Woody's 1942 New Year Resolutions

Washing teeth if there are any, is a good one.

Jerry Jeff Walker - My Old Man - For more funny movies, click here

Gonna have a jam here tomorrow afternoon- decided I'm going to learn this and we can try it out. Come by if you're in the neighborhood

What I found for $4.00

 What I found today at a Thrift Store in West LA. There is a method to my madness

Just In Case You Don't Know It

Do I look like Woody?

Well, I've written my first protest song- in the fine manner of Mr. Guthrie, who would steal melodies and write new lyrics on top of the old song. "This Land Is Your Land" was one of those. This melody he stole for "The Great Cooley Dam" Anyway, it's fair, because this melody is public domain now. You probably know it as Wabash Cannonball. It has been stolen and been rewritten  several times, Roy Acuff and The Carter Family. I've used some of the original words from this version above. The song above is really just an advertisement for the railroad company. Here's mine:

WABASH REVISITED

       G                                                                    C
When Acuff sang this song, folks were living in Hoovervilles,

D7                                                                                 G
Shanties by the tracks named for a President that didn’t care,

G                                                                                                      C
Now they’re camping out on Wall Street and down at the city hall square,

         D7                                                                          G
You’d think they’d give up dreaming or wanting their fair share.

CHORUS

Now listen to the jungle, the rumble and the roar,

As she dashes through the woodland and speeds along the shore,

See the mighty rushing engine; hear her whistle ring out,

As she speeds along forever on that dreaming western route.

From a rocky bound Atlantic to a mild Pacific shore,

From a fair and sunny southland to an icebound Labrador,

There’s another name on the shingle, another name over the door,

Have we forgotten why we’re singing or what we’re singing for?

CHORUS

What happened to the mighty engines, the speed and rush in the night?

The moving on to vast horizons, and the dawn’s early light,

What happened to the trains that would carry us to Glory land,

Or all those dustbowl stragglers out there looking for a hand.

CHORUS

This was after my band played at TRiP on Thursday night. These two are buddies of my kids. The band after us cancelled, so the sound guy put these two up. They played for an hour- really great jazz. It sounded a whole lot better than this. This was recorded on my son's phone.

Learning how to do this

T

This was the best song on an hour and a half set that my son filmed for me at TRiP on Thursday night. The rest were way off to my ear, anyway. You also couldn't see Craig or the bass player Richard and there was only a peek of Betsy. The sound was way off. Norm's guitar was too loud, Oleeta and Nancy's vocal mics were too low. Craig and Betsy couldn't hear the rest of us. This is a learning curve. I'm going to start now standing out front to hear where we are before we start each time. The sound guys we will encounter won't know what our strengths and weaknesses are or who's going to do what in the songs. Had Ben been there, he probably would not have been heard over the wrong balance of things. You couldn't hear Betsy's solo again.

R

Rhubarb at TRiP last night. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

We are playing here on Thursday Night though

Thursday Dec 22, 2011

8:00pm

Honeybear, Rhubarb Meringue Pie and more

We're on at 9:00

Well, in a moment of weakness, I submitted the band to this place. You've probably heard of it. We won't get anything, no doubt. We are still playing songs off music stands. No one practices and we only rehearse once a month. We got a ways to go. I like the Swap Meet because it feels like we are rehearsing live. I've decided I need to start memorizing the songs. Ah, we can dream can't we?

Its Just A Song

It's just a song. A little thing really. 

Still Working on this One

Green Eyes By Kate Wolf

C#m                                E                B                           E
Every night we light the candle that stands beside our bed
       Cm                                                   A
But sometimes the flame's too much to handle
                            E                                B                            C#m
That's what you said. That's what you said and you should know
                       A                                                   E
Because you built a fire in me and you made it burn
          A                                                E                             B
You followed me, watching every move, matching every turn.

