Wednesday, June 30, 2010

He Was a Friend of Mine (Bonus)


(Rise Up Singing Project bonus)
1 of 4 Bob Dylan songs I've recorded today. If you're into that, click around to find the others.
By Bob Dylan
Check out http://dylanchords.info for what I presume are more accurate chords than these.
This song always reminds me of Jimi Hendrix's Highway Chile

G7 - C - / / F C / E Am / C G C -
He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time I think about him now
I just can't keep from crying
'Cause he was a friend of mine

He died on the road (x2)
He never had enough money
To pay his room or board
And he was a friend of mine

I stole away and cried (x2)
Because I've never had enough money
And I've never been quite satisfied
And he was a friend of mine

He never done no wrong (x2)
A thousand miles from home
And he never harmed no one
And he was a friend of mine

First verse repeat

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Brand New Tennessee Waltz


1:04 Chord deviations explained; 2:01 Song begins; 4:37 Chord review out loud.
By Jesse Winchester
Rise Up Singing chapter: Creativity, p.23

My chords:
C - F C / F G C - / F - C Am / F G C - / /
RUS chords:
C - F - / G - C - / F - C Am / F G C - / /

Chorus: F - - C / F G C - / F - - C / C G C -

Oh my, but you have a pretty face
You favor a girl that I knew
I imagine that she's still in Tennessee
And by God I should be there too...

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

If You Don't Love Your Neighbour


Traditional American religious
Rise Up Singing chapter: Gospel, p.94

Verses: D - - - / - - E A - / D - - - / - - A D -
Chorus: D - - - / A - D - / - - - - / - - A D -

There are many people who will say they are Christians
And who live like Christians on the seventh day
But from Monday morning to the coming Sunday
They will fight their neighbour all along the way

Chorus:
Oh you don't love God if you don't love your neighbor
If you gossip about him if you don't have mercy
If he gets into trouble and you don't try to help him
If you don't love your nighbor then you don't love God

In the Holy Bible in the Book of Matthew
Read the 18th chapter from the 21st verse
Jesus plainly tells us that you must have mercy
There's a special warning in the 35th verse

There's a god in heaven and you've but to love Him
If you want salvation and a home on high
If you say that you love Him when you hate your neighbour
Then you don't have religion, you just told a lie

23 Por lo cual, el reino de los cielos es semejante á un hombre rey, que quiso hacer cuentas con sus siervos.
24 Y comenzando á hacer cuentas, le fué presentado uno que le debía diez mil talentos.
25 Mas á éste, no pudiendo pagar, mandó su señor venderle, y á su mujer é hijos, con todo lo que tenía, y que se le pagase.
26 Entonces aquel siervo, postrado, le adoraba, diciendo: Señor, ten paciencia conmigo, y yo te lo pagaré todo.
27 El señor, movido á misericordia de aquel siervo, le soltó y le perdonó la deuda.
28 Y saliendo aquel siervo, halló á uno de sus consiervos, que le debía cien denarios; y trabando de él, le ahogaba, diciendo: Págame lo que debes.
29 Entonces su consiervo, postrándose á sus pies, le rogaba, diciendo: Ten paciencia conmigo, y yo te lo pagaré todo.
30 Mas él no quiso; sino fué, y le echó en la cárcel hasta que pagase la deuda.
31 Y viendo sus consiervos lo que pasaba, se entristecieron mucho, y viniendo, declararon á su señor todo lo que había pasado.
32 Entonces llamándole su señor, le dice: Siervo malvado, toda aquella deuda te perdoné, porque me rogaste:
33 ¿No te convenía también á ti tener misericordia de tu consiervo, como también yo tuve misericordia de ti?
34 Entonces su señor, enojado, le entregó á los verdugos, hasta que pagase todo lo que le debía.
35 Así también hará con vosotros mi Padre celestial, si no perdonareis de vuestros corazones cada uno á su hermano sus ofensas.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Salty Dog


Another from Rise Up Singing! I'm on a very minor roll here. I'm going to think of it as a roll, though, in the hopes that it'll motivate me.

