Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: BSeed
Date: 09 Aug 98 - 04:03 AM

"The Foggy, Foggy Dew," of course, is about a weaver. I don't know that "If I Was a Carpenter" should qualify; it's not a matter of creativity but of social class--"If I was a carpenter, and you were a lady..."---seed

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From:
Date: 08 Aug 98 - 10:05 PM

Bring forward

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 04:22 PM

And the classic recitation--Face on the Barroom Floor. Or, for that mattr "The Touch of the Master's Hand"

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Jaxon
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 10:06 AM

There's a traditional Irish song called "The Waxies Dargle". Waxies are candlemakers and the dargle is an annual gathering they had in days of yore to socialize. Great thread.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bert
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 03:58 PM

Yes, songs in this category are few and far between.

Does "It's only a beautiful picture" qualify?

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Will
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 03:13 PM

Shula, I will be happy to have us go on adding examples. I 'm not sure why that precludes discussing the context of the examples.

This inclusion/exclusion issue is a subtext of quite a few of the discussion-oriented threads. Personally, I'm in favour of as broad an inclusion as people want to make, whether in the context of what is "folk", what is "blues", or what is "arts and crafts". I suspect that most of us are. But the inclusion/exclusion issue also arises implicitly when we get into the "humourous" discussions of tasteless music and schmaltz. Essentially, those discussions make something akin to a distinction between "art" music (what we like) and "craft" music (what a bunch of other people like so much that it gets played a lot and we don't like it). That's one of the reasons that I am less comfortable with those "humourous" discussions.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 01:26 PM

well, ok...it seems no one has mentioned "The Work of the Weavers" or the cute parody, "The Work of the Landlord" both in the database...(though you may well have seen/heard them)

Shula...aw, wait till you hear me singing *The Woodturners Lovesong" on tape...you may revise your estimate to 'struck pewter' *wink*

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Shula
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 12:27 PM

Dear Bert,

Like the conceptual neatness and lack of pejorative implication in your definitions. This allows for "fine" examples of craft and "humble" or "primitive" examples of art, as well as the reverse. There will still be many items, however, that deserve inclusion in both categories. For example, a vase, ideally, has both functional and ornamental properties.

Dear Will and Bill,

Didn't intend to deny the importance of semantic exactitude, merely to encourage lots of contributions to this thread by including the entire range of art/craft in the discussion. Bill, you quite properly suppose that we were after a broad, even incongruously broad, selection of songs on this topic. (BTW, if we hadn't added the word "craft," would we have struck gold with your contribution of "The Woodturner's Love Song"?)

Dear All,

Hope this thread won't bog down on definitions. There are few enough of these songs that there should be room for all here! (And in the words of our venerable benefactor: "We don' need no steenking subdatabases!") -- Maybe we could get back to posting examples now, (she suggested, artfully/craftily)?

Shula

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 11:08 AM

When people need to distinguish between concepts, words are their tools...'folk' & 'traditional' are such attempts.Often, people with different concepts use the same words, leading to confusion and disagreements.
...Since I my wife & I do 'crafts' for a living, we run into this on a daily basis as we apply to shows.Some shows are changing their names and advertising to distinguish between high end, creative, 'artistic' stuff & what is starting to be called 'country crafts'..i.e., painted windmills,pattern cut-out toys, and paisley oven mitts. The distinctions are necessary, but the words available are limited, just like in folk music....and yes, the lines DO blur at certain points...and it will always be necessary to use extra words to explicate your meanings if the distinction is 'important'. In this thread, I rather imagine S&K would be glad to see songs about Rembrandt, as well as about barrel-making.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Will
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 10:09 AM

Dear Shula and Akiba-

I agree. My point was and is that art and craft do not separate neatly on objective criteria, if at all. There was a response back up there, somewhere, which seems to have disappeared or else I just don't see it, that seemed to worry ever so slightly about the distinction.

Having said that, let's recognise that words, and semantics, do matter. There is a difference between "art" and "craft". But as you suggest, much of the difference is cultural, rather than deriving from the seemingly more objective criteria of skill, practice, and dexterity. That is, "art" tends to be activities that the ascendent culture focuses on (quick aside: does that make golf an art?), while "craft" is what the other people do.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bert
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 09:45 AM

I've always thought that Art was something ornamental and Craft was something useful.
regardless of the aesthetic quality.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Shula & Akiba
Date: 06 Nov 97 - 02:00 AM

Dear Will,

The reason we titled the thread as we did was to cast as broad a net as possible, avoiding semantic quibbles about the definition of "Art."

Many years ago, when women couldn't get their work, especially in "traditionally female" media take seriously, (meaning not being given much gallery space), by the art establishment, I was part of a "Women's Crafts Coöperative." The same work, today, would surely be called "Art." On merit alone, some was; some wasn't. Too bad the distinction has so often been made on a prejudicial or political, rather than an æsthetic basis.

We hoped that folk music about the arts might show more inclusiveness, not to mention enlightenment.


