]

[by Peter Blood]
You never earned those millions, Mister
They were produced by working hands
We're taking back our own wealth, Mister
Winning back our lives and lands

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Going Down the Road (Feeling Bad)


By Woody Guthrie and Lee Hays
Rise Up Singing chapter: Rich and Poor, p.181
D - / G D / G D / A D

I'm blowing down this dusty old road
Yes, I'm blowing down this dusty old road
I'm blowing down this dusty old road, Lord God
And I ain't gonna be treated this-a way

I'm going where the water tastes like wine
Yes, I'm going where the water tastes like wine
I'm going where the water tastes like wine, Lord God
And I ain't gonna be treated this way

I'm going where those dust storms never blow...
They say I'm a dust bowl refugee...
I'm looking for a job at honest pay...
My children need three square meals a day...
Your two-dollar shoe hurts my feet...
It takes a ten-dollar shoe to fit my feet...
I'm going down this dusty old road...

(Also popular in other versions):
I'm going down this road feeling bad...
I'm going where the chilly winds don't blow...

...and so on. Make up your own. Seriously, you'll get a lot more mileage out of this song if you sing it in a group and go around the room/circle/campfire with people making up their own verses.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Putting on the Style


R.U.S. chords:
D - - A / - - - D ://

My chords:
D - - A / - - - D / - - - G / A - - D
(And you can replace any of those 'A's with 'A7's, no harm done.)

Chorus:
Putting on the agony, putting on the style
That's what all the young folks are doing all the while
And as I look around me, I'm very apt to smile
To see so many people putting on the style

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Battle of New Orleans


Rise Up Singing chapter: America, pp.1 & 2
Music/Melody: traditional ("8th of January")
Words by Jimmy Driftwood

A - D - / E - A - ://
A - - - / - - AE A ://

From le Wikipedia:
"Madison and his advisers believed that conquest of Canada would be easy and that economic coercion would force the British to come to terms... Furthermore, possession of Canada would be a valuable bargaining chip."
"the possibility of local assistance suggested an easy conquest, as former President Thomas Jefferson seemed to believe in 1812: "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching"
"Americans then believed that many in Upper Canada would RISE UP AND GREET A UNITED STATES INVADING ARMY AS LIBERATORS, which did not happen. Indeed, one reason American forces retreated after a substantial victory inside Canada was that they could not obtain supplies from the locals."

In 18 and 14 we took a little trip...

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Blow the Candles Out


Traditional
Rise Up Singing chapter: Ballads and Old Songs, p.8
Sheet music here and here.

Chords:
DmC Dm DmC DmAm / DmC Dm DmC Dm
DmC F Dm Am / DmC Dm DmC Dm

When I was 'prenticed in London, I went to see my dear
The fires were all burning, the moon shone bright and clear
I rapped upon his window to ease him of his pain
He rose to let me in, then he barred the door again

I like your well behavior and thus I often say
I cannot rest contented whilst you are far away
The roads they are so muddy, we cannot gang about
So roll me in your arms, love, and blow the candles out

Your father and your mother in yonder room do lie
A-hugging one another, so why not you and I?
A-hugging one another, without a fear or doubt
So roll me in your arms, love, and blow the candles out

And if we prove successful, love, I'll name it after thee
I'll keep it neat and kiss it sweet and daff it on my knee
When my three years are ended, my time it will be out
Then I will double my indebtedness by blowing the candles out

Most of the versions I've found online are from the man's point of view, while Rise Up Singing has the woman as the agent, and the woman is the one apprenticed in London and travelling alone to see her boyfriend. What would make the most sense to me is a middle ground where it's sung from the woman's point of view but it's the man actually riding to see his love and being apprenticed. I haven't found a version like that, though.

Extra verse:
I pray thee speak more softly of what we have to do
Lest that our noise of talking should make our pleasure rue
The streets they are so nigh, love, the people walk about
They may peep in and spy, love, so blow the candles out

Alternate last verse:
And if we prove successful, love, please name it after me (the guy)
Treat it neat and kiss it sweet and daft it on your knee
When my three years are over, my time it will be out
And I will pay my debt to you by blowing the candles out.