Traditional American
Rise Up Singing chapter: Good Times
Chords: G E7 A A7 / D7 - G (D7) ://

Friday, June 25, 2010

Roll on, Columbia


By Woody Guthrie
Melody based on "Goodnight Irene" by Huddie Ledbetter and John Lomax (John A. Lomax)
Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie, p.57

Chords:
G D / - G / G C / D G
or, if you want:
G D / D7 G / G C / D G

Chorus:
Roll on, Columbia, roll on (2x)
Your power is turning our darkness to dawn
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

Verses:
Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through
Down her wild mountains and canyons she flew
Canadian Northwest to the ocean so blue
Roll on, Columbia, roll on

Other great rivers add power to you
Yakima, Snake and the Klickitat too
Sandy Willamette and Hood River too*
Roll on, Columbia, roll on

Tom Jefferson's vision would not let him rest
An empire he saw in the Pacific Northwest
Sent Lewis and Clark**, and they did the rest
Roll on, Columbia, roll on

It's there on your banks that we fought many a fight
Sheridan's boys in the blockhouse that night
They saw us in death, but never in flight
Roll on, Columbia, roll on

At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks
The waters have risen and cleared all the rocks
Shiploads of plenty will steam past the docks
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

And on up the river is the Grand Coulee Dam
The mightiest thing ever built by a man
To run the great factories and water the land
It's roll on, Columbia, roll on

These mighty men labored by day and by night
Matching their strenght 'gainst the river's wild flight
Through rapids and falls they won the hard fight
Roll on, Columbia, roll on

*Pronunciation of Willamette
**Lewis and Clark, Snake River, Columbia

And here's an article about the problem of sea lions eating endangered salmon by the aforementioned Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Here's to the State of Mississippi


Verses: D Bm A - / D - C - / D - C - / D - C - / D Bm G A
Chorus: D Bm G D / D Bm A D

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Plegaría a un Labrador


Por Victor Jara
Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie, p.56

Em Am - Em / / Em D B Em / Em D - Em
Levántate y mira la montaña
De donde viene el viento el sol y el agua
Tú que manejas el curso de los ríos
Tú que sembraste el vuelo de tu alma (R.U.S. has 'sembrado')

(The following is the chord pattern R.U.S. has for the previous verse too. I don't switch to the B on "vuelo de tu alma", because I sing it a little differently, imitating the way I've heard it sung by Quilapayun.)
Em Am - Em / / Em D B Em / /
Levántate y mírate las manos
Para crecer, estréchala a tu hermano
Juntos iremos unidos en la sangre
Hoy es el tiempo que puede ser mañana

Amaj7 - E - / / G D A E / /
Líbranos de aquel que nos domina en la miseria
Tráenos tu reino de justicia e igualdad
Sopla como el viento la flor de la quebrada
Limpia como el fuego el cañon de mi fusil

Hágase por fin tu voluntad aquí en la tierra
Danos tu fuerza y valor al combatir
Sopla como el viento la flor de la quebrada
Limpia como el fuego el cañon de mi fusil

Em Am - Em / / Em D B Em / Em D B E /
Levántate y mírate las manos
Para crecer, estréchala a tu hermano
Juntos iremos unidos en la sangre
Ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte, ¡amén!

At the end when sing "amén" a few times, I'm moving from E (major) to A (major) and back again. End on E.

Here's a pretty literal translation, by me. I think it's a good balance between literal and accurate, I feel like it's more useful for you to know what the words mean than to get a lyrical and poetic rendition.

