dinosaurs - original song by casetone2514 and tehjummie casetone2514 2026-09-19 | dinosaurs - original song by casetone2514 and tehjummie
I Got My Mojo Working !!*CAUTION - CONTAINS TRACES OF GUITAR*!! casetone2514 2011-04-15 | I first heard this song performed by Manfred Mann but quickly found the Muddy Waters version. I have only recently heard the excellent original recording by Ann Cole, for whom Preston Foster Wrote it. Over the years, I have heard versions by BB King, Eric Clapton, Elvis, Melanie, JJ Cale, Alexis Korner and loads more - this is my version/arrangement that takes bits and pieces from all of the above and some ideas of my own. Chords used are C7 F7 and G7 I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do I got my black cat bones all cured and dry I got a four-leaf clover all hangin' high I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do I got my hoodoo ashes all around your bed Got my black snake roots underneath your head I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice I got some red-hot tips I have to keep on ice I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' (I got my mojo workin' ) I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I got my rabbit foot, I know it's workin right I got this strand of hair I'll keep all day and night I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do I got my mojo workin' but it just won't work on you I got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you I want to love you so 'til I don't know what to do
Gaol House Swing PLUS important info casetone2514 2011-04-08 | My channel is under constant fire with copyright infringement claims (including last weeks vid that I've already had to take down and so I am starting a new one next week that will only have self-penned songs, trad. songs and songs that I have specific permission to use. As ever, it will be almost exclusively ukulele and, I hope, lots of fun. So please feel free to visit me at 'Original Ukulele Songs' http://www.youtube.com/TonyCaseyUkulele So, I decided to do a swing/lounge arrangement of Gaolhouse Rock and this is it: G /Gdim/G/Gdim/ G /Gdim/G/Gdim G Gdim G Gdim The warden threw a party at the county jail G Gdim G Gdim The prison band was there and they began to wail G Gdim G Gdim The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing G(stop) (G7) You should've heard those knocked out jail birds sing Chorus C/C6(X4) G /Gdim/G/Gdim/ Lets rock lets rock D7 C7 Every body in the whole cell block G C7 G/Gdim/G/Gdim/ was dancin to the gaolhouse rock Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone The drummer boy from Illinois went crash boom bang the whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang Chorus Number forty-seven said to number three You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see I sure would be delighted with your company Come on and do the gaolhouse rock with me Chorus The sad sack was a-sittin' on a block of stone Way over in the corner weeping all alone The warden said, "Hey buddy don't you be no square if you can't find a partner use a wooden chair" Chorus Shifty Henry said to Bugs, "For heaven's sake no ones lookin nows our chance to make a break" Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said nix nix I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks Chorus
Bring Me Sunshine M&W ukulele tribute casetone2514 2011-03-27 | I know - I haven't posted anything for ages but what can I say? I'm back now! I searched the intertubes to find the chords for this but didn'y find any I liked so here's my own arrangement: BRING ME SUNSHINE INTRO - G6 Gdim Am7 D7 G6 Gdim Am7 D7 Bring me Sunshine, in your smile, G6 D+ G6 G7 Bring me laughter, all the while, Am7 G7 In this world where we live C Cmaj7 Am7 There should be more happi ness, A9 A7 So much joy you can give D7 (D+) To each brand new bright tomorrow, G6 Gdim Am7 D7 Make me happy, through the years G6 D+ G6 G7 Never bring me any tears, Am7 G7 C Cmaj7 Am7 Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above, G7 Gdim A7 D7 G6 Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love. Gdim Am7 D7 G6 Gdim Am7 D7 Bring me Sunshine, in your eyes G6 D+ G6 G7 Bring me rainbows, from the skies, Am7 G7 Life's too short to be spent C Cmaj7 Am7 having anything but fun, A9 A7 We can be so content, D7 (D+) if we gather little sunbeams, G6 Gdim Am7 D7 Be light hearted, all day long, G6 D+ G6 G7 Keep me singing, happy songs, Am7 G7 C Cmaj7 Am7 Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above, G7 Gdim A7 D7 G6 Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love. Gdim Am7 D7 REPEAT VERSE ONE BUT LAST LINE IS: G7 Gdim A7 D7 G/Gmaj7/G7/E7 Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love. A7 D7 G/Gmaj7/G7/E7 Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love. A7 D7 G C G/D7/G... Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.
The Hole In The Elephants Bottom ~ Trad.arr.casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-09-09 | Tom and Ryan from Me, Uke and the Love triangle http://www.youtube.com/user/UkuleleUncle sent me a gift of a love elephant featured in this video. On opening the package this afternoon, a couple of things sprang to mind as I realised I was expected to blow in to a wooden elephant's anus in order to make it trumpet. One was a reminder of a Sexual Health lecture I attended in about 1988 or '89 which began with the lecturer - a formiddable looking woman in VERY comfortable shoes - proclaiming in a very accusing tone: NEVER BLOW IN TO A VAGINA. Well, to be honest, I thought that would have gone without saying, but the way she fixed her glare on the men in the audience made me think that she suspected one or (more likely) all of us of making a regular thing of doing it. Even though the thought of it had never occurred to me before she implnted the suggestion into my head, I felt myself going red and feeling guilty. I tried to meet her stare with a look that said: 'I never have and I never would', but the expression on her face made me think she'd interpreted my look as: 'How do you fancy a bit of vulval inflation later, love'. I can honestly say that I have never attempted to blow in to a vagina to this day, so her opening gambit was successful on that score. However, I remember not one bit of the rest of the lecture. The second thing that sprubg to mind was this song. I haven't heard it for a very long time and it is just as long since I've sung it. It is an old Music Hall song but I cannot find a reliable source that tells me who wrote of originally performed it. It is sung from yhe perspective of an actor who plays the back end of a pantomime elephant (if you are not a Brit, I'm sorry, it is too much to explain that here) and the antics he gets up to. The scary lecture lady, I'm sure, never mentioned that anally inflating a pachyderm was verboten, so thanks again to Ryan and Tom and here are the lyrics plus a couple of extra verses: The Hole In The Elephant's Bottom I wanted to go on the stage But at acting I simply was rotten Now in pantomime I'm all the rage As the hole in the elephant's bottom Chorus Ai, Ai, Ai-Ai Ai, Ai, Ai-Ai-Ai Over valley and hill there is no greater thrill Than the hole in the elephants bottom Now the eyes they are made of brown glass Ventilation's completely forgotten But you'd be surprised at the wind that can pass Through the hole in the elephant's bottom Oh there's plenty of room down inside For bottles of beer if you've got 'em The audience laugh as I blow off the froth Through the hole in the elephant's bottom Oh the audience think me a wit (suitable emphasis here!) As they sit in the stalls I can spot 'em And I wink at the girls in the pit Through the hole in the elephant's bottom A lady she chased after me She said "You're a star, I can spot 'em" I said "No Lady, thanks, I'm not Douglas Fairbanks I'm the hole in the elephant's bottom" Now I don't have to learn any words There's no script to get quickly forgotten I just sit in the back shoving property turds Through the hole in the elephant's bottom One night we performed in a farce And they stuffed up the bottom with cotton, But it split and I showed my bare arse Through the hole in the elephant's bottom. Some may think that this story is good And some may believe that it's rotten, But those that don't like it can stuff it right up The hole in the elephant's bottom.
Wife For Sale - Trad. arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-09-03 | Its all in the slides. I didn't record this on video, just MP3
Another Hollesley Line-up for Worried Man Blues casetone2514 2010-08-04 | This was the first recording we did of this song but the audio wasn't captured. I have managed to rip the audio from the camera mic and tweak it by boosting to volume and removing some of the hiss and extraneous noise. It's not perfect but you can hear it AND listen to it now. The line up from left to right is: Jake The Shake on double bass and hips. The power house bassist behind the fantastic Anything Goes Orchestra. If you've never heard them and want to know what a ukulele group with aspirations to be a Big Band sounds like, go to: http://www.anythinggoesorchestra.com Harry Greene on cajon and the certain knowledge that hes a better musician than the rest of us put together. He's going to be big one day - well, bigger. Check out his sax and guitar vids in the jazz styleeee at: http://www.youtube.com/user/furnellgr... Then it's me on uke and off key harmonies. Next is the Marvellous Ken Middleton on lead uke and bluegrass flavourings. Come on, you all know where to find Ken's videos. He's more prevalent than pop-ups on the interwebs. OK, this is his uke channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/KenMiddle... And on the far right is the equally famous Krabbers on uke, voice and vegetarian foot rhythms. Krabbers has the voice of an angel - admittedly, quite a naughty angel - and is a true showman: http://www.youtube.com/user/Krabbers Deborah the zebra (spot) was unavailable for this performance - she was feeling a little deflated. I know. What a let down
Spreading The Ukulele Message! casetone2514 2010-08-01 | Thomas J learning his first ukulele tune. Like his great, great uncle (yeah, more than just great!) he has difficulty remembering lyrics. As a matter of fact, I like TJ's version better.