CHORUS
   E                                                     B            
Your green eyes they don't miss a thing
          C#m                                     A
They hold me like the sun going down
   F#                                     B                       C#m   B  Cm
Warm me like a fire in the night, without a sound

C#m                              E                   B                                                E

You were waiting till I heard, just as patient as that love light in your eyes,

                  E                    B                                                                C#m
You never threw away a word or ever talked in disguise, I ought to know

                   A                                     E

You were a beacon to a sailor lost at sea

     A                 E                                                         B

I saw it in your eyes when you looked at me, so openly.

CHORUS

C#m                                        E                      B                                              E
The first time I ever saw your laughter break loose inside and tumble out to me

      Cm                                                      A

My heart knew it had found what it was after

E                      B                            C#m

And it came so easily,  we should know

                     A                                          E

After all the years of the hard and lonely times

          A                            E                                                    B
Now our days go by like best friends story lines, yours and mine. 

She removes the second line out of the second verse. The meter is all over the place. And that C#m makes me only play four strings and leaves the high G string out there all alone. Ah well, if you don't stretch, where will you go. Nancy sings it well. The song is a great woman's song about being really loved. Not too many of those around that mean something.

We're going to try to do it at TRiP next Thursday night- Our First Club Date!!

The Second One

The second one- They put obstacles in your way to doing this and sometimes its your friends. Thank you god, for these folks and their support for letting me do this.

Copying the thing

 

 Years of watching television late at night with the sound off has lead me to believe that there are a thousand scenarios for any scene presented. This could be a couple being married confronted by a angry suitor, or a couple being married by a alien, or  a couple being married by a gay woman priest that had been a man in a previous life that that been married to the woman here. It all works. Perhaps the same is true with melody. Here is the mythic depression, the wants-bes of the 60s wishing they were struggling in the 30s.  Woody Allen pretending to be a wanta-be that wanted the 20s in Paris.(The Streets of Paris, the latest movie) Bobby (Dylan) wanted to be Woody Guthrie. George Harrison, etc s, wanted to be Roy Orbison. 

I found this recently:

THE GREAT ROCK-ISLAND ROUTE  by J.A Roff  1882

Dedicated to The General Ticket & Passenger Agent

G                                                                              C
From a rocky bound Atlantic to a mild Pacific Shore
D7                                                                                     G
From a fair and sunny southland to an ice bound Labrador
G                                                                                                                  C
There’s a name of magic import and tis known the world throughout
    D7                                                                                          G
Tis a mighty corporation called the Great Rock Island Route

CHORUS

Now listen to the jingle and the rumble and the roar

As she dashes through the woodland and speeds along the shore

See the mighty rushing engine, hear her merry bell ring out

As they speed along in safety on the Great Rock Island Route

CHORUS

All great cities of importance can be found along its way

There’s Chicago and Peroria and Rock Island so they say

With Davenport and westward still is Council Bluffs far out

As a western termination of the Great Rock Island Route

CHORUS

Now let music soft and tender in its mysric power reveal

Praises to the Great Rock Island that the heart can only feel

And to swell the mighty chorus comes the glad re-echoing shout

That for safety time and comfort take the Great Rock Island Route

This is the original of Wabash Cannonball that morphed into something totally different. 

Wisdom from the Comments

This was left as a comment on Friday night's post : "It may not seem like it at times, but you're on the right track. Let the others get their songs first, then they'll be more willing to work on your material." Today, short handed because of illness, I had to sing for two hours straight. Oleeta did great , but the third voice was greatly needed. Anyhow, this is indeed where we are. Craig, in sort of a break period played this incredible hamonia thing that was amazing. He wrote it. I'm trying to encourage all of them to give us what they have. Its a scary thing, being in front of people. We need to listen and listen again. There is a generosity of spirit that we all have, that can create amazing things. (As long as you ARE NOT an old man that thinks he's right.)