Levántate y mira la montaña
(Rise up and look at the mountain)
De donde viene el viento el sol y el agua
(Whence cometh the wind, sun and water)
Tú que manejas el curso de los ríos
(You who directs the course of the rivers)
Tú que sembraste el vuelo de tu alma
(You who has sown the flight of your soul)

Levántate y mírate las manos
(Rise up and look at your hands)
Para crecer, estréchala a tu hermano
(In order to grow, stretch one out to your brother)
Juntos iremos unidos en la sangre
(Together we'll go, united in blood)
Hoy es el tiempo que puede ser mañana
(Today is the time that can be tomorrow)

Líbranos de aquel que nos domina en la miseria
(Free us from they (the one) that opresses us in misery)
Tráenos tu reino de justicia e igualdad
(Bring us your reign of justice and equality)
Sopla como el viento la flor de la quebrada
(Blow like the wind blows the flower of the canyon)
Limpia como el fuego el cañon de mi fusil
(Clean/cleanse like fire the barrel of my gun)

Hágase por fin tu voluntad aquí en la tierra
(Thy will be finally done here on earth (reference to the Lord's prayer))
Danos tu fuerza y valor al combatir
(Give us your strength and courage in the fight)
Sopla como el viento la flor de la quebrada
(Blow like the wind blows the flower of the canyon)
Limpia como el fuego el cañon de mi fusil
(Clean/cleanse like fire the barrel of my gun)

Levántate y mírate las manos
(Rise up and look at your hands)
Para crecer, estréchala a tu hermano
(In order to grow, stretch one out to your brother)
Juntos iremos unidos en la sangre
(Together we'll go, united in blood)
Ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte, ¡amén!
(Now and in the hour of our death, amen!)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Robin in the Rain (Bonus)


From the Raffi Singable Songbook
Words and music by Claire Senior Burke (cool name)

Intro: Am D7 G D7
G Bm Am D7 / G Bm Am D7 / G G7 C - / A - D D7
G Bm Am D7 / G - C - / G D7 G E7 / Am7 D7 G -
(end with: E7 Am7 D7 G ://x2)

Robin is the rain — what a saucy fellow!
Robin in the rain — mind your socks of yellow!
Running in the garden on your nimble feet
Digging for your dinner with your long, strong beak

Robin in the rain, you don't mind the weather
Showers always make you gay
But the worms are wishing you would stay at home
Robin on a rainy day

2nd time round add:
...Don't get your feet wet!
Robin on a rainy day!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Your Daughters and your Sons (Rise Up Singing)


This one's for Karen Prager.
Written by Tommy Sands
Rise Up Singing chapter: Struggle, p.221

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

They would not hear your music and they pulled your paintings down...

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Weave Me the Sunshine


By Peter Yarrow (from Peter, Paul and Mary)
Rise Up Singing chapter: Hope, p.120

Chorus: F G C Am / F G C Am / F G C Am / D - G -
Weave, weave, weave me the sunshine
Out of the falling rain
Weave me the hope of a new tomorrow
Fill my cup again

Verses: Am - Em - / F G C Am / Am - D - / G - G7 -
Well, I've seen the steel and the concrete crumble
Shine on me again
The proud and mighty, all have stumbled
Shine on me again

They say that the tree of loving
Grows on the banks of the river of suffering

If only I can heal your sorrow
I'll help you to find a new tomorrow

Only you can climb that mountain
If you want to drink from the golden fountain

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Lovers' Town Revisited


By Billy Bragg.

It's that summer of the evening
Get ready and roll the cassette
There's boys outside preaching genocide
And trying to think up some sort of threat (or "fret", if you're Billy Bragg)

And the ladies in the cloakroom
Take no notice of me
I wish myself was back at home*
But there's nothing safe in watching T.V.

There's something born tomorrow
That I lost when I was out for a drink
How many gangs is it going to take
To change the way I think?