It Takes A Worried Man (To Sing A Worried Song) HOLLESLEY 2010 casetone2514 2010-07-27 | Spot the zebra! No, that's his name: Spot, the zebra! There was much jamming to be done at the Hollesley Ukulelefest and I partook wherever and whenever possible. Due to the spontaneous nature of these outbursts it wasn't possible to video them easily so this one was set up for the cameras but was done with absolutely no rehearsal - though we did do an earlier video but someone forgot to record the audio - no names, no pack drill. There's me - rythmn uke and off-key harmonies http://www.youtube.com/user/casetone2514 Ken Middleton - lead uke and laid-back posture http://www.youtube.com/user/KenMiddletonUkulele Mike (Krabbers) - lead vocal, uke and zebra wrangling http://www.youtube.com/user/krabbers Harry Greene - cajon, brushes and youthful disdain for the idiots he's playing with http://www.youtube.com/user/furnellgreenes Although he is providing percussion here, Harry is a fine guitarist, saxophonist and an excellent uke player - go to his channel and bug him until he uploads some uke vids! Thanks to Mrs G for the roaming camera work
Back 4 Gouda ~ Some Cheeeeeeez for K&TCs (heres your cheese) casetone2514 2010-06-22 | This is our entry for Kenny and The Captains Send Some Cheese Contest. Recorded entirely on location on the steps and side gardens (the shaded, not sunny side for some reason) of Cheltenham Town Hall. The performers were (and, indeed, still are) http://www.youtube.com/user/MrBarryMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/ruth7784 http://www.youtube.com/user/casetone2514 Ukulele and hat: (Irish) Barry Whiteside Kazoo & shakey egg: Tony Casey Booklet, giggles and feline head-dress: Ruth Starmer Cinematography and embarrassed looks: Becky Casey Voices at the end: Unknown and bewildered passers-by
I Dont Know ~ ukulele original casetone2514 2010-05-24 | Firstly, apologies to Ruth who I totally misled by telling her my next upload would be a Neil Sedaka song - maybe next time as I have it already recorded and it's ready to go. I have been trawling through some old stuff recently. Poems, songs and parts of songs and ideas that I have scribbled down over the years. I wrote a proto-version if this song when I was probably about 14 or 15 and this is the verse tune from that original that I use here. The first two verses are also from that song - or rather, they are based on verses from that song. Being a teenager, the lyrics were incredibly self indulgent, introspective, morose and annoying - think: The Smiths without the skill, poetic depth or creativity and you are some way to understanding why I never shared it with anyone. Basically, the narrative of the song went: I KNOW that I am the centre of the known universe but I dont know how to use that information to get laid. Pubescent angst at its most vile. However, re-reading it, I thought that there was a germ of an idea that would fit with a mid-life crisis, self-indulgent, morose and annoying, middle-aged man singing it. Blokes are notoriously bad at answering relationship questions (this bloke, particularly so) and women are (in my experience) particularly fond of asking them. Now heres a piece of information for you girls that I strongly suspect you already know but the sisterhood prevents you from disclosing that knowledge to us boys - Sometimes the answer really IS: I dont know and no amount of its a simple question, yes or no will change that fact. It may make us pick one just to shut you up because the footballs about to start - and, invariably itll be no when you wanted it to be yes or vice versa - but the actual answer, the one we REALLY feel will often be I dont bloody well know. Damn, did I just post that on Youtube for all to see? Ah well, my Youtube stats tell me that its mainly middle aged blokes that view my channel anyway! I DONT KNOW ©casetone2514 2010 (Chords are E G#m A B all the way through) V1 I dont know, I dont know what Ive come here for I dont see any reason to be here any more I dont see why I should have to play this game All the people and the places all look the same I dont know V2 I dont know I dont know what Im meant to be Am I here? Am I not? Am I meant to be? I dont see the things that you want me to see All I want is a reason, so let me go free I dont know BRIDGE Ask me a question, Ill tell you no lies See what I feel when you look into my eyes What you see is what you get, I dont wear a disguise I want to give an answer and God knows Ive tried but I dont know V3 I dont know, I dont know if I love you my dear When I needed you to be a friend, well, you were here But friends and lovers really are two different things When you ask me if we can be both, youll hear me sing I dont know RPT BRIDGE RPT V1
Mary Dont You Weep ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-05-10 | A traditional American Folk/Spiritual which appears to confuse several Biblical stories and periods but which lends itself to many styles and interpretations, Oh Mary Dont You Weep has been sung and performed by countless artistes from Burl Ives to Aretha Franklin and The Caravans to Bruce Springsteen. Ive tried to give it an English Folk feel and have cobbled together verses from several versions from the folk and spiritual traditions which is why it's so long. Here are some other versions you may want to check out. Lewdite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnquGisWBYw Pete Seeger-esque version and quite excellent on baritone ukulele. Anyone slightly interested in American Folk should subscribe to this wonderful channel. Doogey9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T0Itdmj7Bc Skiffle version by the inimitable Todd. Im sure everyone who visits my channel must be aware of Brother Sonny, but just in case youre not - go have a look. Elwood2911: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV9-7Iw96Wg I love this version by Johnny Moore & family that I can only describe as revival/swing. I got some ideas about harmonisation from this version. I wish it was longer and in better condition. Martlets11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SApjtYLdmM4&feature=related One thing you may not know about me is that I am a sucker for male voice choirs and this is a version by The Chess Valley Choir from Buckinghamshire in the UK. Love it. I was thoroughly convinced that Krabbers had done a version of this song - I can hear him singing it in my head - but I cant find a version anywhere. You should visit his channel anyway, as if you havent already. http://www.youtube.com/user/krabbers#g/u If I could I surely would, Stand on the rock where Moses stood. Pharoah's army got drownded, Oh, Mary don't you weep. Chorus: Oh, Mary don't you weep don't you mourn, Oh, Mary don't you weep don't you mourn, Pharoah's army got drownded, Oh, Mary don't you weep. Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, Partin' the water with a two-by-four., etc The Lord told Moses what to do, To lead those Hebrew children through. etc God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water but fire next time. etc Mary wore three links of chain, Every link was Freedom's name, etc. One of these mornings bright and fair Goin'a take my wings and cleave the air. etc One of these nights about twelve o'clock, This old world is gonna reel and rock. etc Momma says she dont know what stays here fer, Dis worl' ain' very good to her, etc I went down in the valley to pray, My soul got happy and stayed all day. etc Jesus done jes' as He said, He heal de sick an' he rais' a dead, etc When I get to heaven goin'a sing and shout Ain't nobody there goin'a turn me out. etc When I get to heaven goin'a put on my shoes Goin'a run about and spread the news. etc Wonder what Satan's a-grumblin' 'bout, Chained in Hell an' he can't git out. etc Ol' Satan's mad an' I am glad, Missed that soul he thought he had. etc Ain't been to heaven, but I' been told, Streets is pearl an' the houses is gol', etc
Jesus Dont Want Me (And The Devil Dont Care) ukulele original casetone2514 2010-05-08 | I know this song is going to upset a few people, but before you take umbrage, let me tell you a couple of things. Many years ago, I entered the seminary to study for the Roman Catholic priesthood - I lasted two and a bit years. It is not something one enters into lightly and, although it was partly my decision to leave, I was, ultimately, pushed - which left me quite devastated. There was no support for me or others like me at the time and the only advice I received on leaving was, "be careful what you do - The Devil doesnt care about your faith and will take advantage where he can". I dont know any better now what it was supposed to mean than I did then, but I did like 'The Devil Doesn't Care' both as a lyric and a concept. Being brought up a Catholic, there are strict rules and guidelines to follow regarding ones morality as well as spirituality. It took me a heck of a long time to realise that it is possible to have a personal code of conduct and not be dictated to by a dogmatic construct of the church. As one grows, ones moral boundaries become less harshly defined, I find and that the 'black and white' teachings of religion do not always fit well with being a good and decent person. There are grey areas but they are not to be feared but embraced. This song, then, is not about anti-establishmentarianism or church/religion bashing, it is about discovering that you can be a good person and have your own moral compass and code of conduct even if it strays slightly beyond the bounds of what you were taught by your spiritual leaders - afterall, they are supposed to be spiritual leaders, not thought police. Jesus Dont Want Me (The Devil Dont Care) ©casetone2514 2010 CHORUS E A Jesus doesnt want me and the Devil doesnt care E B7 God is in His heaven and the Holy Spirits out there somewhere E E7 Buddha just sits and smiles benignly A A7 I just figured it out and finally E B7 E Jesus dont want me and the Devil dont really care CHORUS Jesus wanted me for a sunbeam, Satan wanted me too An angel and a devil sitting on each shoulder telling me what to do The guy on the right says, do the right thing While the one on the left says, to hell with him How am I supposed to know how to choose CHORUS All my life Ive been trying to do the things they wanted me to But devils and angels dont sit on shoulders, its me thats had to choose On one hand conscience is a terrifying thing On the other - its free will - so let your heart sing Free choice is good so how the hell con you lose. CHORUS SPOKEN (N.C.) Jesus and Buddha sitting in a tree P.R.E.A.C.H.I.N.G Allah and Yahweh sitting there too Trying to tell the rest of us what to do CHORUS X2