Friday, February 19, 2010

I Had a Rooster


A traditional kids' song
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.170
C - / - G7 / C F / CF GC
for the "and my little _(animal)_ went _(noise)_" bits just play C F /

I had a rooster and the rooster pleased me
I fed my rooster on a green berry tree
The little rooster went cock-a-doodle-doo
Dee doodle dee doodle dee doodle dee doo

OR
I had a little rooster by the barnyard gate
And that little rooster was my playmate
And that little rooster went cock-a-doodle-doo
Dee doodle dee doodle dee doodle dee doo

I had a little cat by the barnyard gate
I had a little cow by the barnyard gate
I had a little horsie by the barnyard gate
I had a little pig by the barnyard gate
I had a great white shark by the barnyard gate
Et cetera.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Sarah the Whale (Dixie)


Song begins at 1:44
Words: traditional. Melody: "Dixie".
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.170 under "A Horse Named Bill"
C - / F FG7 / C - / G7 C

In Frisco bay there lives a whale
And she eats pork chops by the pail
By the hatbox, by the pillbox
By the hogshead and schooner

Her name is Sarah and she's a peach
[alt: Her name is Lena and she's a peach]
But don't leave food within her reach
Or babies, or nursemaids / airedales
Or chocolate ice cream sodas

She loves to laugh and...

She knows no games so...

I went up in...

The balloon turned up with...

Oh, what can you do in a case like that?...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Peace in the Valley


By Thomas A. Dorsey, "the father of Black gospel music", who remarked of himself, "I've been thrown out of some of the best churches in America"
YouTube biography
The man himself (video)
Biographies of Dorsey, A.K.A. Georgia Tom: short, medium, long

Rise Up Singing chapter: Peace, p.163

D - G - / D Bm E7 A / D - G - / D EA D -

I am tired and so weary, but I must toil on
Til the Lord comes to call me away
Where the morning's so bright and the Lamb is the Light
And the night, night is fair as the day

G - D - / - E A - / D D7 G E7 / D EA D -
There'll be peace in the valley for me someday
There'll be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I'll see
There'll be peace in the valley for me

D - G - / D Bm E7 A / D - G - / D EA D -

Well the bear will be gentle and the wolf will be tame
And the lion will lay down by the lamb
And the beasts from the wild will be led by a child
I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Casper the Friendly Ghost (R.U.S. Bonus)


By Daniel Johnston
Chords:
C - / F - / C - / G GC

Nobody treated him right when he was alive
You can't buy no respect like the librarian said
But everybody respects the dead
They love the friendly ghost

Monday, February 15, 2010

Hard Traveling / Hard Travelling


A.K.A. Hard Travelling
By Woody Guthrie
Rise Up Singing chapter: Traveling / Travelling, p.233
Chords:
D - - - / - - E A / D - G - / D A D -

I've been havin' some hard travelin', I thought you knowed
I've been having some hard traveling, way down the road
I've been having some hard traveling, hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I've been hitting some hard traveling, Lord

I've been ridin' them fast rattlers, I thought you knowed
I've been riding them flat wheelers, way down the road
I've been riding them
dead-enders, blind passengers, kicking up cinders
I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord

I've been hittin' some hard-rock minin', I thought you knowed
I've been leanin' on a pressure drill, way down the road
Hammer flyin', air-hose suckin', six foot of mud and I sure been a-muckin'
And I've been hittin' some hard travelin', Lord

I've been working that Pittsburgh steel, I thought you knowed
I've been a dumpin' that red-hot slag, way down the road
I've been a blasting, I've been a firin', I've been a pourin' red-hot iron
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', Lord


I've been hittin' some hard harvestin', I thought you knowed
North Dakota to Kansas City, way down the road
Cuttin' that wheat, stackin' that hay, and I'm tryin' make about a dollar a day
And I've been havin' some hard travelin', Lord