It takes more than good intentions
And a big bloke on the door
No it's never the same after the first time
It doesn't stop them coming back for more

Fighting in the dance halls happens anyway
Sometimes it makes me stop and think
Sometimes it makes me turn away
Sometimes it makes me stop and think
Sometimes it makes me turn away
Sometimes it makes me stop and think
But most times it makes me run away


*That's how I've always heard it, anyway.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Seven Curses


By Bob Dylan

D C D - / D C D - / G - D - / G A D -
O Riley stole a stallion
But they caught him and they brought him back
And they laid him down in the jailhouse grounds
With an iron chain around his neck

When Riley's daughter got a message
Saying that her pa was going to hang
She rode by night and came by morning
With gold and silver in her hand

When the judge saw Riley's daughter
His old eyes deepened in his head
He said, "Gold will never free your father
The price, my dear, is you instead"

"Oh, I'm as good as dead!" cried Riley
"It's only you that he does crave
And my skin will surely crawl if he touches you at all
Get on your horse and ride away"

"Oh father, you will surely die
If I don't take the chance to try
And pay the price, and not take your advice
For that reason I will have to stay"

O the shadow of the gallows shook the evening
And in the night a hound dog bayed
And in the night the ground was groaning
And in the night the price was paid

But in the morning, when she had awoken
She found that the judge had never spoken
She saw that hanging branch a-bending
She saw her father's body broken

These be seven curses on a judge so cruel:
That one, doctors cannot save him
That two, healers cannot heal him
And that three, eyes cannot see him

That four, ears cannot hear him
That five, walls cannot hide him
That six, diggers shall not bury him
And that seven, death shall never kill him

Thursday, June 17, 2010

If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus (with Rob and Hector)


===============================================

If You Miss Me At/From The Back Of The Bus!
(Oh Mary Don't You Weep).

This is a virtual trio.
It all began when Bob and Hector requested that Matty perform this lovely song for us on his miniature guitar with his vocal accompaniment. Moments later, when Bob arrived back in his home town, he recorded his take by listening to Matty through a headset via YouTube. After receiving Bob's recording on DVD through 'snail mail', Hec downloaded Matty's original recording and recorded his harmonica and accordion tracks to it. Using creativity, a homemade beat was formed and then added to the mix. All the clips were then mixed together to form a collaboration...and this is what came out in the virtual wash! We hope you enjoy this video as much as we had fun making it.
God bless!

Matthew Vaughan (Thailand)
http://www.youtube.com/user/matthewva...
Hector Awol (Australia)
http://www.youtube.com/user/HectorAwol
Bob Hornett (Australia)
http://www.youtube.com/user/bertosvids

Filmed individually and edited together by 'Awol
Productions'.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Farmer is the Man


Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Old Hundredth (Doxología de comunión)


Letra por Tate y Brady
Melodía: Old Hundredth (Salterio de Ginebra)
Capítulo de Rise Up Singing: Faith, p.46

Acordes:
D - A G D - A D - - / D - - A Bm G D A - -
D A D A D G A Bm - - / D - - A G D A D - -

y luego, en sol (G):
G - D C G - D G - - / G - - D Em C G D - -
G D G D G C D Em - - / G - - D C G D G - -

Monday, June 14, 2010

Old Hundredth (Pete Seeger)


Words by Pete Seeger, Melody, Old Hundredth
Rise Up Singing chapter: Faith
D - A G D - A D - - / D - - A Bm G D A - - /
D A D A D G A Bm - - / D - - A G D A D - -

All people that on earth do dwell
Sing out for peace 'tween heaven and hell
'Tween East and West and low and high
Sing peace on earth and sea and sky

Old Hundredth, you've served many years
To sing one people's hopes and fears
But we've new verses for you now
Sing peace between the earth and plow (plough)

Sing peace between the grass and trees
Between the continents and the seas
Between the lion and the lamb
Between young Ivan and young Sam

Between the white, black, red and brown
Between the wilderness and the town
Sing peace between the near and far
'Tween Allah and the six-pointed star

The fish that swim, the birds that fly
The deepest sea, the stars on high
Bear witness now that you and I
Sing peace on earth and sea and sky