Empty chairs

 

What a feeling when people that have filled your evening get up and leave. We rehearsed. Got a gig Sunday at the Melrose Trading Post Swap Meet for 2 1/2 hours. Missing three tonight. I always worry about people getting disillusioned or that their needs aren't getting met. They all want to be the star. Well, I do too, but I know I'm not going to be. I want to get my songs up and I want to play and sing. I will share with all. I don't have to the center of attention. I just want room to express. Norman wants us to rehearse twice before the Thursday night club date. We should and those that want will. I really need to start memorizing songs. It quiet here now. Sweet dreams children.

First Club

Well, our very first club - Come by if you are in the neighborhood. We get an hour

There's songs that are you. I've been playing thus one for five years now. And only sang it once in public.

Wayfaring Stranger

Another Sawtooth video. I've been playing this behind Sean at the Nursing Home for about a year I think. I used to whistle it to myself when I was hitch-hiking across the country in the early 70s. I find myself still wanting to whistle when I play it. It was on a Michael Parks album when I was a teenager. Maybe it's time I tried singing it. Wonder if I can whistle in tune?

Here's my friends, part of the Saturday morning jam at the park. Ray on upright bass, Sean on guitar & vocals and Ted on Banjo. These guys were happy and friendly when I showed up barely able to play my thing. I still can't play, but who cares. A great tight little group. All great musicians. We're doing a week of Sawtooth.

Freight Train- Our Version

More Nancy

Places I Applied Today for the Band

                                             The Santa Monica Airport Antiques Flea Market

                           The El Monte Tet Festival (where else to sing ugly american folk songs)

Paint: Lab on Main Street in Santa Monica

Paint, Wine and Cheese

Friday & Saturday nights from 6:00 – 9:00pm

Unwind from your busy work week…. Let’s get creative! Uninstructed.

RESERVATION REQUIRED

$30 + Canvas Purchase

(lab fee includes paints, wine & cheese)

* Come paint with us!! Invite your friends!! *

“Last Fridays” Paint, Wine and Cheese include LIVE music

and go until 10 PM! The next one is on November 25

                                                           Well, why not? It might be fun.

You just throw it at as many walls you can find and you hope it sticks.

Been back at the novel as well finally

Thanks for the tip on the C#m whosever you are. I like this place for chords:

http://www.musicopedia.com/chords/5-banjo.php

I feel like the little boy banjo is growing every day. I keep thinking back to sitting here, playing Oklahoma Hills over and over to learn the D chord.

I keep throwing our name in for things. Other Swap Meets, Farmers Markets, Night Clubs The Venice Summer Fest, the LA Marathon, Keep it moving. 

Daydee has confronted the bad guys- (look back for episodes from the first draft in the blog, the first 70 or so single spaced pages are there) 

Went to see Kermit play his banjo in the new Muppet Movie. His left hand moved this time. He's slowing down like the rest of us. He used to play so fast, that it looked like his hand didn't move at all.

My kids grew up on the Muppets and Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street. I grew up on the Muppets. 

The Real Banjo:

Saturday Morning

We played at Edgewater Home in Long Beach on Saturday morning. An hour and a half. Great audience, great fun playing with these guys. I did Freight Train in its original slowness. Even thought of playing my banjo upside down:

Last Night

Went to visit the "Songmakers" Hoot on the 4th Sunday in Santa Monica. Everyone is my age of course, or older. Thousands of guitars and one fiddle, one flute, one little vibe set, a piano and me. The only ones that play throughout all are the ones that can just hear the music and play it. No beginners, just a good size group of singers without instruments. They go around the circle. If you are lucky, you get two turns for a 4 hour stay. Nice folks, but I want to play more and learn. The leader sez its not good to have your head stuck in a book all the time. I was talking about trying to do original music with a band. And a random lady sez 'Well, you know, its hard to play to some else's sensibilities.' Isn't that what you do when you play a cover of someone else's song? A lot of the old chestnuts were sung. Probably won't bother going back. The open mics and the other Santa Monica group that meets once a month amounts to the same experience: 4 hours and two songs and a lot of so-so mixed in with good stuff and no one learning a thing. Nice folks though.

