The Morning of the Fray (Eugowra Hold-Up)
Thanks to @user-qq2er9nb2f for suggesting I have a look at this song.
It was turned into a jaunty ballad by A.L.Lloyd using an existing tune here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJTMadEsDRM
Lloyd's version has added a chorus. This version was also sung by Warren Fahey( @bodgiefahey ):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyuUtGiP10
The tune used by Llloyd is 'Shores of Botany Bay', but I'm not sure which pre-dates the other.
The earliest version of the text I could find is here, under the title "Morning of the Fray":
https://blog.bushmusic.org.au/2020/06/from-archives-ben-hall-book-fuller.html#gsc.tab=0
The story of the hold-up here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escort_Rock
And a history of Frank Gardiner:
https://aguidetoaustralianbushranging.com/2018/04/11/frank-gardiner-an-overview/
#Eugowra #FrankGardiner #Bushrangers
Eugowra is about 2 hours drive from where I live, and suffered from some terrible flooding earlier this year:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-22/pm-and-premier-visit-flood-devastated-town-of/101685858
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
6
views
The Greatest American Hero (Trump)
If it wasn't 2022, I would have assumed that the selling out of Trump NFT trading cards for $99 each was a story from The Onion. Alas no.
#Trump #NFT
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63995563
Here is the original theme song from the show,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4JCehDOy54
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
14
views
Love is a Rainbow by Phil Ochs
Thanks to Tom Mihail on Facebook for point me in the direction of this un-recorded song by Phil Ochs.
Lyrics are available here:
https://celebratingphilochs.com/love-is-a-rainbow/
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
An interesting (if unflattering) comparison to Billy Bragg (@BillyBraggOfficial ) on this blog:
https://philochsthing.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/flickering-thoughts-3/
#PhilOchs #Rainbow
11
views
The Carol of #Ukraine
Shchedryk / Щедрик is a traditional Ukrainian song which was arranged by Mykola Leontovych. It was given new words by Peter Wilhousky to become the popularly known 'Carol of the Bells'.
I thought it fitting to re-write the lyrics for the people of Ukraine as they enter 10 months of Russian aggression and brutality in their homeland.
Here is the Ukrainian original, recorded by @SplendentEileen :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqeJ38DThVc
My words here:
https://www.folklounge.org/portfolio/the-carol-of-ukraine/
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
8
views
No Requiem for Jiang Zemin
I remember July 1999 very well, I had been learning a set of Chinese Qi-Gong exercises for about 8 months, and was surprised to find it suddenly banned by the Chinese Communist Party. Jiang Zemin personally set in motion 23 years of un-imaginable violence and brutality in China and an aggressive global propaganda campaign against Falun Gong.
You can read more here:
https://faluninfo.net/the-horrific-legacy-of-former-chinese-leader-jiang-zemin/
Or see one of several recent films about the history:
https://eternalspringfilm.com/
Jiang's death does nothing to bring back the tens of thousands of dead, or the millions of those who were displaced, imprisoned or lost their jobs and family. Ultimately Jiang is insignificant and the Party machine continues its violence.
#JiangZemin #FalunGong #EternalSpring
9
views
The House of Christmas by G.K.Chesterton
Malcolm Guite's (@MalcolmGuitespell ) Christmas reading this week just cried out for a musical setting. You can here Malcolm's reading here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRzAY8vz8Xg
The poem by G.K. Chesterton:
https://catholic-link.org/quotes/house-christmas-poem-g-k-chesterton/
#Christmas #gkchesterton
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
12
views
Draft Dodger Rag by Phil Ochs
Phil playing this anti-conscription song at the Gaslight in 1965:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCJesc99YgE
Background on the song:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_Dodger_Rag
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
18
views
I Don't Know What Christmas Is (but Christmas time is here) - Old 97s
A song written by the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special director, James Gunn and the band Old 97's.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Holiday_Special
#marvel #disney #guardiansofthegalaxy #christmas #ukulele
Here is the soundtrack version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axjJCkTZx74&ab_channel=MarvelMusicVEVO
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
12
views
Hark the Nine Wraith Riders #merrychristmas
A Lord of the Rings Christmas parody.
Chords and lyrics here:
https://www.folklounge.org/portfolio/hark-the-nine-wraith-riders/
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
#LOTR #Christmas #Parody #ringsofpower #Tolkien #Filk
9
views
Hard Cheese of Old England (by Les Barker)
Les Barker is a genius with words, and this parody is no exception. It has been fabulous during the pandemic to see him on YouTube (@lesbarker9481)
Martin Carthy did this on the Oranges and Lemmings album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lcMw4ijIwI
Which is your favourite English hard cheese?
Strangely enough, this is my second cheese-themed recording:
https://youtu.be/ciTTef5P82s
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
2
views
Ned's Castle
A song about Edward 'Ned' Ryan of Galong. The venue for the recent 'Return to Tipperary' event held there.