Old Hundredth, please don't think us wrong
For adding verses to your song
Sing peace between the old and young
'Tween every faith and every tongue

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Old Hundredth (Rise Up Singing)


These words can be found in several places, but I know them from the Christian Science Hymnal

In the key of G
G - D C G - D G - - / G - - D Em C G D - -
G D G D G C D Em - - / G - - D C G D G - -

Be Thou, O God, exalted high
And as thy glory fills the sky
So let it be on earth displayed
'Til Thou art here and now obeyed

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Dancing Tree (cover)


A Rise Up Singing Project bonus from a YouTube original artist.
See Honor play her own song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMbjXR...

Friday, June 11, 2010

She Never Spoke Spanish to Me


By Joe Ely
A Rise Up Singing Project bonus

I met her in old Mexico
She was laughing, sad and young
In a smoky room where no one could see
Her favourite poets all agreed: Spanish is the loving tongue
But she never spoke Spanish to me

She was born in Monterrey and all the Christmas songs were sung
The padre knew what she'd grow up to be
Saints and sinners all agree: Spanish is the loving tongue
But she never spoke Spanish to me

Bridge:
Like a lion screaming in the jungle-o
She'd never fool with what she couldn't see
She talked to all the shadows in her bungalow
But she never spoke Spanish to me

She said, "If you're from Texas, son
Where're your boots and where's your gun?"
I said, "I got guns no one can see"
We laughed at that and both agreed: Spanish is the loving tongue
But she never sopke Spanish to me

I left her in old Mexico...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Old Hundredth (Doxology)


Sorry I've missed posting for a few days. I promise I've been more upset about it than you've been. Today I went to Lumphini Park and recorded two songs.

Rise Up Singing chapter: Faith, p.46
Words attributed to William Kethe, 1561
Melody, Louis Bourgeois, 1551 (Geneva Psalter)

This melody appears in a lot of Christian hymnals. A doxology is just a short hymn praising God. From 'doxologos', 'doxa' is the Greek root for praise and 'logos' means 'speech'/'a speaking'. Check out the online etymology dictionary for more facts like that one: http://www.etymonline.com

D - A G D D A D - - / D - - A Bm G D A - - /
D A D A D G A Bm - - / D - - A G D A D - -
(Rise Up Singing provides a second possible chord pattern that I don't recognize, so I haven't used it here.)

All people that on earth do dwell
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice
Him serve with fear, his praise forth tell
Come ye before him and rejoice

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed
Without our aid He did us make
We are His flock, he doth us feed
And for His sheep he doth us take

O, enter then His gates with praise
Approach with joy his courts unto
Praise, laud and bless His name always
For it is seemly so to do

For why? The Lord our God is good
His mercy is forever sure
His truth at all times firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Men of the Fields (Rise Up Singing)


By Buffy Sainte-Marie
Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie, p.54
From her album "Little Wheel Spin and Spin". I can only assume she's talking about Theravada Buddhism. (Hinayana. You know what I'm talking about.)

C - FC GC / F G C A / Dm G C Am / F Dm G -
Men of the hills, men of the valley
Men of the seasons and the soil
Strong hearts and hands molding the land
All over earth they toil

Down in the fields, nine in the morning
Day's work three hours done
Care for the corn, care for the cows
Care for the land we need

God moves the sun, noon brings the weary man
Home to his table and his grace
Bow on our knees, thankful that these
Days are our very own

Life means our work, home means our children
Love means each other every day
Hope for the best, pray for the rest
All over earth they toil

Monday, June 7, 2010

My Sweet Wyoming Home (Rise Up Singing)


By Bill Staines
Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie, p.54

C -F - / G - FG C / - G Am - / Dm G C -
There's a silence on the prairie that a man can't help but feel
There's a shadow growing longer now a-nipping at my heels
I know that soon that old four-lane that runs beneath my wheels
Will take me home to my sweet Wyoming home

