Songs That Tell Stories

Love that one by Marty, edgar. Great ballad.

Here's another.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIz7WWDxy20&feature=related

I like the Adobe Hacienda song, letty. First time I heard it by the browns.

"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with lyrics written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, "Amazing Grace" is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more until he quit going to sea altogether and began studying theology.

Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper. "Amazing Grace" was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year's Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses, and it may have been chanted by the congregation without music. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper's Olney Hymns, but settled into relative obscurity in England. In the United States however, "Amazing Grace" was used extensively during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. It has been associated with more than 20 melodies, but in 1835 it was joined to a tune named "New Britain" to which it is most frequently sung today.

Author Gilbert Chase writes that "Amazing Grace" is "without a doubt the most famous of all the folk hymns",[1] and Jonathan Aitken, a Newton biographer, estimates that it is performed about 10 million times annually.[2] It has had particular influence in folk music, and become an emblematic African American spiritual. Its universal message has been a significant factor in its crossover into secular music. "Amazing Grace" saw a resurgence in popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and has been recorded thousands of times during and since the 20th century, sometimes appearing on popular music charts.

Here's a good follow up to Amazing Grace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQiu9msoq5M&feature=autoplay&list=PLA9E0D4B76212C7DF&lf=plpp_play_all&playnext=3

Notice how well the Lego figures have been made to resemble the characters, esp. Fred.

I listened to your song last night, POM. Here is a follow up.

I can see the link! Although Fred is sexier in his song, I always loved Harry. When he calls everyone to sing one more time, I just have to smile.

Good Fred Eaglesmith vid, my favorite iconoclast, pom. Ironically the popup ad at the bottom of the page was "Interested in Becoming a Minister? Christian Education.com. FREE information on great programs in Christian Ministry..." I think Fred might cackle a little bit at that.

Got the new Springsteen "Wrecking Ball" on Saturday and have listened to it five times since. It's stellar. If Woody Guthrie had been born thirty years later he might have been Bruce Springsteen. Definitely it rocks, but in kind of a folk-rocky way, a bit of Pogues, a bit of oysterband, a bit of gospel in it. A lot of the songs are his take on the greed that led to the last couple years of economic meltdown, and the effect it's had on people. Couple definite stories in the songs, but so far can only find a video of one song, which I think Bruce or his people did, not a story song, but a great topical song, which I think would make a great campaign song for Obama, in contrast to the self-centered short sightedness so evident in the last few months of primary season.

It's an MTV video, and if we can embed them I don't know how, so just have a link:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/bruce-springsteen/733614/we-take-care-of-our-own.jhtml#artist=975

And here's an older Springsteen one, a long-time favorite of mine, inspired by the semi-derelict New Jersey mill towns he grew up among, which had fallen on hard times when the fat cat company owners moved their operations South in search of cheap labor, and left their ex-employees in the lurch.



Ha! In the last couple hours someone has done a video of "Death to My Hometown" from the new CD, which is a sort of story song, maybe an update to "My Hometown" twenty years later and much more searingly angry.



Get this one, pom, you'll like it.

okay, they got the one I'd sourced to MTV up on youTube with lyrics, Barack, are you listening--use this as a campaign song:

Might be worthwhile. I locked myself in my unheated office, writing about dead people while listening to Adele. Definitely a tear inducer.

Love "the boss", M.J.

a different approach.



The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToqFqxP5o4w

It's an interesting story, letty. I am not sure the final scene ties well with the rest of it. But maybe it's because I seek more naturalistic themes, mostly.

edgar, The Selfish Giant was like the thief on the cross. "this day shalt thou dwell with me in paradise." The child, of course, was Jesus who had been reincarnated to be with the giant when he died.

Love that one by Leonard. Yes, Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, and Leonard's metaphor had to do with war and sacrifice.

Inspired by Judy Collins' Shoot First and the last few bars of the Minstrel Boy, here's another poem/song that tells a story.



The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;
"Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"


Verse added later:

The Minstrel Boy will return we pray
When we hear the news, we all will cheer it,
The minstrel boy will return one day,
Torn perhaps in body, not in spirit.
Then may he play on his harp in peace,
In a world such as Heaven intended,
For all the bitterness of man must cease,
And ev'ry battle must be ended.

Now, the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdA4NlJiikM

That was one I did not know, letty.

If you saw the film, The Man Who Would Be King, based on the Rudyard Kipling story, you'd have seen Sean Connery sing this at several points. Michael Caine also starred and they became great friends with the director John Huston. A wonderful film worth watching again and again

Alas. I did not get to see the movie.

I've been having a hankering to see it again. I looked for it last night on hulu. I'm not certain what is happening on netflicks but I can not afford to subscribe even if it would serve my purposes.

It's a great movie. The three stars (add Christopher Plummer to Caine and Connery) were all at the top of their game. What makes it so wonderful is that Caine and Connery are clearly enjoying themselves. They like and identify with their characters.

In many ways, the movie has the same spirit as Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? A group of rogues and misfits find adventure and the audience has a wonderful time along with way.

In fact, if I didn't have papers to check, laundry to do and a kitchen to clean today as well as a couple of personal tasks, I would watch both if I had access to them!