You can read about Ned here:
https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/not-just-ned/about/about/story-circle
The sketch of Ned toasting Queen Victoria:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146799334
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
4
views
Jamie's Beard
Yass local, Jamie Duncan, is scheduled to shave his beard at the Yass Christmas Parade on 15 December in support of the Yass Valley SPIN Foundation (a local charity).
If you have the resources, you can donate to Jamie's godfundme here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jamie-duncan-will-shave-if-you-help
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
10
views
A Piece of White Paper
Written in support of the people all over China who are standing up to Xi Jinping and the brutal Chinese Communist Party, I hope freedom and democracy are in your future.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/28/china/china-lockdown-protests-covid-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html
The pieces of Mandarin text say:
"End the Communist Party"
"Taiwan is a Country"
"Falun Dafa is Good"
You can join the 400 million people who have quit the Chinese Communist Party here:
https://global.tuidang.org/
Lyrics and chords here:
https://www.folklounge.org/portfolio/a-piece-of-white-paper/
#china #chinaprotest #tuidang
6
views
The Dying Solider
This song appeared in the Hopetoun Courier in July 1915, titled 'The Dying Soldier: The Battle of Dardanelles':
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/121001614
The painting of the landing at Gallipoli is by Charles Edward Dixon:
https://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/painting_215355/Charles-Edward-Dixon/The-Landing-at-Anzac
The ANZAC campaign in the Dardanelles occurred around 1914-1915, so this was a contemporary song.
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/gallipoli/dardanelles-strategy
With its anti-war tone, I can see why the song didn't become very popular, as far as I can tell, no one has recorded it.
The text mentions that the tune should be 'On the Banks of the Clyde', most likely this one:
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/banksoftheclyde.html
Here is the only recording I can find:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0vuDLwbKtif7J15M2RuWTX?si=d53c5c2af83a4366
I am recording this because someone at the 'Return to Tipperary' conference came up and sang a bit of this song to me and asked if I had heard of it. I didn't recognize the tune or words, but a quick search on Trove turned it up. Would love to know if anyone in Australia recorded the song.
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
15
views
The Parting Glass
This was going to be a farewell song from the 'Return to Tipperary' event last weekend, but didn't end up happening.
I also recorded this back in 2016 on the passing of my grandmother:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIS7Y26NoD8
No, @Ed Sheeran didn't write this.
A printing here from around 1850:
http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/search/roud/V2857
There are suggestions it was a Scottish song beforehand:
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
9
views
It's a Long Way to Tipperary
I spent a fabulous weekend at the St Clements Retreat in Galong, New South Wales. Despite living only 45 minutes away, I wasn't aware of this amazing place.
I had been invited to provide some music for the 'Return to Tipperary' gathering of family historians, genealogists and some of the foremost experts in the study of Irish immigration to Australia.
I hope this song will be the first step on a real journey to Ireland for me in 3-4 years, involving the creation of an album of songs inspired by the many presentations and discussions I had over the weekend.
This song is super racist, so I have re-worded the verses:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Long_Way_to_Tipperary
You can learn more about St Clements Retreat, founded by the #Redemptorist order in 1918:
https://cssr.org.au/st-clements-retreat-conference-centre/
The property the monastery was built on was bequeathed by the descendants of Irish Rebel, Convict and Statesman of the new Colony, Ned Ryan:
https://www.thenedryan.com/
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
#IrishMusic #Ireland #NedRyan #Galong
24
views
Where Did You Get That Hat?
There is only one listing of this song in the Bodleian Broadside library here:
http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/view/edition/19369
This song appeared in the recent Enola Holmes 2 movie, so it was good to see that they used an authentic music hall song. Wikipedia says that the song was written by Joseph Sullivan around 1888, but another site lists James Rolmaz as the author:
https://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-W/Where-Did-Get-That-Hat.htm
This is possibly because James Rolmaz wrote a sequel to the song in 1891:
https://www.prints-online.com/new-items-michael-diamond-collection/new-hat-now-james-rolmaz-20640748.html
Given that we have a new Prince of Wales, and he wears lots of hats, and appears in the song, I have used some photos of him in hats (I don't own the rights to any of the pictures).
#princeofwales #enolaholmes #musichall
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
4
views
Haul Away The Bowline
This shanty appeared in 'The Independent' in 1849:
https://archive.org/details/independent67newy/page/80/mode/2up
Many more versions exist, but I've used the 1849 lyrics and modified the problematic verse.
Some good analysis of this short-haul shanty here:
https://shantykaraoke.com/2021/09/10/haul-away-joe-what-the-song-means/
And a general discussion of shanties here:
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/01/a-deep-dive-into-sea-shanties/
Some very interesting discussion here about what a bowline (not the knot) is and what it was for, especially the fact that they only came into use in the mid 1800s for faster ships:
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/on-a-bowline.3561378/
#SeaShanty
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
10
views
The Irish Rover
This is a requested recording from Fun Q.