I headed down the road last summer with a few old friends of mine
They all hit the money, Lord, I didn't make a dime
The entrance fees they took my dough, the traveling took my time
And I'm headed home to my sweet Wyoming home

C - FEm Dm / G - F C / C - FEm Dm / G - C -
Watch the moon, it's smiling in the sky
And hum a tune, a prairie lullaby
Peaceful wind and old coyote's cry
A song of home, my sweet Wyoming home

F - C - / F Am G -
(bridge) Well the rounders they all wish you luck when they know you're in a jam
But your money's riding on the bull and he don't give a damn

There are shows in all the cities but cities turn your heart to clay
It takes all a man can muster just to try and get away
The songs I'm used to hearing ain't the kind the jukebox plays
And I'm headed home, to my sweet Wyoming home

And now I've always loved the riding, there ain't nothing quite the same
And another year might bring the luck, the winning of the game
But there's a magpie on a fence rail and he's calling out my name
And he calls me home, to my sweet Wyoming home

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Oklahoma! (Rise Up Singing)


Oscar and Hammerstein (words by Oscar and Hammerstein II, melody by Richard Rodgers)
Rise Up Singing chapter: Farm and Prairie, p.55

C - - - G - - - / C - F Fm / C A D G (ending 1):// C G C - (ending 2)
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
And the waving wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain
Oklahoma, every night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Making lazy circles in the sky

F - C - / G D G - / C - - - / D - - - / C E Am D / C G C -
We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand!
And when we say "Yeeow!
A-yip-i-o-ee-ay!"
We're only saying "You're doing fine, Oklahoma
Oklahoma, okay!"

Saturday, June 5, 2010

We're Off to See the Wizard (Rise Up Singing)


By E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen
Rise Up Singing chapter: Play, p.178

CG C / CG C / C FG AmD G
F C / FG C / C FG AmD G
Follow the yellow brick road
Follow the yellow brick road
Follow follow follow follow follow the yellow brick road
Follow the rainbow over the stream
Follow the fellow who follows a dream
Follow follow follow follow follow the yellow brick road

CG C DmG C / F GF D7 G / F C DmG C
C EmF G - / GD7 G GD7 G / CG C Dm7G C
We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!
We hear he is a whiz of a wiz if ever a wiz there was
If ever, oh ever a wiz there was, the Wizard of Oz is one because
Because because because because because
Because of the wonderful things he does (whistle)
We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Who Killed Davey Moore?


By Bob Dylan (a Rise Up Singing Project bonus)
Davey Moore was beaten to death in a boxing match by Sugar Ramos.
Probably more than you've ever wanted to know about the life and fighting career of Davey Moore here: http://www.ibroresearch.com/?p=1930
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter used to head this great organization: http://www.aidwyc.org/

Chorus: C F G C / F G C -
Verses: F C G C :// (again and again)

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not I," says the referee
"Don't point your finger at me
I could've stopped it in the eighth
And maybe kept him from his fate
But the crowd would've booed, I'm sure
At not gettin' their money's worth
It's too bad he had to go
But there was a pressure on me too, you know
It wasn't me that made him fall
No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not us," says the angry crowd
Whose screams filled the arena loud
"It's too bad he died that night
But we just like to see a fight
We didn't mean for him to meet his death
We just meant to see some sweat
There ain't nothing wrong in that
It wasn't us that made him fall
No, you can't blame us at all"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not me," says his manager
Puffing on a big cigar
"It's hard to say, it's hard to tell
I always thought that he was well
It's too bad for his wife an' kids he's dead
But if he was sick, he should've said
It wasn't me that made him fall
No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not me," says the gambling man
With his ticket stub still in his hand
"It wasn't me that knocked him down
My hands never touched him none
I didn't commit no ugly sin
Anyway, I put money on him to win
It wasn't me that made him fall
No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not me," says the boxing writer
Pounding print on his old typewriter
Sayin', "Boxing ain't to blame
There's just as much danger in a football game"
Sayin', "Fistfighting is here to stay
It's just the old American way
It wasn't me that made him fall
No, you can't blame me at all"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