Sleeping With The Light On. ukulele original, two second song casetone2514 2010-05-04 | I got into a mini discussion tonight in the comments on ShaneFoxXs video for Lonh Black Veil about being afraid of the dark. A comment was made about sleeping with Wubbie (dont ask me, ask ShaneFoxX) and a two second song popped into my head as I popped in to the kitchen for a cup of tea. The idea for the song took about two seconds (thanks and praise to Alan Brandt UKISOCIETY for the inspiration and the concept) and it was composed and written at the same time and speed. It has been performed out loud once only (for the recording of this video) nd will probably never be performed again. ShaneFoxXs channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ShaneFoxX ShaneFoxX on FollowTheMusicians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbxvMr7reZE Alan on UKISOCIETY: http://www.youtube.com/user/UKISOCIETY Chords in Verse Dm A7 Chords in Chorus F and C Im not frightened of the dark as you can plainly see I just like sleeping with the light on cause it bothers me That my teddy bear might be afraid and get the creeps If I was frightened of the dark Id never get to sleep. CHORUS Sleeping with the light on is good for boy and bear I do it cause its fun and really not because Im scared Sleeping with the light on its just how we are made My bear and me just like it. Its not cause we are afraid Im not frightened of the dark - I know that would be foolish Theres nothing scary, bad or horrid, creepy, weird or ghoulish Lurking in my wardrobe or underneath my bed I know cause Daddy checked - he did - at least thats what he said Theres nothing in a darkened room thats not there when its light Nothing there to worry over, or give you a fright If you think a monsters there as you lie in your bed Remember its not in your room, its only in your head
An Elephant In The Room. casetone214 original casetone2514 2010-04-29 | OK, I know my original songs are few and far between (and not very original) but I find it difficult to share even the most banal of them. This has been brewing and bubbling away on a back burner for a while now and has had several lyric rewrites. Like Alan's (UKISOCIETY) two second songs, part of this one came to me in a flash - just the line " There's an elephant in the room and nobody sees it - sees it!" and that has been the constant throughout this song's many metamorphoses. Here's the final draft: Elephant in the Room ©casetone2514 2010 CHORUS Theres an (Bm) elephant in the room And nobody (A) sees it - sees it Theres and (Bm) elephant in the room And cause we dont be (A) live it, we leave it Theres an (Bm) elephant in the room And theres only (F#) me that (F#7) cleans up after it VERSE 1 Theres (Bm) something quite obvious (Em) coming in between us Its (Bm) making you unhappy and its (F#7) making me grieve As (Bm) long as its there and (Em) we ignore it Itll (Bm) grow and itll grow un (F#7) til we cant Take it any (Bm) more CHORUS VERSE 2 Neither of us wants to say it to the other But we both know it and we wish it wasnt there But wishing wont make this problem go away And wishing wont stop one or other of us Walking out the door CHORUS (Em) Why cant we just (F#7) face the facts Its (Bm) bigger than you and (F#7) me Our (Em) problem is this (F#7) great big Pachyderm gooseberry CHORUS VERSE 3 Neither of us wants to say it to the other But we both know it and we wish it wasnt there But wishing wont make this problem go away And wishing wont stop one or other of us Walking out the door CHORUS Theres an elephant in the room Theres an elephant in the room Theres an elephant in the room Theres an elephant in the room Theres an elephant in the room FADE
Notsosane ~ A tribute and a thankyou to Captain Notsosane from Kenny & the Captains casetone2514 2010-04-24 | I was gutted and dismayed to hear of the iminent departure of Captain NotSoSane from the Kenny and the Captains recording environment - nobody passed me the leaving card to sign or anything....I'd have even chipped in for the T-shirt if I'd known. (terrible pressie, by the way guys - "we got you a Melodica Hero T-shirt because the one you slaved over and made with your own fair hand was just a bit shit" is what that present says! Whatever happened to flowers? Chocolates? Cheese?) There wasn't enought time for me to pour out my tears, angst and frustrations into a totally original song and so I pinched one from Carly Simon. Kenny and the (remaining) Captains can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/kennymelodica STOP PRESS: MESSAGE FROM K7theCs 24th April 2019 "@casetone2514 its ok Notsosane isn't leaving this channel or Kenny and the Captains, she'll be popping back once or twice a month for a video :) phew so it's all good. We only let her leave if she didn't leave the band, so you'll see plenty more of NSS still" Well that was all a bit of a waste of time, then
The Great Song of Indifference ~ Bob Geldof cover on ukulele casetone2514 2010-04-23 | I got a comment the other day from Kronjyde of Denmark http://www.youtube.com/user/Kronjyde on my All Around My Hat video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWAJMcPfh_k He suggested I did this song and I said that I didnt know it. For some reason, I had forgotten the title and when I searched for it, not only did I remember it, but I remembered that I have the album it comes from. I ended up listening to the whole album - which I havent played for about ten years - and really enjoyed it. Its called The Vegetarians of Love http://www.bobgeldof.info/Disc/vegetarians.html and is well worth checking out if you haven't heard it. Vocal is a bit croaky - Ive had a sore throat and my voice has been threatening to disappear for the last week and a bit so I havent been singing as I need to keep it going for work. Ill have a silent day tomorrow (or maybe Ill belt out a few tunes instead) as its my day off.
Aiken Drum. A Song For Children. Trad. Arr.casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-04-17 | When I did my series of Jocobite songs recently, I came across a song called Aiken Drum that was not this song. I considered doing it for Youtube but it was a bit dreary and hard going so I abandoned it. However, it reminded me of this song from my very early childhood. I know very little - almost nothing, in fact, about the songs origins and I have had no time to research them, so if anyone knows what it is about or when and where it is from, Id love to know. At first sight it appears to be an imagination game like looking at clouds and making objects from their shapes - the man in the mood, and comparing everyday objects to items of clothing. You can imagine sliced beef looking like cloth for a coat and an oval pie looking like shoes. A penny bun is either a bread cake or the common name for the cep or porcini mushroom and the do look like wooden buttons. A cream cheese hat? I may have remembered that wrong, it may be green cheese which would suggest I round felt hat if the cheese was green with mould and a ladel looks like a musical instrument you would strum.OK Im only guessing and stretching it a bit. Anyone actually now about this songs origins?
Southbound Train ~ DearOldNutjob cover casetone2514 2010-04-14 | Sorry. No ukes on this one! I dont know if this ever happens to you, but sometimes I listen to a song and hear a completely different one. Let me explain. Ive only ever heard the Beatles version of Lady Madonna, but when I sing and/or play it, I slow it right down and use slightly different chords - not so much to make it deliberately different, but because that is how the song feels to me. When I heard Don do Southbound Train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZwMglJFOx0 I at once loved it and yet, simultaneously, heard a different song. I am not one to criticise a person in the Youtube comments section, but I felt I had to let Don know that this sounded like a much livelier song to me. It is the to me bit that it is important here. No one version of a song is the right version. Art, particularly in my experience, songs and literature is most important in its effect on the viewer/reader/listener. What is the point in creating art if you do not share it with others. What is the point in sharing it with others if you do not want to elicit a response. What is the point? The point is that the context of the work from the artists point of view is important - to the artist and, perhaps, the critic or student; but the real value and greatness of a piece of art is the effect it has on others, whether they see it as the artist intended or not. What Im trying to say is - dont hate me because this is not as good as Dons original. This is how I hear the song in my head. http://www.youtube.com/user/DearOldNutjob Don's channel - the place for many great original songs.