Back to embedding from YouTube

Believe it or not, this is exactly the same file as the one posted in the first square in the earlier post. I guess I go back to doing it this way. Upload to You Tube and then embed the video back into the blog. It works better in Facebook this way as well. Weird.

I'm trying this again, to figure out what version I should be uploading- the first couple I tried, didn't present the picture clearly. Usually I just upload to YouTube and embed it back into the blog. It's another one of Nancy's songs from her performance at the The Talking Stick. 

Nancy singing "Green Eyes" by Kate Wolf last night at The Talking Stick. The band is picking this up. It has a C#m that leaves me banjo out in the four string limbo, but I willing to do it. I'm open to good sounds and she has a voice, don't you think.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving day. I cooked straight through from 8:30 to 2:30 and we had a remarkable meal. I love doing the gourmet thing when it's just mine. I'm for hire. I could do a holiday for $300.00 plus expenses, or for nothing if I love you.

Been Buzy

Been busy running around. Playing cards, going back to yoga, Really practicing the banjo. Getting back on the schtick. A band mate sent a sheet for a song called Devil's Dream, which I haven't ever heard before so I found it in my Fiddlers Fakebook Songbook and then went on You Tube to hear it. Then I decided to see if there were words to it- when I didn't find any I went my curious "Favorite Songs & Hymns" published 1899. Didn't find it there, but did run across this:

The words made me think maybe I'd found a cool song that could maybe express what a soldier in Afghanistan on watch might be feeling (with a little rewrite) So I went looking for it performed,

 Found this: 

It sort of sounds like one of those automated music mp3s thingee you run into when you look for old old melodies. Not the guy, the music.

This is our author: John Braham (c. 1774 – 17 February 1856) was a tenor opera singer born in London, England. His long career led him to become one of Europe's leading opera stars. He also wrote a number of songs, of minor importance, although The Death of Nelson is still remembered. His success, and that of his offspring in marrying into the British aristocracy, are also notable examples of Jewish social mobility in the early 19th century.

Definitely Public Domain song. Got a melody and some words, needs a bit of work Probably not.

(This is what I do these days instead of real work)

 This is probably this closest version to what I do with my low voice. It's this tempo. We had rehearsal tonight. Ben, our guru, was in in an odd mood. But he wanted to do this one. He wanted to add guitar and fiddle and fix it up. This was the first one I brought the first time I went to the Saturday Morning Bluegrass Group, Betsy's group.  I was proud of myself, because I knew all the chords. She asked me if I had a tuner. It took me a half hour to realize that I was out of tune. Nice lady- one of the best.

Heard at the last Square Dance

Been busy with the Mama Bear in the hospital. All is done now, cards at home instead at UCLA

Enjoy- Listen to the your children

The Very First One

This is the song of mine that the band has been playing for a while. Gail loved it, thank god. It was the first one that I wrote. It was really a failed poem that had never worked The band embellished the chords a bit and I edited it down. I played it for the first time at Doug's house jam in Long Beach. And there was silence after I played & sang it. I announced it as the first one, after. Hell, I know what I got, no matter how raw. I'm thinking maybe, this is what I was supposed to be doing all along.
Little Sister Words Dan McNay,
Music Rhubarb Meringue Pie

You remember her; you saw her long ago,
Out in the lobby in a crowd and all alone,
With her hand outstretched and her face aglow,
As if your change would buy her fare to heaven.

She was born in a big house, had big house ways,
She had everything she could want or need.
Then Daddy fell from a window in a drunken daze
And they had to give up everything they owned.

 CHORUS
She will always follow the good looking guy
With the beard and the twinkle in his eye,
The one who talks of wisdom and then who sighs
And brings her on his own bus if she doesn’t cry.

She went to college to run away from home,
But she was always fat and always alone,
She didn’t want to marry, didn’t want to roam,
And she would pray in secret late at night.