"Not me," says the man whose fists
Laid him low in a cloud of mist
Who came here from Cuba's door
Where boxing ain't allowed no more
"I hit him, yes, it's true
But that's what I am paid to do
Don't say 'murder,' don't say 'kill'
It was destiny, it was God's will"

Who killed Davey Moore
Why and what's the reason for?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Ballad of William Worthy


(Rise Up Singing Project bonus) -A song about Cuba and the U.S.A. by Phil Ochs.
William Worthy is a distinguished American journalist well-worth knowing about. Here's a good article on his life's work from the Bates College (his alma mater) website. http://abacus.bates.edu/pubs/mag/95-F...

Verses: C - G CC7 / F - C CC7 / F - C Am / C - G7 CC7 /
Chorus: F - C - / G7 - C CC7 / F - C Am / C - G7 C
I found these chords on UltimateGuitar.com, attributed to someone whose username is Goodbar. I like them, although I don't bother to switch to that C7 every single time you see it.

Lyrics:
Well it's of a brave reporter the story I will tell
He went down to the Cuban land, the nearest place to hell
He'd been there many times before, but now the law does say
That the only way to Cuba is with the CIA

Chorus:
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the State Department say
You are living in the free world; in the free world you must stay

Five thousand dollars or a five year sentence may well be
For a man who had the nerve to think that traveling was free
Oh why'd he waste his time to see a dictator's reign
When he could have seen democracy by traveling on to Spain?

So come all you good travellers and fellow-travellers, too
Yes and travel all around the world, see every country through
I'd surely like to come along and see what may be new
But my passport's disappearing as I sing these words to you

Well, there really is no need to travel to these evil lands
Yes, and though the list grows larger you must try to understand
Try hard not to be surprised if someday you should hear
That the whole world is off limits: visit Disneyland this year!

And here's a (long) article titled "William Worthy: The Man and the Mission": http://tinyurl.com/2fpg7pa

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Preserven el Parque Elysian


(R.U.S. Bonus): A song by M. Kelian made (relatively) famous by Pete Seeger.
The chords pattern I used was:
D Em / A D / G D / A D
But a more accurate pattern (to Pete Seeger's version), and one that actually, I prefer, is:
D A7 / - D / G D / A7 D

Que lindo el parque Eysian!
Que lindo el parque Eysian!
Que lindo! (Que lindo!), Que lindo! (Que lindo!)
Que lindo el parque Elysian!

El aire es libre amigos
El aire es libre amigos
El aire (el aire) el aire (el aire)
El aire es libre amigos

No queremos fincas en el parque!
(We don't want buildings in the park!)
Queremos el zacate* verde!
(We want the grees grass!)
El parque es suyo y mio!
(The park is yours and mine!)
Los niños necesitan el parque
(The children need the park)
No pasaran los buldozers!
(The bulldozers will not pass!)

I lived in Guadalajara for 5 months, but perhaps surprisingly, the term "zacate" never came up as far as I can remember. Oh well. Here's a glossary of Tapatío terms, including zacate.
http://www.guadalajaraguadalajara.com...
Tapatío is the adjective (etymologically unrelated, of course) for someone and sometimes something from Guadalajara, in the great stae of Jalisco, in the great country of Mexico.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Lay Lady Lay (a bedtime recording)


A little freestyle at 8:46
A Rise Up Singing Project bonus. (That means it's not in the Rise Up Singing songbook, but I'm recording it anyway, because I does what I pleases*)

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile

Why wait any longer for the world to begin

You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead


* And if you don't like it, you can hang it in your ear (and write me a comment about it if that feels good, too.)