Songs That Tell Stories

I can recall the day that plane crashed. It had been less than a week since I bought Buddy's last record(Raining in My Heart/You Won't Matter Any More). It was a time when I saw his career at a crossroads. For one thing, this record was by Buddy Holly, not the Crickets. There have been lame explanations about that, but I don't buy them. I believe he had outgrown his old group. He appeared to me to be on the brink of major stardom. Now one can ever know where his talent might have taken him.

Buddy should have been one of the sad young men, edgar. Thanks for your personal experience with Buddy's demise.

Remember Don's song about this?



Just recently, Van Gogh paintings were stolen from a Cairo Museum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDrlgbS0jR0

Yep. Vincent is my favorite artist. Many were technically better, I guess, but his work touches me most. I was unaware of the thievery of his paintings.

Ah, you surprised me by playing a different song than the one I imagined. Shows what happens when we comment before listening. This one is nice too.

edgar, that Bad Mans Blunder was funny. Thanks, Texas.

The Ballad of Reading(redding) Gaol(jail)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhC8wVGq1uk&feature=related

Oscar Wilde again.

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!

Thanks for that, letty.

The Bard of Armagh is an Irish ballad. It is thought to be Patrick Donnelly. He was made Bishop of Dromore in 1697, the same year as the issuance of the Bishops Banishment Act. Donnelly is believed to have taken the name of the travelling harper Phelim Brady.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, however, Donnelly is listed in the government's register of "popish" clergy, dated 1704, as a priest in Newry, Co. Armagh.

The song itself, like many heroic, rebel outlaw ballads, dates from the mid 19th century. The same melody is used in the songs "The Sailor Cut Down in his Prime" and "The Streets of Laredo".

Lyrics

Oh list' to the lay of a poor Irish harper,
And scorn not the strings in his old withered hands,
But remember those fingers, they once could move sharper,
To raise up the strains of his dear native land.
It was long before the shamrock, dear Isle's lovely emblem,
Was crushed in its beauty by the Saxon's lion paw,
And all the pretty colleens around me would gather,
Called me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.

How I love to muse on the days of my boyhood,
Though four score and three years have fled by since then.
Still it gives sweet reflection, as every young joys should,
For the merry-hearted boys make the best of old men.
At a fair or a wake I would twist my shillelagh,
And trip through a dance with my brogues tied with straw.
There all the pretty maidens around me would gather,
Called me their bold Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.

In truth I have wandered this wide world over,
Yet Ireland's my home and a dwelling for me.
And, oh, let the turf that my old bones shall cover
Be cut from the land that is trod by the free.
And when Sergeant Death in his cold arms doth embrace me,
And lulls me to sleep with old 'Erin-go-Bragh',
By the side of my Kathleen, my dear pride, oh, place me,
Then forget Phelim Brady, the Bard of Armagh.



Oh list to the lay of a poor Irish harper
And scorn not the strains of his old, withered hands
But remember his fingers, they once could move sharper
To raise up the memory of his dear native land

At a fair or a wake, I could twist my shillelagh
Or trip through a jig with my brogues bound with straw
And all the pretty colleens around me assembled
Loved their bold Phelim Brady, the bard of Armagh

Oh, how I long to muse on the days of my boyhood
But four score and three years have flitted since then
But they bring sweet reflections, as every young joy should
For, the merry hearted boys makes the best of old men

And when sergeant death, in his cold arms shall embrace me
And lull me to sleep with sweet Erin go bragh
By the side of my Kathleen, my young wife then place me
Then forget Phelim Brady, the bard of Armagh

You cannot go wrong with Tommy Makem. Right now I am getting ready to shut down, but will listen to the song during the day on Monday.

Love that Janis Ian ballad, edgar. Yep, that color line is still there in some places.

Joe, This must be harp day. Love that Celtic version.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXW7v0ab_18

Tommy Makem did that one as well as I anticipated.

Johnny Cash does Edna's Harp Weaver in an excellent fashion also.

This song is most definitely about the 1970 shootings at Kent University in Ohio. Four people were killed by troops of the Ohio National Guard because they were protesting the invasion of Cambodia in the Vietnam War. Although the protests were sometimes violent, the soldiers took unnecessary action when they fired into the crowd of unarmed students, again, killing four people. All four were students at the university, and only two were actaully involved in the protests. Anyways, this song goes, "Tin Soldiers and Nixon's coming, we're finally on our own, this summer I hear the drummin', four dead in Ohio, gotta get down to it, soldiers are cutting us down...." Tin soldiers are the National Guard soldiers, Nixon's coming refers to Nixon's orders to invade Cambodia, four dead in Ohio are the four killed students, and soldiers are cutting us down is the soldiers opening fire on the unarmed students, killing four and wounding nine. After Neil Young released this song, he was quoted, "I feel upset with myself for commercializing the massacre, and making money off of the killings."

Love that one, edgar. The Kent State fiasco.

Another, Texas. One of my favorite poets and The Pied Piper of Hamelin.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgtmSvE-JHE&feature=related

Most of us know how this one ended. They didn't pay the piper what they owned him, soooooo.

I recall The Pied Piper from my school days, among other sources, letty. A great poem and the music in the film is entertaining.