She was an angel in Monterey
Who gave a poor boy her smile
She said I had a very old soul
As old as the hills we climbed

So what did she find in the Krishna dance?
What was real in the fog of the old sweat lodge?
The guru was the knight of the last chance,
And all of us just want to arrive

CHORUS

Repeat first stanza

So, Song Lyrics

For My Lost Daughter – Dan McNay

G                                           EM

I would write a song about dust

G                                    D7

The dry clay summer dust                                                                             

                                                          C

That runs through your fingers like silk

                                      G

But adheres to the touch

G                                            EM

A clap of hands sends a cloud

G                                               EM                                         

Swirling in sunlight and settling

                           

On the grass and weeds

C                                                G    

And brittle leaves scattered about

CHORUS

G                                        EM

I carried her down the stairs

                   C                           G

With her head on my shoulder

                                                         EM

And handed her over to be strapped in

             C                                        G

To the car that went away forever

G                                              EM

I would write a song about dust

G                                                        D7

Because the scar on my heart remains                                    

                                                    C

And aches each day I think of you

                                                   G

Though you dissolve in the glare

G                                                EM                                             

Leaving empty air as still as death

G                                                   EM                                                                                                     

Words once said are silent as sand

And I want for a young girl

    C                                          G    

That dust and sand are a way home

CHORUS

G                                                            EM

A mound becomes a cake, twigs for candles

G                                            D7

A smooth spot, a place to draw                                 

                                                          C

All that matters can be managed here

                                                   G

Sand can be easily carried away

G                                         EM  

In the bottom of big pockets                  

G                                                    EM

Or in shoes emptied before going in

And I would pray she dreams

    C                                                    G    

Always of sand and shovels and pails

CHORUS

This one is pretty much just me putting a poem I already wrote to music and adding a chorus to break your heart.  It is the best one I've written me thinks. Haven't really performed it too much. But come January I'm doing three of them with a little accompaniment at Boulevard Music. 

Recommendations

I'm in love with these two- ah to be young. There's a double album out, apparently
Mandolin Orange @UNC-TV from David Huppert on Vimeo.
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Mandolin Orange @UNC-TV from David Huppert on Vimeo.

Are We Looking Old?

I was looking through the playlist. A lot of the songwriters are dead. I forgot this guy:

The Judds are still around- the youngest is Ketch Secor who wrote Wagon Wheel.

Oh well, I guess we are old. 

I just asked the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts in LA if they want free Americana music for fundraisers. I think I'm brilliant,

The Growth of The Playlist

In the beginning there were four or five of us at work and we decided we would sing for our Director who was retiring. So we came up with Aloha, Hit The Road Jack and something else I can't remember. We had three uke players, one guitar and my banjo. After that, we decided to come once a week at lunch and practice and play. I found four easy chord songs and passed them out: Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms, Wabash Cannonball, Ring The Banjo & Tom Dooley. Barden offered up a Marty Robbins song and Wayne offered up Back Home Again and MTA. I invited Craig from the 12th floor. We moved to my house and everyone dropped out but Wayne & Craig & me. I invited Marla and Gail. I injected This Little Light of Mine and Gulf Coast Highway because I was already playing them. Marla threw in Daniel (which is no longer on the list) We were doing open mics at Boulevard Music in Culver City and only had enough for time for three songs so we worked up based on that. Gail brought songs and we learned them but only played You're Sixty in performance I think. Then we got the pancake breakfast. We had 2 hours to fill. I threw a bunch of songs that Wayne & I had been playing at the Saturday Morning Bluegrass Meetup in Long Beach: It Takes A Worried Man, I'll Fly Away, etc (I Aint Gonna Be Treated This Away, Pallet On Your Floor, and Fair & Tender Ladies are from here) Then I thought, I'm writing all these songs- why not do them- We ended up doing one because I let them rewrite the melody and Gail loved it.) I gave everybody all of my originals and Wayne gave everybody every song he had ever sung. That ended up the problem.