Dear all,

Some nice suggestions here, in spite of uncommon topic. Thanks!

S&A

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Will
Date: 05 Nov 97 - 12:22 PM

Are weaving and knitting art, or "just" crafts? Sounds like another inflammatory discussion, along the lines of "it ain't folk, its just popular". Well, here are some abridged definitions from Chambers Everyday Dictionary to start the fire:

art: a human skill, as opposed to natural agency; knack acquired by study and practice; taste and skill; a trade or craft

craft: dexterity; an art, skilled trade

One immediate conclusion, of course, is that the concepts of art and craft are at least partly synonymous.

A second implication is that weaving and knitting clearly fit the definitions of both art and craft, if you believe that both activities require (a) skill, (b) practice, (c) taste, and (d) dexterity. I am certain about (a), (b), and (d). I suppose that (c) is a matter of taste. I must admit that I've seen some pretty tasteless knitting, but then I've heard some pretty tasteless songs and pictures, too. I've also seen knit and woven objects that knock my socks off in the same way that an insightful song or graphic can do.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Ferrara
Date: 05 Nov 97 - 10:10 AM

Kate Wolf wrote a song called "Lines on the Paper," about both drawing and songwriting. It describes her feelings as she watched an artist at work and envied his skill. It goes on to say that she'll just have to create pictures using the words of her songs.

Margaret MacArthur sings a song called "My Old Green Sweater," about weaving and knitting. Not sure if it counts as an art. A craft, definitely. Bob Clayton also knows the words to this one, as it happens; if anyone wants it I'll get it from him ... unless Bob happens to have a burning desire to type something and wants to post it himself.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: LaMarca
Date: 29 Oct 97 - 06:21 PM

There are a couple of good songs about quilting whose titles, authors and singers I can't completely remember. One of them is on a Bok, Muir and Trickett album, and is a list of quilter's patterns set to music. The other is called "Family Hands", and is about the generations of women who have held together the family like the quilts they stitched. Both are really nice songs; maybe someone else here can fill in the details.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Akiba
Date: 28 Oct 97 - 04:45 AM

Dear All,

Good stuff, and not as easy to find as might, at first, appear.

Dear Bill D.,

We especially liked "The Woodturner's Love Song." One of my wife's dearest possessions is a graduated set of intricately turned crochet hooks, made of a variety of exotic hardwoods, that I bought for her many years ago. We would both very much like to have the tune to this, if it is readily available. Thanks.

Akiba

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: rechal
Date: 27 Oct 97 - 12:56 PM

Thought I was being so clever to copy the source code from the page I got these lyrics from.

Whoops. Sorry, Max.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN I GO OUT WITH ARTISTS^^
From: rechal
Date: 27 Oct 97 - 12:55 PM

Once again, not a folk song, but certainly related to the thread. I love the verse about single malt scotches.


WHEN I GO OUT WITH ARTISTS
CD: Crash Test Dummies / God Shuffled His Feet

When I go out with artists
They talk about language and the cubists and the Dadaists
And keep up with all of the martinis
I don't know which should be my favorite paintings

If I could see, if I could see, if I could
See all the symbols, unlock what they mean
Maybe I could, maybe I could, maybe I
Could meet the artists, and get to know them personally

If I were David Byrne
I'd go to galleries and not be too concerned
Well I would have a cup of coffee
And I'd find my surroundings quite amusing and
People would ask me which were my favorite paintings

What if the artists ran the TV?
All the ads would be for fine scotch whiskey:
Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, the whole single malt family

The artists of the future
Will make up new things and different nomenclatures
And they'll stand amongst their pictures
And they'll sing and laugh and quote from scriptures and
When they go home they'll dream of brilliant paintings

(Brad Roberts)

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 25 Oct 97 - 03:26 PM

It's called Intermezzo. And I should have looked back and seen that Shula and Akiba spelled "Don McLean" right.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 25 Oct 97 - 03:00 PM

Jack's note reminds me that Michael Naismith (yes, once of the Monkees) did a countryish-folkish song a few years ago about a Russell painting. I think the song was called "Laugh Kills Lonesome", and I think that's also the name of the painting.

There are innumerable rock songs about being "Just a Singer in a Rock-n-Roll Band" (Moody Blues). "Write what you know."

Don MacLean (sp?) started off this discussion. I've heard fairly reliably that "Killing Me Softly", by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, is about him.

Richard Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos is about producing an opera. He also wrote an opera about whether lyricists or composers are more important. It's called... um... I just saw it a couple years ago... something about Alzheimer?... no, that's not it...

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Lorraine
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 07:25 PM

If music making is an art then the song We are The Music Makers - would do nicely I know of three tunes for this poem--but I am most fond and most used to one that Bob Clayton a musician in the Washington area did-however since I am hopeless at any form of transcribing it perhaps Bob will-Lorraine

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Jack mostly folk
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 12:29 PM

Montana Waltz by Ian Tyson writes in his song; Northwest Montana can sure make her cry Too many long nights without him And when Charles M. Russell gets to painting the sky She's all alone in the shadows.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 12:01 PM

Peter...and then I go to the ABC thread and read this from Alan of Aus.