I've been layin' in a hard-rock jail, I thought you knowed
I've been a laying out 90 days, way down the road
Mean old judge, he said to me, "90 days for vagrancy."
And I've been hittin' some hard travelin', Lord

I've been hitting that Lincoln highway, I thought you knowed
I've been hittin' that 66, way down the road
Heavy load and a worried mind, lookin' for a woman that's hard to find
I've been hittin' some hard travelin', Lord

Alternate lyrics:
"I've been walking that Lincoln highway"

Sunday, February 14, 2010

King James Version (Bonus)


By Billy Bragg, from the album William Bloke
Words from http://www.billybragg.co.uk , but I sang them from memory so they may not quite match up.

He was trapped in a haircut he no longer believed in
She said "I'm a teacher here. I teach the children."
And he wondered to himself then and there the things he could learn from her
A great might wonder

Think of the names you once called me in anger
Remember the sadness in Florence Ballard's eyes
Imagine all the melancholy you could find in the arms of a stranger
Bread of heaven

Seems like nothing goes right
In the world that we were born in
But the horizon is bright
Yonder comes the morning

Upstairs they're buying a stairway to Heaven
Down in the Garden they're changing sticks into snakes
And the jangle of religious medals would put
The fear of God into an angel
Come all ye faithful

Their baby came home to them an unmarried mother
They wished that she would turn into a pillar of salt
But in the end compassion has to be the greatest family value
Help of the helpless

Looks like a drift to the Right
For the world we were born in
But the horizon is bright
Yonder comes the morning


Saturday, February 13, 2010

Rise Up Singing: דאָנאַ דאָנאַ / דאָס קעלבל / Dona Dona


This is "Dona Dona" in my best-guessed Yiddish pronunciation. I'm perfectly happy to rock up another version once I've gotten told what I need to fix, so tell me (nicely, if possible).

Rise Up Singing chapter: Struggle, p.214
Yiddish lyrics: Aaron Zeitlin
Melody: Sholem Secunda
English lyrics (in an older video of mine, but not sung here) by Arthur Kevess and Teddi Schwartz)

Oyfin furl ligt a kelbl
Ligt gebundn mit a shtrik
Hoykh in himl flit a shvelbl
Freyt zikh dreyt zikh hin un tzurik

Lakht der vint in korn, lakht un lakht un lakht
Lakht er op a tog a gantzn, un a halbe nakht (mit a halber nakht)
Hey, dona dona dona, dona dona dona da
Dona dona dona dona, dona dona dona da

Shrayt dos kelbl, zogt der poyer
Verzhe heyst dikh zayn a kalb?
Volst gekent dokh zayn a foygl
Volst gekent dokh zayn a shvalb

Bidne kelber tut men bindn
Un men shlept zey un men shekht
Ver s'hot fligl, flit aroyftzu
Iz bay keynem nit kayn k'nekht

Original Yiddish from Wikipedia:

אױפֿן פֿורל ליגט דאָס קעלבל,
ליגט געבונדן מיט אַ שטריק.
הױך אין הימל פֿליט דאָס שװעלבל,
פֿרײט זיך, דרײט זיך הינט נאָך צריק.

כאָר:
לאַכט דער װינט אין קאָרן,
לאַכט און לאַכט און לאַכט,
לאַכט ער אָפּ אַ טאָג אַ גאַנצן
מיט אַ האַלבע נאַכט.
דאָנאַ, דאָנאַ, דאָנאַ, ...

שרײַט דאָס קעלבל, זאָגט דער פּױער:
װער זשע הײסט דיר זײַן אַ קאַלב?
װאָלסט געקענט דאָך זײַן אַ פֿױגל,
װאָלסט געקענט דאָך זײַן אַ שװאַלב.

כאָר

בלינדע קעלבער טוט מען בינדן
און מען שלעפּט זײ און מען שעכט,
װער ס'האָט פֿליגל, פֿליט אַרױפֿצו,
איז בײַ קײנעם ניט קײן קנעכט.