I'm the organizer, so we were doing the playlist just in Alphabetical Order, because that seemed the simplest thing to do, Wayne and Marla said we should think up something different, but they would never work on it. So as I was compiling this new list, I threw the ballads in one pile and the quicker songs in another and then tried to combine them in some entertaining way. 

The whole idea now is just to keep a movement forward. The singers get to pick what we want as we all learn and then replace things. But we still have 2 1/2 hours of stuff. The instrumentalists get to pick the things they want and we will showcase those as well.

I'm not really attached to half the songs here. MTA, Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms, Wabash Cannonball, Freight Train, Worried Man, This Little Light, Cotton Jenny, I'll Fly Away, Country Roads, can all disappear. I'm ready to move on. But we need to move on together doing things that everyone wants to do.

I need to give Oleeta and Richard and Nancy more songs to sing! I want fiddle tunes and banjo that Betsy and Renata and Ben can sail away with! I think we're on to something!

So This Is The Playlist For The Band

Play Me Some Mountain Music

I’ll Fly Away

Freight Train

Fair & Tender Ladies

Green Eyes

Going Down That Road Feeling Bad

Oklahoma Hills

Don’t Make It Rain

Cotton Jenny

Three Little Words

Worried Man Blues

Both Sides Now

Jerusalem Ridge

This Little Light of Mine

Wabash Cannonball

Love Can Build A Bridge

Country Roads

Little Sister

Hallelujah

Pallet On Your Floor

You’re Sixty

Gulf Coast Highway

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

MTA

Summertime

San Antonio Rose

Lay Down Beside Me

Blue Moon of Kentucky

Back Home Again

This Land Is Your Land

If You See Her

You Ain’t Going Nowhere

Streets of Laredo

Wagon Wheel

Daydream Believin'

I signed up for this Sonicbids Service since it looks like some venues want you to subnit through these folks. I put us in for a Festival in Santa Barbara this way. I get these "Gig Of The Day" emails. There's a few that are just contests: pay your money and win for your song or whatever. Those are just vanity things to take your money. But these- boy, can a boy dream, can't he?

It's hard to resist

Me Again

More of me playing at the Visitation School. It was a good day. I went back later in the evening to see my friend Mike play and filmed him and a boy scout on piano that I know. (The food wasn't too great for us blood suger challenged.)

One more

One More for the Road: Oleeta singing "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" at the Vet Day Stage. The Marching Bands had quieted down for a moment. 

This was sweet Martha's response to my email after the Vet day thing. She hired us (at no pay) because I called her to ask about a non-profit vendor booth (for $10.00)- I thought we could just pay the $10 and play all afternoon. She asked what kind of music did we play and I answered with the right group- "The Kingston Trio, etc" She asked us to play the stage. One of my band mates today said she didn't think they were too organized or too aware of what they were trying to do. (Martha has asked me to rent the generator and she'd reimburse me, but I had no idea what I should be getting- so they supplied it.)

Dan,
You are brilliant! that is an idea that has a lot of merit.
I will keep you in mind for next year; this year was excellent.
I will spread the work about your group.

Thanks again for all you did to make our event a success.

Martha
P.S. Next time you perform out doors and need a generator...
a 2000 volt one is what you need. It worked yesterday.

> Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 04:18:05 -0800
> From: mcnay@mosis.com
> To: msthuente@hotmail.com
> Subject: Parade
>
> Marthe,
>
> Thanks for having us. We had fun.
>
> I had a thought about next year. If the stage was set up at the far end
> of the vendor area, with it being close to the food vendors, it would
> afford us being able to play better without the noise of the marching
> band leaving the staging area and we could attract more people to be
> present at your award ceremony. Give it some thought.
>
> Thanks again. Keep us in mind for next year or anything else your group
> might be doing. Memorial Day?
>
> Dan
>

>