Man Of Constant Sorrow. Ft. Krabbers, UnluckyMum, Ken Middleton & casetone2514 Belper Uke Festival casetone2514 2010-04-13 | Ruth sent me a text message asking fo a video with us all playing - I thought Paul (Ukepunk) was on this as well but I am clearly mistaken - where did you go? I also thought Millie (ukepunkoffspring) filmed this but I am mistaken again as she appears in it. {I am informed by Caroline that Russel filmed this - I thought it was another bit he kindly filmed for us but - as is so often the case - I am almost certainly wrong and the lady is right). Thank you very much Russel and, now I listen again, I hear you basso joining in at the end. See who else you can spot. I did a bit of a video diary, but it is proving rather tricky to edit together so bear with me please. http://www.youtube.com/user/krabbers http://www.youtube.com/user/UnluckyMum http://www.youtube.com/user/KenMiddletonUkulele http://www.youtube.com/user/casetone2514 http://www.youtube.com/user/UkePunk shoulda been on this! http://www.youtube.com/user/ruth7784 There in spirit http://www.youtube.com/user/russelljenkinsfearn Camera and basso
2 Second Song ~ I Really Dont Like Spiders ~ a casetone2514 original casetone2514 2010-04-09 | First things first - I love spiders and all things creepy-crawly, it is my daughter, Becky http://www.youtube.com/user/bekiixxx who doesn't. Alan, UKISOCIETY, http://www.youtube.com/user/UKISOCIETY has been doing a series of two-second songs. Not songs that last two seconds as I originally thought, but songs that come to you in that two second flash and that most of us forget just as quickly. His genius is to write them down or record them. Krabbers http://www.youtube.com/user/krabbers did the same and came up with the marvellous Bucket of Popcorn song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBOLNAwRJvw Two nights ago, my daughter was preparing for bed and spotted a spider crawling up the wall. "I really don't like spiders" she informed me, unneccessarily "I don't LIKE them at all!" and proceeded to tell me of a recent encounter where one crawled out of her printer and another where one came from a houseplant - yes, that was as scary as the anecdote got - neither arachnid bit, crawled on or touched her in any way, but somehow they were both terrifying. My response to this tale was to sing a comforting song that came into my head virtually whole and here it is. As a calming tool, it appeared to be successful as Becky joined in and contributed some of the lyrics. I don't know which are hers and which are mine because we quickly wrote it down along with the chords I used (except the second chord of the verse because I have no idea what it is) with the intention that we would both sing it, but time ran away and we didn't have the opportunity before she went back to Ireland.
The Owd Woman From Yorkshire ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-04-08 | One take - no production - raw video - warts and all. This is a traditional folksong found all over the British Isles and beyond. You may now it as Marrowbones or (if Irish folk is your background) The Old Woman From Wexford. It tells the story of an unfaithful wife who tries to blind her husband so she can drown him and marry another but the old man is a "crafty bugger" and foils her plot which backfires and ends up with her being the drowning victim. Quite how eating Marrowbones makes one blind I don't know, but they appear to be the active ingredient in most of the versions of this song. More often than not, the chorus is nonsense verse or gibberish in most versions of this song and, at first hearing, may appear to be the same in this version, but it's not. If you don't know what the chorus means, Google it and be amazed! Chorus D Yan Tan Tethera G Mether Pip Azera D A D Sezar Akkera Contera Dick D There was an old woman from Yorkshire A7 As I ave eard em tell D She loved er owd man dearly but A7 Another man twice as well singing She went to see an owd witch To see if she could find Anything in the ole world To make er owd man blind, singing She said you give m marrowbones An mek sure e eats em all An when es finished ell be so blind e waint see thee at all singing But t owd man e were a crafty bugger ed seen it all afore An when ed ate em e said me dear I cant see thee at all singing Ill take missen to the harbour An there missen Ill drown Towd lass says Ill come wi thee To see that tha dunt fall down singing An there they went all hand in hand til they Come to the harbours rim The owd lass turned and went behind An ran to push him in singing The owd mad e were a crafty bugger e swiftly stepped aside The owd lass tripped and fell in an was Swallowed by the tide singing How loudly she did hollah An did for mercy call But the owd man yelled I am so blind I cant see thee at all singing
The Huskar Pit Disaster or Georgie was his name casetone2514 2010-04-01 | There was an item on the local TV news a couple of weeks ago abount some parishioners in Silkstone, South Yorkshire who were hand making their own staind glass memorial for their church to commemorate the victims of the Huskar Mining Disaster of 1838. I had never heard of this incident so I decided to read up un it a little bit. Now one thing that some of you may know about me is that it doesnt take very much to make me cry. Old Shep by Elvis and Honey by Bobby Goldsboro have me blubbibg like a girl. So you can imagine the emotional knee to the nuts I got when I read that 26 children aged between 7 and 17 (Boys AND Girls) had drowned in the cold and pitch dark in this horrendous accident. It was 4th July 1838 and a hot summers day when a buch of children set off to work down their local coal mine. This was not unusual at the time as men women and children as young as six years old went to work in all sorts of industries. By two oclock that afternoon, though, the rain was pouring down on to a ground already soaked by unseasonably rainy weather over the previous fortnight. The fire that powered the steam driven winding gear was extinguished by the downpour so it was impossible to bring the miners up to the surface. A message was sent telling them all to go to the pit bottom and wait. At an inquest following the disaster, some witnesses said the children thought there was a fire and panicked, some said they had been underground for nine hours and thought the break in the pits operations (the winding gear also brought coal to the surface) meant they could go out and get fresh air, but whatever the reason, forty children decided to exit the mine via a ventilation shaft. The got through the first air-door and were me by a torrent of water coming from a stream that had burst its banks. They were swept back against the outward opening door and were trapped as the waters rose. Some of the stronger and older children managed to struggle out via an old drift-shaft, but twenty six did not. James Garnett, the father of one of the children, was one of those who went in after the water had subsided and he found the body of his child, George. It could not be recovered until all the twenty six had been removed. As a father, my heart went out to James as much as to those children for it would have been his decision and a need for money that sent his nine year old son down the mine and that, ultimately, killed him. There is a monument at the site and the childrens names are listed. That list was as agonising to me as the events described which is why I used it in the song. They childrens names and ages are: George Burkinshaw aged 10 years. James Burkinshaw aged 7 years. ( brothers ). Isaac Wright aged 12 years. Abraham Wright aged 8 years. ( brothers ). James Clarkson aged 16 years. Francis Hoyland aged 13 years. William Alick aged 12 years. Samuel Horne aged 10 years. Eli Hutchinson aged 9 years. George Garnett aged 9 years. John Simpson aged 9 years. George Lamb aged 8 years. William Womersley aged 8 years. James Turton aged 10 years. John Gothard aged 8 years. Catherine Garnett aged 8 years. Hannah Webster aged 13 years. Elizabeth Carr aged 13 years. Anne Moss aged 9 years. Elizabeth Hollin aged 15 years. Ellen Parker aged 15 years. Hannah Taylor aged 17 years. Mary Sellars aged 10 years. Elizabeth Clarkson aged 11 years. Who was buried at the feet of her brother. Sarah Jukes aged 8 years. Sarah Newton aged 8 years.