כאָר

Friday, February 12, 2010

The Preacher and the Slave (Pie in the Sky)


Words by Joe Hill
Melody from the gospel song "Sweet Bye and Bye"/"Sweet By and By"
Rise Up Singing chapter: Rich and Poor, p.184

Verse chords: G C G - / - - D - / G C G - / - D G -
Chorus chords: G - D - / - - G - / - - C - / G D G

Long-haired preachers come out every night
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right
But when asked "How 'bout something to eat?"
They will answer in voices so sweet:

You will eat, by and by
In that glorious land above the sky
Work and pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Jesus Christ (Woody Guthrie)


The title isn't meant to say that Jesus Christ and Woody Guthrie were one and the same: just that Woody Guthrie wrote this song, and Jesus Christ is the title. Just to be clear.

Words by Woody Guthrie, the melody is traditional from the song "Jesse James".
Rise Up Singing chapter: Rich and Poor, p.183
Lyrics from http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Jesus_Christ.htm
Verses chords: G CG / G D / GG7 CG / GD G
Chorus chords: C G / - D / G CG / GD G

Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land
A hard-working man and brave
He said to the rich, "Give your money to the poor,"
But they laid Jesus Christ in His grave

Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
Has laid Jesus Christ in His Grave

He went to the preacher, He went to the sheriff
He told them all the same
"Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor,"
And they laid Jesus Christ in His grave.

When Jesus come to town, all the working folks around
Believed what he did say
But the bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross,
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

And the people held their breath when they heard about his death
Everybody wondered why
It was the big landlord and the soldiers that they hired
To nail Jesus Christ in the sky

This song was written in New York City
Of rich man, preacher, and slave
If Jesus was to preach what He preached in Galilee,
They would lay poor Jesus in His grave.


At the end I talk about Leon Rosselson and Roy Bailey a little, and their song: "Stand Up for Judas". It's related.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

All Clear in Harrisburg


By Tom Paxton
Rise Up Singing chapter: Ecology, p.34

Verse chords:
C A7 / DG C / - A7 / D G
F C / F E7 / F CA7 / DG C
Chorus chords:
G - / C - G - / C GC

You can return to your homes now, citizens
You can come back to the nest
The nuclear episode is history now
It all turned out for the best
Pregnant women and pre-school kids
Can get off of the bus
And, of course, if you live downwind
You'll be hearing from us

Chorus:
You just might glow in the dark, grow feathers just like a lark
Stand in the fountain and light up the park
What can I say? The chance is you may
Blow yourself and half of Pennsylvania away

You can return to your homes now, citizens
It was a terrible mess
There never really was a danger to you
It was the fault of the press
They made a mountain of a molehill again
They always do it, somehow
Oh, by the way, I wouldn't eat that egg
Or drink the milk from that cow

You can come back to the town now, citizens
The town is perfectly clean
And please believe us, you have nothing to fear
If now and then you turn green
Three Mile Island has your welfare at heart
We're just so glad you're alive
And we just want to provide cheap energy
For the ones who survive

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Rhymes and Reasons


Song begins for real at 2:52 (I left you the aborted first take, uncut.)

By John Denver

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Sound of Silence


The song begins at 1:44 (skip to if you're a no-nonsense type of person)
I talk about pronunciation, Narnia, Aslan and the BBC The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Oxford comma and everything) at 0:43

Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Soup Song (My Bonnie)


Words by Maurice Sugar, melody traditional ("My Bonnie")
Rise Up Singing chapter: Rich and Poor, p.186
Written "during the avalance of sit-down strikes in 1937" (R.U.S., p.186)

GC G / - D / GC G / CD G / G C D G / G C D G

I'm spending my nights in the flop house
I'm spending my days on the street
I'm looking for work and I find none
I wish I had something to eat
Soup, soup, they gave me a bowl of soup (2x)

I spent fifteen years in the factory
I did everything I was told...

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Little Sack of Sugar (Bonus)


For Zoe and Molly
"Little Sugar", by Woody Guthrie

Chords:
G - D - / D7 - - G
or
G - D - / - - - G
or
G - D - / - - D7 G ... as you like.