Most photos from pixabay, but the Cobh of Cork is by William Murphy,
published under CC-A-SA-2.0:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cobh_-_The_Last_Port_Of_Call_For_The_Titanic_(7349210178).jpg
And the New York City Hall by MusikAnimal under CC-A-SA-4.0:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_City_Hall_exterior,_October_2016.jpg
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
#Irish #IrishMusic
33
views
The Wind From Rainbow's End by Bill Roper (Cover)
Mark Horning (@Rocketsong ) sang this in the filk circle at Or-E-Con2 this weekend past. Here are the chords and lyrics for Bill's version:
http://filker.com/songs/Lyrics/The_Wind_From_Rainbows_End.html
I couldn't quite get the melody so have come up with a new one.
You can hear one of Bill's recordings here:
https://youtu.be/NCVn98eW4cw
And this album looks to be available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B07N1FVHFY?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
#Filk
14
views
America by Paul Simon (Cover)
Hey America, please don't vote that guy in again.
#uselection2022
Mrs Wagner's Pies:
https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM96806
America as it was in 1964:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(Simon_%26_Garfunkel_song)
7
views
Heriot's Ford by Rudyard Kipling
Thanks to someone only known as PerssTheMerryMan for suggesting that I have a go at this one.
Here is the Kipling poem, with a link to Peter Bellamy's version:
https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/readers-guide/rg_heriot1.htm
This poem is very vague, but clearly someone is on their way to an execution, but it isn't clear by what means, and it also isn't clear if the 'lord' is a real lord or just being mocked, and whether he had anything to do with the sister's demise or if this is just a retaliatory killing.
I can't find any reference to a real battle of Heriot, but it would seem to be on the Scottish border:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heriot,_Scottish_Borders
Here is @Leslie Fish 's version from Cold Iron:
https://youtu.be/LGoC0ylqq6w
Purchase my music:
Bandcamp: https://ozfolklounge.bandcamp.com/
#RudyardKipling
7
views
Hey Rain ( by Bill Scott ) #Yass
It has been raining a bit in #Yass.
Thanks to Mick, Wendy and Penny for additional photos and also the NSW SES for the photos of the flash flooding in town.
Bill Scott's original appears in this documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3x5YZAJrM&t=2443s
Original lyrics:
https://mainlynorfolk.info/danny.spooner/songs/heyrain.html
6
views
Stuck on You (Lionel Richie Parody) #extinctionrebellion #juststopoil
This song is meant in fun, I know the Extinction Rebellion people believe they are fighting for a last chance to save the planet.
Here are the stories that I have taken photos from:
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/from-king-charles-iii-to-monalisa-how-climate-activists-are-protesting-by-spoiling-exhibits-11666678443030.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/29/just-stop-oil-protests-roadblocks-activists-direct-action-climate
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/05/1109848464/climate-protest-uk-art-last-supper
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/picasso-extinction-rebellion-intl/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/04/climate-protesters-glue-themselves-to-national-gallery-artwork
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/genius-activists-glue-themselves-to-porsche-museum-floor-then-complain-theyre-hungry
https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-activists-glue-themselves-to-dinosaur-exhibit-in-berlin-museum-529726
And here is Lionel Richie's original:
https://youtu.be/YhsTB4rq1XU
#parody #climatechange #extinctionrebellion #juststopoil
21
views
1
comment
Immortal Samsara - Opening Song (片頭曲 - 沉香如屑) 【ENGLISH COVER】
Ariel Tian (@Ariel Tian Music 雲坊 ) does fabulous covers of Mandarin TV themes and other songs. Ariel was looking for an English lyricist, so I had a go at an English lyrical version of this song from the 'Immortal Samsara' TV show:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal_Samsara
The challenge with translating for song, is that the direct translation from Mandarin is usually more than two phrases in English for each Mandarin line, so to keep within the melody requires some compression.
Ariel's cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRQfGMVImwE
The official version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2gImtY8rcM&ab_channel=KKMusicOfficial
Original lyrics are by 段思思 (Duan Sisi)
Music is by 谭旋 (Tan Xuan)
My lyrics:
Tales lonely from immortal lands.
Tell love is far from our human hands.
What will be when your life is shown.
The path to heaven’s unknown.
Fate is fickle and will bring you tears.
Sorrow of parting fills my dreams with fears
No regrets though I must die a thousand years.
Though I suffer in a thousand ways,
For the living I’ll fight all my days,
My heart is pure untouched by the soil,
I fear no death amidst my toil,
Helpless against the heaven’s rule,
I seek to change my fate like a fool,
My years pass like a flower’s bloom,
The autumn leaves, tell of my doom.
The moons shines down on my mortal life,
I seek The Way amidst human strife,
When faced with choosing between right and wrong
My will to fight for good is strong,
Fate relieves me with a glass of wine,
To ease the bitterness and trials of time,
With my sword I don’t miss the life the divine.
Chorus
Mortals would laugh if they heard my tale,
For love and friends I used to stive and fail,
From man and demon I can tell what’s true,
My humble heart will see me through,
Heaven’s hand it will not rescind,
To mortal fate am and now destined,
My blood and bones turn to dust, tossed by the wind
Final Chorus end:
(The years past by with each mortal test
My wandering heart will never rest)
#沉香如屑 #immortalsamsara
175
views