Mmmm! Fishy!. casetone2514 2010-03-14 | Alan (UKISOCIETY) http://www.youtube.com/user/UKISOCIETY has been doing a series of "two-second" songs that has been very entertaining. Mike (krabbers) http://www.youtube.com/user/krabbers did this tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBOLNAwRJvw to that series and immediately upon hearing it, I thought of another verse. What I actually thought was: I bet he ran out of rhymes for the wrd ceiling. After a short tick-tocking in my brain accompanied by a strong smell of burning the second verse emerged fully formed. It's not as good as Mikes but vhe go first pick of the best ceiling rhymes! did you ever get the urge did you ever get the feeling your belly starts aching and your mind starts reeling you put your hands together and you drop down kneeling never has something felt so appealing your mouth starts to drool with your taste buds squeeling a bucket of popcorn hangin' from the ceiling i got a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling never has something felt so appealing a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling Some people like to boogie Some people like to bop But I suspend a bucket and I fill it with popcorn bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling never has something felt so appealing a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling From the Mississippi delta To the borough of Ealing People all singing And the church bells pealing Robbers stop robbing And the dealers stop dealing Never has something become so appealing You wouldnt think this song Would be my cup of Darjeeling bout a bucket of popcorn hanging from the ceiling i got a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling never has something felt so appealing a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling Some say great men are made Some say great men are born But I dont give a bugger cause I got my popcorn bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling never has something felt so appealing a bucket of popcorn hanging' from the ceiling © krabbers 2010 Additional lyrics © casetone about quarter past eight
The Runaway Train. A song For Children of All Ages (Also for her boys and to cheer Ruth up as well) casetone2514 2010-03-10 | I saw Todds(Doogey9) video The Wreck Of The Number Nine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFK6Xl1Bi6I and it brought this to mind. Also, I had a comment on my Windmill in Old Amsterdam video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TAsvriS9sQ where I replied to diskgrinder http://www.youtube.com/user/diskgrinder that I was considering revisiting some of the songs from my childhood so it seems an opportune moment to post this. I have mentioned before the most wonderful radio show from my childhood, Junior Choice. It aired, on Sunday morning/lunchtime, playing songs for children. Now, at that time, even ultra cool pop acts did songs for youngsters and these would feature along with novelty records and straight pop. Requests were played and birthdays read out and it was bloody brilliant. Our radio (they were called wirelesses then) was on a shelf above a chair that always remained un-sat-upon as it was for my mothers completed ironing prior to being put away. On Sunday mornings, if a particular favourite song of mine would come on, I'd rush to kneel on the chair so that I could put my ear close to the speaker. My brother would do the same with his favourites. Sometimes our favourites clashed and then, so did we as we rushed for the honoured position on the chair below the wireless. This song was always a particular favourite of mine because when the train whistle sounded in the song I could shout Woo-woo along with. And for that reason and that reason alone, I have chosen to do that here even though I have a perfectly serviceable train whistle in my posession. Who;s to stop me?!
Will Ye No Come Back Again? ~ Trad.Arr.casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-02-28 | Another one from the song/history book, A Jacobite Legay complied by Peter Kay. Probably the most famous/popular song to come out of the Jacobite cause is Loch Lomond. This song and The Skye Boat Song would, most likely, fight it out or second and third place. In September of 1746, defeated and betrayed, Bonnie Prince Charlie was smuggled out of his belovéd Scotland ignomineously disguised as one of Flora MacDonald's maids. He was rowed out to his ship not much more than a year after he had arrived to claim the throne to live the life of an exile, removing for ever, the possibility of a return to the Sewart line in Scotland. As I said in my Bonny Moorhen notes. This abject and final failure did not diminish the hopes and wishes of the remainingJacobites, but that sadness mingled with a futile hope spawned some of the most beautiful,plaintive an often, heartwrenching songs. This is one of them.
Before You Accuse Me. Bo Diddly cover on ukulele casetone2514 2010-02-22 | From the 1958 'Bo Diddly' album this song was written by Diddly himself (real name Ellas McDaniel) and has been covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival, at least twice by Eric Clapton and by Magic Slim. Bo Diddly's is the best, though! Several people have asked me why I haven't done any blues songs and, although I love the blues and especially people like Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker who are great influences, I would be the first to admit that I don't have a blues voice, and so I could not do their songs justice. I am envious and a little in awe of Youtube uke people like Lisa ( http://www.youtube.com/user/lisaxy424 ), Todd ( http://www.youtube.com/user/doogey9 ) and Robin ( http://www.youtube.com/user/BaronK69 ) for their ability to excel at this type of song and in such diverse fashions. I am always wary of jazz and blues because they sound so easy to do, but I know that making then sound simple is extremely difficult - and I only do simple! This one, though, IS quite simple and is more of a 12 bar blues disguised as a rock n roll song (possibly vice versa) than anything and I can usually pull off a bit of rock n roll without too many tears. I did have quite a good ending worked out but I forgot what it was by the end of the song, so did a 12 bar instrumental to try and remember. It still didnt come so I started another chorus but still it wasnt there so the rubbish ending you have here is the best I could come up with on the fly. Why not do another take? I hear you say (damn those voices in my head!) well this was about take six and it was the first one that had gone right for so much of the song and I really wasnt confident of getting it again! My motto: If at first you dont succeed, try again a couple of times, by all means, but dont bloody kill yourself!!! OK, not very inspirational, I agree but its better than the shorter version: Aww,bollocks! Thatll have to do! (rough translation from the original Latin: Testiculari! Id Est Excrementum!)
My Bonny Moorhen ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-02-15 | Some of the saddest and most beautiful Jacobite songs, as well as some of the most well known are from or after the Third Rising of 1745. The failure of the Third Rising - an attempt to re-instate the Stuart Kings to the throne of England - signalled the end of a long and bitter armed struggle by the Scots against the English. It is this dejection but also a failure to acknowledge defeat by the Scots that adds poignancy to the songs of this period. Repression of all things related to Scottish nationalism had been outlawed by the English crown and so many songs were steeped in symbolism in order to make them appear innocuous to an uninformed listener. The Moorhen in this song (despite being referred to as a she - it is a hen afterall) is actually Charles Stewart AKA Bonnie Prince Charlie. He had fled to the hills disguised as a woman and assisted by Flora MacDonald to escape the clutches of the English. Ronald and Donald are nicknames for Redcoats (English soldiers) usually recruited from the Scottish lowland clans. The colours referred to are those in the Stewart Tartan the wearing of the plaid being another practice outlawed by the crown. I was taught this song by a French student studying in Leeds in the mid-late 1980s. I used to go to a folk club in the Pack Horse pub by the University in the Hyde Park/Woodhouse area of the city where they held a singers night (they are called open mic sessions now, but this was totally acoustic and unamplified) in an upstairs room. This French girl got up with a harp and the voice of an angel and sang several Irish and Scottish folk songs in heavily accented Breton French. I learned both the song and a bit about the Breton struggle against France and about the affinity the Bretons share with the Welsh, Cornish, Irish and Scots which is bound by a shared root in the Celtic language. Who says that pubs arent educational?!? Several years later I visited Brittany and happened upon a folk music festival and was amazed at the similarities between the folk styles of Breton, Scots and Irish music - even down to the Breton Pipes that a lone French piper was playing on a wind-swept, beer-soaked, freezing-cold sea-front, stage early one Sunday morning before the days crowds had arrived. The air was, My Bonny Moorhen that he was doing a variations/voluntary on and it was every bit as beautiful, haunting and sad as it must have been the first time ever the song was played by its composer. My Bonny Moorhen, My Bonny Moorhen Up in the grey hills, doon in the glen Its when ye gan butt the hoose when ye gan ben Aye drink a health to my Bonny Moorhe My Bonny Moorhens gane oer the main And it will be summer when she comes again But when she comes back again some folks will ken A joy be with you my Bonny Moorhen My Bonny Moorhen has feathers enew Theyre all fine colours but nane o thems blu Shes red and shes white and shes green and shes grey My Bonny Moorhen come hither away Come up by Glenduich and down by Glendee And round by Kinclaven hither to me Foe Ronald and Donald are oot on the fen Tae break the wings of my Bonny Moorhen I took this version - though altered the key and arrangrment slightly, from A Jacobite Legacy : Peter Kay ISBN 0-9525305-0-3 and the title page of the video is taken from the front cover of this fantastic collection of Jacobite songs.
Getting Comments From You. (For ruth7784) casetone2514 2010-02-10 | Ruth ( http://www.youtube.com/user/ruth7784 ) wrote this tune ( http://www.youtube.com/user/ruth7784#p/a/u/0/T6BY2wuGbLc ) to/for/at/because of (delete as applicable) me. I was very flattered and decided to return the complement/favour/tribute/insult (delete as applicable. I told Ruth once that getting a comment from her was like being licked enthusiastically by an over-friendly dog. By which I meant that you are immediately pleased and flatterd by the attention; amused and entertained by the unexpexted ness of it; caught off guard and a bit repulsed and embarrassed as well. It may be just me because I am a little repressed in my emotions and don't take complements too well. If you have ever received a comment on one of your videos from Ruth, I'm sure you will know what I mean to a greater or lesser extent. So, this is my attempt at explaining the simultaneous emotions of wariness, embarrassment, flattery, reservedness, surprise, shock and absolute joy I experience when I get a comment (or even a long rambling PM from my little Ruthie. PS - Sorry for referring to you as a little girl or whatever it was I said at the beginning of the video but it was intended with love and not condescension. Getting Comments From You A E A You know when the crazy guy gets on your bus? E Or your Grandmother greets you and makes such a fuss? A D A Or a drunk girls attentions in a long nightclub queue? E7 A Thats what its like getting comments from you. A E A You know how exuberant toddlers can be E When they want to play Horsie and bounce on your knee? A D A And nothing can tire you like a toddler can do? E7 A Thats what its like getting comments from you. D A Its like getting home late from a bad day at work E A When you colleagues were dull and your boss was a jerk D A When you open the front door, youre tired and groggy B7 E7 Then youre pounced on and licked by your huge hairy doggy. A E A You know when theres no-one who finds your jokes funny? E And the beer monkeys last night took all of your money? A D A Then your best mate comes round with some wine and a uke? E7 A Thats what its like getting comments from you. D A Its like finding a tenner in last winters coat pocket E A When the ATM pays out and you thought that theyd block it D A When she says: lets have sex instead of a jog B7 E7 Or getting your leg humped by that same hairy dog! A E A Its cold and its rainy, its miserable and wet. E The heater has packed up and, its as warm as itll get. A D A And then the clouds part and the sun pushes through. E7 A THATS what its like getting comments from you.