Lyrics here: http://java.classical.com/liner/859db2020eecaeac8be38ed09aec7f2e/SFW45035.pdf
and here:

Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle
Little sack of sugar I could eat you up

Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle
Little sack of sugar I could eat you up

Hey, hey, hey, little sack of sugar
Ho! Ho! Ho! Little sack of sweet

Hee, hee, hee, my pretty little angel
So pretty, pretty, pretty I could eat your feet

Hey, hey, hey, little honey-bunny
Ho! Ho! Ho! Little turtle dove

Hee, hee, hee, little sack of 'taters
So pretty, pretty, pretty I could eat your toes

Hey, hey, hey, my tootsie wootsie
Rangle, tangle, dangle and a honey and a tree

Ho! Ho! Ho! My butterfly-flitters
So pretty, pretty, pretty I could eat your nose

Goo goo google and a coo and a cuddle
Kick your foot like a bicycle pedal
Pretty little hoe down
and a one eyed frog
So pretty pretty pretty I could gobble you whole

Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle
Little sack of sugar I could eat you up

Like the Elizabeth Mitchell version better? Get it here: http://www.youaremyflower.org/home.html

Friday, February 5, 2010

Mail Myself to You


By Woody Guthrie
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.173
Chords:
D A / D A / D G / D AD


Lyrics from http://www.woodyguthrie.org:

I'm a-gonna wrap myself in paper,
I'm gonna daub myself with glue,
Stick some stamps on top of my head;
I'm gonna mail myself to you.

I'm a gonna tie me up in a red string,
I'm gonna tie blue ribbons too,
I'm a-gonna climb up in my mail box;
I'm gonna mail myself to you.

When you see me in your mail box,
Cut the string and let me out;
Wash the glue off my fingers,
Stick some bubble gum in my mouth.

Take me out of my wrapping paper,
Wash the stamps off my head;
Pour me full of ice cream sodies,
Put me in my nice warm bed.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Tom Chapin's Happy Birthday Song (Bonus)


By Tom Chapin. I know it from Eric Nagler.
Check out Quinn the Eskimo doing the original cool Happy Birthday on the mountain dulcimer.

And here's something written by Eric Nagler. I love him.

Happy birthday, happy birthday, we love you
Happy birthday and may all your dreams come true
When you blow out the candles, one light stays aglow
It's the love light in your eyes where'er you go

Tom Chapin, Eric Nagler, Happy Birthday, chords, lyrics, easy guitar, song, singalong, folk, music, anniversaire, birthday, birthdays, cumpleaños, inglés, anglais, canción, chanson, Geburtstag, Englisch

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Skye Boat Song


Rise Up Singing chapter: Lullabies, p.135
Melody: traditional and by Annie McLoed (I don't know. Needs further research, obviously)
Words: Sir Harold Boulder (1884)

Chorus chords: G - D - / G C G D / G - D - / G C G -
Verses chords: Em - Am - / Em C Em - / Em - Am - / Em C Em D

Chorus:
Speed, bonnie boat like a bird on the wing
"Onward" the sailors cry
Carry the lad that is born to be king
Over the sea to Skye

Verses:
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar
Thunderclouds rend the air
Baffled, our foes stand on the shore
Follow they will not dare

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head

Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore could yield
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden's field

Burned are our homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men
Yet e'er the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Casey Jones


Words by Lawrence T. Seibert, melody by Eddie Newton
Rise Up Singing chapter: Traveling/Travelling, p.230
Chords:
A - - - / - - B7 E / A - - - / - - E A :// 3x

Come all you rounders if you want to hear
The story of a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the rounder's name
On the six-eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame
The caller called Casey at half past four
He kissed his wife at the station door
He mounted to the cabin with the orders in his hand
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land
Casey Jones - mounted to his cabin
Casey Jones - with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones - mounted to his cabin
And took his farewell trip to that promised land

He looked at his water and his water was low
He looked at his watch and his watch was slow...

Monday, February 1, 2010

Four Strong Winds


By Ian and Sylvia Tyson