Walk Away. Ukulele Original casetone2514 2010-02-06 | This song has been kicking around for years in various forms but I've never been able to do anything with it. Then two things happened on the same day: I read Seeso's thread on The Ukulele Underground Forum about a CD to Benefit the Duchenne Foundation. I saw a Poster for the Muscular Dystrophy showing a Picture of Bradley Addison from Birmingham in the West Midlands in his wheelchair, with the Tag-line: "He'd love to walk away from this poster too" http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/assets/0001/3719/CWAP_1_Large_Landscape.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/bradley&usg=__AdK1Z1tndeKp-4_fXnIafQWBECI=&h=300&w=534&sz=29&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=4fyOdLtDszpm8M:&tbnh=74&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmuscular%2Bdystrophy%2Blandscape%2Buk%2Bposter%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26cr%3DcountryUK%257CcountryGB%26um%3D1 Although the song was written about someone who has invested so much into a relationship that they are afraid to end it even though it is not working, so they try to get the other person to end it, when I saw the "Walk Away" tag-line, it struck me what I should do and how I should do it. The lyrics are mostly unchanged from the version I had lying about as is the melody but a few tweaks to the arrangement and here it is. Walk Away Am Id love to walk away G But I cant cause this is it Am I want love and life and I want G Every little bit Am Id love to sit and watch the world go G By and kick my heels F E7 Id love to turn my back on all this strife Am And walk away CHORUS Am Id love to walk away G But I cant because Im in it Am If lifes a lottery then I G Sure as hell didnt win it Am My dreams are in the heavens and G My feet are off the ground F E7 So, if you cant stand to see me fly Am Just walk away Am Id love to walk away G But I cant because of you Am I need you here to help me do G The things Ive got to do Am So dont pretend you didnt hear me G When I called your name F E7 I know that you cant bear to see me cry Am So walk away CHORUS Am Id love to walk away G But I cant - you know its true Am I need to make some sense of now G Before trying something new Am You can walk away and I would G Love to but I cant F E7 So, if you dont want to watch me die Am Then walk away CHORUS mp3 here: http://www.mediafire.com/?nm3onoiztez
The Lakes Of Ponchartrain ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-01-29 | This is one of my all-time favourite folksongs and one that I have heard least by other singers and also one I know very little about. The only version I have heard is by the amazing Christy Moore - If you only possess one folk genre album, it should be by Christy Moore - from the 1974 Planxty album, Cold Blow And Rainy Night. In the Chrity Moore Songbook by Brandon, the notes say that he learned the song from the singing of Mike Waterson of Hull and that he believes it is a song from the end of the American Civil war. This has a ring of truth about it (to me) although it is also reminiscent of the various Indian Girl songs from the 17th to 19th centuries. The similarities are lyrical rather than musical and go beyond the mere Creole Girl/Indian Girl analogies. The Lakes Of Ponchartrain is, though a gentler and more emotional song. The singer is shown kindness and is protected/saved by the Creole Girl and he forms a bond and an emotional attachment. In the Indian Girl songs, the singer either tricks an innocent native girl into sexual relations or she is a girl of questionable virtue but unquestionable sexual prowess who may well be professional. This is hinted at in the Lakes as the girl tells the singer that her mother takes in strangers. This girl (or singer) is at pains to point out, though, that the relationship being sung about is not a professional one. He tells her his money is no good (presumably confederate currency which was useless once the Union Army had won the war) and she tells him he doesnt need to worry about it. One of the particularly lovely things about this song is that it is, in he singers telling, a story of unrequited love. She has a lover already and is staying faithful to him (note - he is a sailor as in the Indian Girl songs) so the singers love and/or advances are rejected but he will always think about her and remember her by raising a glass at social occasions. This is something the Indian Girl singer does but his memories are far less noble! I may be wrong about the connections, but the similarities are there and it would be unusual - though not unheard of - for a folk song of this nature to spring up in isolation. My favourite line: If it werent for the alligators, Id sleep out in the woods. Too right, mate! ps There's an unusual version of "Ponchartrain" called "On The Lake Of The Poncho Plains" in Margret Larkin's 1931 book, "Singing Cowboy, A Book of Western Songs". Oak Publications reprinted it in 1963. Ms. Reva Cordell collected it from an unnamed cowboy at a rodeo in the late 1920's and the setting is Texas, the melody is totally different but the lyrics are surprisingly similar - right down to the "alligators" IN TEXAS!
The Saucy Sailor ~ Trad. Arr. & Perf. by casetone2514 & UnluckyMum casetone2514 2010-01-28 | Many many versions of this song exist and it has many variants in melody and content. I like this version (taken from the Maddy Prior version because it can be sung in two voices which is also why I asked, begged and cajoled Caroline into collaborating with me on this. My idea was an overly elaborate arrangement that Caroline (quite rightly) turned down and so I left it to her to do it how she wanted. I think it has worked out OK, don't you?
Scarborough Fair ~ Trad.Arr.casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-01-26 | Ruth http://www.youtube.com/user/ruth7784 wrote another stunning song the other day and I was flattered to be the subject/object of her rather marvellous lyrical nose-thumbing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6BY2wuGbLc Were I even half the lyricist or witty musical raconteur that Ruth undoubtedly is, I would have penned a wonderfully acerbic and apposite riposte. As it is, I am capable, merely, of rehashing and up-mashing tried and tested (and often tried, tested and found lacking) songs from the fairly recent but most often dim and distant past. So that is what I have done here. Ruths song reminded me (in its playful and teasing way) of the paradoxes or riddle stories and songs as they are known in the folk tradition. Scarborough Fair is the most famous (thank you Messrs Simon and Garfunkel) of these or possibly, I Gave Love A Cherry. It comes from a far older ballad that probably comes from the Scandinavian legends and traditions, called The Elfin Knight. It is found in all parts of the UK and the location is frequently changed to suit the region, an example being the almost identical, Whittingham Fair. A longer and more complex version can be heard in the song The Bridegroom Darg, but this one is from the singing of a mid 19th century balladeer from Whitby (just a few miles from Scarborough) and is taken from a woderful book called, Traditional Tunes Collected and Edited by Frank Kidson, 1891 and these background notes are mostly his too. Those of you familiar only with Simon and Garfunkel's version may be surprised to hear the tune, which I have reproduced fairly faithfully from the Kidson version. I have taken the liberty, though, of animating the melody slightly in bars three and eleven where the Kidson version keeps the same note throughout the bar. I think the run down the scale makes it a bit more interesting and easier to sing, in my opinion. Kidson has another melody for Scarborough Fair in his Traditional Tunes collection collected from a Mr. A. Wardill of Goathland which is also near Scarborough and that, too, is a rather lovely tune that I may share with you some other time. For anyone who is interested and this is ل prَpos of nothing in particular, Goathland (from whence Mr Wardill - the singer of this second tune hails) has a railway station that is used as the location for Hogwarts Railway Station in the Harry Potter movies. A bit of useless trivia to end on there! Heres Ruths song if you havent seen/heard it. OK. not all the requests in it are paradoxes or riddles, but most are impossible and the rest - well, I ain't doin', baby! Nuh-uh, no way!! If my wish is your command, Would you bring me every potato, Dig them up, with your bare hands, Would you sing me every song, With the richest vibrato, underwater. CHORUS: Sometimes we say things we don't really mean, That just happen to be another person's dream, Sometimes we say things we regret, I hope you, don't, yet. If my wish is your command, Would you make me some custard, Nines tonnes of it, by hand, Would you eat a whole jar of mustard Whilst doing, a headstand. CHORUS If my wish is your command, Would you some cook tea for me, Something simple like dodo souffle, In the company of angry bees, To entertain me, it would be quite funny. CHORUS If my wish is your command, Would you trek through the outback, With me, on your back, Would you run naked through London, In front of your, Mum. CHORUS (C) ruth7784 2010
Can Ye Oer Frae France Trad Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-01-24 | I was watching Weegingayin's Piper O' Dundee video the other day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCitb-lC_a8 and commented that he should do Cam Ye O'er Fra France as I like the song but I am not confident with the brogue but then I though: "What the hell. I've sung in German (I don't speak German) and Swedish (even less idea about Swedish!) French and in an Estuary English, Barnsley and Geordie accent/dialect so why not give it a go! I've made a pillock of myself enough times that it now, no longer matters how stupid I look or sound. OK. My two favourite versions of this are by The Corries and (yes, you've guessed) Steeleye Span and so I have based my arrangement very strongly on their two versions. As Weegingayin stated in his sidebar to the Piper O' Dundee, The three Jacobite Uprisings spawned a wealth of great music borne of frustration, resentment and oppression. This song dates from the second uprising and the installation of George I in place of James II. George was an unpopular choice for King by the Scots and many English and a bit of a wildcard choice as he was German, Didn't speak English and had never even been to Britain before becoming it's King. He was also a philanderer which was a good hook to parody and whip him in verse and song. Madame Schulemburg was one of his favourite Mistresses and was nicknamed The Goose. She is the "goosie" referred to in this song. The Blade is the Count Koningsmark. Bobbing John is John, Earl of Mar, who was at the time recruiting Highlanders for the Hanoverian cause, but was renowned for quick changes of allegiance - hence "Bobbing". Geordie Whelps is, of course, George I himself. By the time this song came about, the wearing of the Tartan had been outlawed as an act of rebellion, hence the references to the plaid in the song and the Stewart herir to the throne was in France, supposedly getting an army of French Catholics together to defeat the House of Hanover and the Jacobites were waiting for their "king" to come back and "dance a jig wi' Geordie" - ie defeat him in battle. Some words you may not know: Lunnon=London Kittle Housie=Brothel Linkin=Tripping along Claith=Cloth Niffer=Haggle Gin=If Wab=Web (or length) of cloth Tint=Lost Has and Mailins=Houses and Farmlands Gane=Gone Belyve=Quickly Brawly=Well Hurdie=Buttock Cam ye oer frae France? Cam ye doon by Lunnon? Saw ye Geordie Whelps and his bonnie woman? Oh, werent ye at the place called the Kittle Housie? Saw ye Geordies grace a-ridin on a goosie? Geordie, hes a man, there is little doot ot, And hes done a he can, all can dae wioot it, Doon there cam a blade, linkin like ma lordie, He wad drive a trade at the loom o Geordie. Though the claith were bad, blythly may we niffer Gin we git oor wab, it makes little differ, we hae tint oor plaid, bonnet, belt and swordie Has and mailins braid, but we hae oor Geordie. Jockys gone to France, and Montgomerys lady there will learn to dance; madam, are ye ready? Theyll be back belyve, belted brisk and lordly, Brawly, may they thrive to dance a jig wi Geordie! Hey for Sandy Don, hey for Cockalorum, Hey for Bobbin John, and his Hielan quorum! Mony a sword and lance swings at Hielan hurdie; How theyll skip and dance oer the bum o Geordie!
A Dalesmans Litany - F W Moorman Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2010-01-02 | This song was possibly written (more likely collected) by F W Moorman , president of the Yorkshire Dialect Society, about 1900'. The tune is 'written by Dave Keddie of Bradford about 1960 so quite recent. It can be found in Yorkshire Dialect Poems (1673-1915) It's not heard much these days but there is an excellent version by Christy Moore (an Irishman) and Tim Hart (a Midlander) who didn't know hor to pronounce Keighley [He says Keely rather than Keithley] So here's a version by a Yorkshireman - Have I ever mentioned that I'm from Yorkshire.......? QUOTE: Never ask a man if he is from Yorkshire. If he is, he will already have told you. If he isn't, why embarrass him? Roy Hattersley.
Old Johnny Bugger ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-12-28 | One for the Kiddies! I don't remember where I first heard this song but it's probably more than twenty years ago. The origins of the song are difficult. Old Johnny Bugger is sometimes Old Johnny Bucker, Bucca, Pucker and various other similar sounding names. It is interesting to note that a pre-Roman Bucca in the British Isles was a male fairy or pixie which is where Puck (of A Midsummer Night's Dream fame) got his name. This suggests that Johnny Bugger and his wife are mythical creatures which fits in well with the folk tradition in the North of England that tells tales of the little people in songs like The Boggart for example. The song did travel across the Atlantic and transformed into a very popular minstrel song called Old Johnny Bigga (or Bigger) that is seldom heard these days as the word it rhymed with 'Bigger' is certainly not one that would be considered acceptable today. For those not familiar with the term 'Bugger' it is a mild to moderate expleteive and insult. If you hit your thumb with a hammer you may shout "Bugger" or if someone is a rogue or a scoundrel they may be called "a bugger" though this is usually a couched complement. A "silly old bugger" is someone with little common sense. Although the term is a derivative of the word "buggery", in the sense it is used in older and more modern conexts, it has nothing to do with sodomy - actually, neither has "sod" but thats another story......
Celebration....an (almost) modern Christmas Carol (for a change) casetone2514 2009-12-24 | Right! Going from some very old Christmas songs to one that is fairly contemporary and bang up to date by comparison to the ones I have been doing. This is from the wonderful two volume song book - Songs of the Spirit and is in the second volume - More Songs of the Spirit. I know nothing about the composer, Valerie Collison except that in this song she has managed to capture a Chrismas feel that is missing in most modern Christmas Carols. I really like it! Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.
The Coventry Carol. Trad Arr.casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-12-19 | I have kept this as basic as possible in the hope that it will have an "authentic" feel to it - the uke puts the top hat on that desire, however! This (despite it's name and modern usage) is not a Christmas Carol per se. Firstly it does not mention the Birth of Jesus, rather the Biblical events surrounding it. AND it was originally meant to be sung at Easter. WHAT?!??! It is (probably) 15th century in origin and part of the Coventry Mysteries - a series of "Passion Plays" performed around Easter to celebrate the life, death and ressurection of Christ.- this was the big opening number! Most Christmas song pre-17th century were eradicated by the Puritans who were not big on jolly and happy so older Christmas songs are now rare. Ones like this probably survived because they sounded so miserable and fit well with the Purian ethos. Luckily those guys took off and founded the USA and left us to start enjoying ourselves again - so all the big hits like Angels We Have Heard, Hark The Herald, Good King Wenceslas, We Three Kings, God Rest Ye Merry and the like are all much later. This song is often attributed (lyrically at least) to a chap by the name of Robert Croo, but it is more likely that he was a regular performer of the song and simply wrote it down. It didn't appear anywhere in print until 1591. What was I saying? ..... Oh, yes! MERRY CHRISTMAS! One more Christmas song (modern, this time) then back to normal service.
(Tomorrow Shall Be) My Dancing Day. Trad carol Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-12-18 | Probably dating from the early 1600s (though not found in print with text and tune together until the early 19th century) this may be a tune and tale from the pagan tradition of England and/or Germany where the "dancing day" came from the tradition of family and tribe members dancing around the crib of the newborn to ward off evil spirits. There are about a dozen verses in the full text of this song and although there are pagan references it is most definitely a liturgical dance song. The shortened version has become synonymous with Christmas and the "true love" reference that causes confusion to so many people is the traditional name that Jesus gives to His people or the Christian Church in this tradition.
I Saw Three Ships ~ Another ancient Christmas song casetone2514 2009-12-17 | A more modern lyric of the original Forbes's Cantus (1666) in Opie's Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, 2nd ed. (no. 471 [p. 456]) I was going to launch ito one of my history lessons at this point but it has laready been done very well for this song. For full and alternate versions plus more info visit: http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/i_saw_three_ships.htm This is from that page: "The legend about sailing into landlocked Bethlehem can be traced back to the 12th century when three ships brought the relics of the purported Wise Men to Koln, Germany. From this story evolved the English folk carol "I Saw Three Ships," which, it is thought, comes from the 15th century. The "three ships" refers to the belief that there were three Wise Men — which comes from the number of gifts, although the number of Wise Men has been estimated from two to twelve over the centuries. Over the passage of time, the Holy Family was substituted for the Magi. Ian Bradley gives a version from Kent-Sussex which mentions sitting under a holly tree and two travelers — Mary and Joseph — journeying to Bethlehem to pay taxes. And, over the passage of time, as the text moved from village to village, and from country to country, the song acquired numerous different variations in texts and tunes (as seen above). According to Keyte and Parrott, editors of The New Oxford Book of Carols, the earliest printed text is from 1666 (John Forbes' Cantus, 2nd. ed.)."
On Christmas Day ~ Trad. Carol Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-12-11 | I have a series of traditional/medieval Christmas songs lined up and I thought I'd get this one out of the way first as it does not convey the cheerful Christmas message we have become accustomed to. In fact, it tells the tale of a farmer who works on the Lord's birthday and is caught in the act by Jesus and cast immediately in to hell resulting in his farm failing, his animals dying and his wife and kids starving. MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!!!! I thought it was interesting to note that the snuggly-wuggly-baby-Jesus-in-the-manger Christmas we celebrate today was not always the type of Christmas that was celebrated by our ancestors. I have tried with the slightly off harmonies (yes - it is on purpose this time) to get a middle ages feel but I don't really know how to pull it off musically. More conventional (if ancient) Christmas stuff to come so don't worry!
The Captains Apprentice ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-11-23 | It seems a while since I uploaded a song about death and misery to lift everyone's spirits. So, in the lead up to the season of comfort, joy, goodwill and jollity, how about a song about the senseless murder of a young boy by his cruel and sadistic employer? Yeah! Just what I thought: Why the heck not. Also known as The Cruel Ship's Captainn this song takes several forms and is found in several regional variations. One of the earliest recounts the true story of an East Anglian Ship's Captain who beat a child in his employ so savagely that he died. His crew 'arrested' him and he was taken to shore and tried for the crime and subsequently hanged for murder. It is an unfortunate and disturbing fact that such occurrences were not uncommon and the song was recycled when other similar cases came to light at various ports around the British coastline and also in the USA (See The New York Trader for a US version)
nora ~ with special guest appearance from bekiixxx casetone2514 2009-11-04 | OK - you probably know this song as the JA Butterfield tune with the lyrics When You and I were Young Maggie but I happen tp prefer the Sean O'Casey lyrics. Harmonies by Becky: http://www.youtube.com/user/bekiixxx
Morning from the Peer Gynt Suite by Edvard Grieg arrangement for four ukuleles by casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-10-27 | Edvard Hagerup Grieg - waht a guy. This is what he thought was "incidental" music for the Ibsen play, Peer Gynt! I love the fact that he used folk music as his inspiration in many of his works and there is a folky feel to this piece I think FOUR UKULELES????? OK 3 ukes (soprano, concert and baritone) and a bass guitar but is it a guitar? Four strings, not six! It's a bass ukulele really!
The Bird In The Bush ~ Trad. Arr. Casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-10-01 | Many versions of this song so I won't go into them all. One of my favourites is the Steeleye Span Three Maids a Milking/Cuckoo's Nest. Many 19th century and early 20th Century revisionist prints of folk songs sought to remove any morally questionable lyrics or subject matter of an overtly sexual nature. Some songs - like this one - escaped the censor's scissors because the context was (barely) disguised in (startlingly obvious) metaphor. In case you haven't worked it out or you have the sensibilities of an Edwardian Gentlewoman. This song is, ostensibly, about a woman asking a chap to catch a bird for her. Why would she do that? You may ask. Well, because it's actually about a couple going into the bushes so he can put his wee-wee in to her front bottom. There! It's out in the open now so we can all calm down and relax!
Hole In My Head ~ Malvina Reynolds cover casetone2514 2009-09-26 | Malvina Reynolds (1900-1978) This is my version of Malvina's brilliant song whic should have been covered by hundreds of people but hasn't been for reasons I simply cannot comprehend. Think you've never heard of her? Her most famous song, Little Boxes has been done my numerous people - it's time her other work was recognised more - and she was "Kate", an occasional character in Sesame Street. Adelle has done a fantastic version of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACvZkuTrctk&feature=related
Mornintown Ride Seekers cover casetone2514 2009-09-25 | Written by Malvina Reynolds this song has been subject to many spurious interpretations over the years. Reynolds says she wrote this song because children often go to bed before adults and feel that they are missing out on something. The idea of a train journey to morningtown would give them something to look forward to at bed time. There: Simple as that. Oddly, this song was played thoughout much of the VietNam conflict at daybreak every day by Armed Forces Radio Viet Nam. Nobody seems to know who started the tradition or why, but it was played at sunrise no matter which DJ was broadcasting. Look for the Seekers version. Check out Malvina Reynolds - if you have never heard of her you'll know some of her songs.
Puff the Magic Dragon ~ Peter, Paul and Mary cover casetone2514 2009-09-23 | Mary Travers died last week. Some people seem to get very upset when someone famous dies and I've never understood this. It's not as if you knew the person. OK, you feel sorry for their family and regret you will not hear anything new from them but to actually grieve seems a bit over the top unless you know them personally. I was surprised then, when I tried to sing Leaving On A Jet Plane after hearing the news of Mary Travers death on the news and I couldn't get through it without choking up. I can't say that I'm a massive PP&M fan or that I know much about them, but I felt the sense of loss in the song whilst thinking about Mary's demise. I can't explain it other than: a) I am a softie for a sad song. I cry at Old Shep by Elvis and Honey by Bobby Goldsboro!!!! b) Puff the Magic Dragon is the first song I remember knowing all the words to. 0r c) I am finally losing it and turning in to a gibbering wreck. Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, and Mary Travers were part of the sixties folk revival and, like The Seekers and others, were one of the reasons I veered towards folk music and for this I thank them.
Robs Song (Trash to Cash) ~ Ukulele original casetone2514 2009-09-16 | I was approached by Rob Shoesmith ( http://www.youtube.com/user/robertshoesmith ) to write a song about him and his journey from Bin Man (Refuse Collector) to Internet Entrpeneur. I posted a link to this on Rob's website before but I have been asked by a few people to post it here. Rather than do that, I thought I'd re-record a plainer version for my channel. You can download the one I did for Rob and that was used in the CNN report about him here: http://www.mediafire.com/?wwuozemhuod and the interview on CNN is here: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video...ef=videosearch
Mary Ann ~ Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-09-16 | I don't know many Canadian folk songs! I know very little about this song other than it is Quebecois in origin but is unusual, being in English. It was collected by Dr. Marious Barbeau from Edouard Hovington, Tadoussac, Quebec in 1920. Hovington had, apparently learned it over seventy years earlier from a sailor who was originally from Ireland. It bears some similarity to some Irish diaspora songs of the time but not enough to tie it to any of them in particular. The tune that I know for this song is, I believe, too unwieldy for the lyrics and so I have taken one or two short phrases from it and the rest I have composed myself. The lyrics, too have a few extraneous bits so I have pared them down a bit so that they scan better (to my ear) So when it says "Arr. casetone2514" it should probably say "reworked by casetone2514". As far as I am aware, this has nothing to do with mctrmt ( http://www.youtube.com/user/mctrmt ) although she is phab and I'd miss her if I went to sea!
Whistling Gypsy Rover - Trad. Arr. casetone2514 casetone2514 2009-09-14 | Here are just a few of the variants for this song: The Gypsy Davy; Black Cat Davy; Black Jack David; Black Jack Davie/y; Black-Eyed Davy; Balckjack Davy; the Brown-Eyed Gipses; Clayton Boone; Dark-Eyed Gypsy; The Egyptian Davie; Gipsies-O; Gipsum Davy; Gipsy Davie; The Gipsy Laddie; Gyp's Come Tripping O'er the Plain; Gyps of David; The Gyps of Davy; Gypsey Davey; Gypsum Davey; Gypsum Davy; The Gypsy Countess; The Gypsy Daisy; The Gypsy Laddie; The Gypsy Laddies; Gypsy Laddio; Gypsy Lover; Gypsy Rover; Gypsy-O; The 'Gyptian Laddie; Harrison Brady; Harvey Walker; Johnie Faa; Johnny Faa; Johnny Faa, the Gypsy Laddie; Johnny Faw; Johnny the Seer; The Lady and the Gypsy; A Neat Young Lady; The Radical Gypsy David; Raggle Taggle Gypsies, O!; The Raggle-Taggle Gypsies; Seven Gypsies; Seven Gypsies in a Row; Whistling Gypsy; The Wraggle Taggle Cool Cats - Parody; The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies; The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies-O!; The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies; The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies-O!; The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies; The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies, O/Oh!; The Yellow Castle Lady. (Source: Mudcat discussion boards) You can see how popular it was all over the place. Leo Maguire copyrighted a very similar version to this in the 1950s but almost identical variations were around (even in print) well before that date. Doogey9's variation is quite excellent and can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamxJOC_hgk&feature=channel_page