Joe, I'm still working on a couple of programs, virtually finished but need more testing. There's a lot they won't do, but they will allow Mudcat users to post MIDI files in text form, and convert the result back to MIDI. The MIDI to text program also produces an ABC text of the melody so the posted text should please most users. I'll be away for the weekend but should get this finished early next week. You'll be able to download from my homepage but not yet!

so maybe there IS hope!!Lets see what happens...remind me, and I'll see if I can record it, also..(I have a mic and could probably figure out how to make a .wav file..it would not be 'too' very large for this tune)

Bill

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 11:54 AM

Peter....there is indeed music...a pretty simple tune, kind of light and happy...but I am the worlds worst at ABC format & such...maybe I can figure out how to do a midi file and email it...will take suggestions..

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 10:21 AM

Bill D., Is there music for that Woodturner's Song? What fine lyrics. Yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: JMike
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 09:59 AM

How about "Whisk(e?)y on a Sunday", about the puppeteer? Any children I have known (and myself, too) would regard a puppeteer as a very special type of artist.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WOODTURNERS LOVE SONG^^^
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Oct 97 - 08:41 PM

I discussed this once before, but never posted it...since my 'profession' is turning wood,(as on a lathe...into useful & decoratative items)..I was pleased to have someone bring me this several years ago...

"The Woodturners Love Song"

If I had a piece of Maple, white or red or pink,
I'd turn you a set of chair legs, so you could set and think.
And when you set and think,love, I hope you'll think of me;
For I'd like to be there in you thoughts, if not in your company.

If I had a piece of Coachwood, white & fine & pure,
I'd turn you you a handle smooth & round; a handle for your door.
And when I'd come to see you, you could make that handle spin,
And open up the door , my love, and let your true love in.

If I had a piece of Silky Oak, with even-textured grain,
I'd turn you a lampstand for your light;a table tall & plain.
And when you turn your light on, I hope it'll be for me;
'Cause you're the light of my life-the only one for me.

If I had a piece of Cedar, grain well shot with red
I'd turn you a set of corner posts for a fine double bed.
A bed for you to lie on with the one that you love best-
But I hope you'll lie with me, love...and farewell all the rest.

Well, I'm a turner-that's my trade.,as you can plainly see;
But the I'd really like to do, is turn your heart to me.
Alas, at that I have no skill, I never learned the art;
And Cedar, Maple & Silky Oak, wont make a woman's heart.

written by Phyl Lobl...Australia

(she is/was a singer/songwriter in Australia...I do not know if she also turned wood...

Information on the woods mentioned by request....Maple & Cedar etc., do not mean the same thing in Australia as in the USA or Europe

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 23 Oct 97 - 02:37 PM

"Acts of Creation"--I know Kathy Mar performs it, but I don't know if she wrote it.

You can tell it to the river ...(?)
You can tell it on the mountains, but they already know;
(Variable 3rd line to rhyme with fourth)
Every act of creation is an act of faith
(/hope/charity/love)...

Of coures, this has already been filked by Bob Kanefsky to something like:

You can tell it to the river if you don't get down too low;
You can tell it on the mountains, but it only goes to show;
You can babble all you want to about faith, hope, love, and charity;
Every act of creation is an act of parody!

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: rechal
Date: 23 Oct 97 - 01:36 PM

I guess it's not really folk, but Lou Reed and John Cale did an album about Andy Warhol called "Songs for Drella."

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 07:50 PM

Songs about making or at least referring to art:
"Your Song", Elton J. (cf. "Song for Dead Blondes").
"Watercolors", Janis Ian (shudder)
"For Free", Joni Mitchell
"Vissi d'Arte", Puccini
La Boheme, Meistersingers, and isn't there an opera about Tasso?
"Brush Up Your Shakespeare" (Porter)

Akiba, you are right, this is not easy, especially for folk songs. Is this because of the stance of pseudo-spontaneity? I can only think of the Bard of Armagh. Did anyone ever set MacNeice's "Fanfare for the Makers" to music?
What a trash bin....

Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Akiba
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 04:23 PM

Peter T.:

It is most certainly both, the way we do it -- the song, of course -- in counterpoint with "The Glory of Love."

It looks as if this theme may require a bit of digging, but I did think of one more to add: "Mr. Bojangles."

Akiba

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 12:01 PM

"She's got everything she needs
She's an artist, she don't look back..."
Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 11:39 AM

How about "If I were a Carpenter?"

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: rechal (from someone else's computer)
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 10:08 AM

There's "Pablo Picasso" which I think was written by Jonathan Richman but is also performed by John Cale and a few other people. (Those who don't appreciate the more vulgar elements of the English language might not want to read further.)

Sample lyrics are:

Yeah, people try to pick up girls
And get called "asshole"
This never happened to
Pablo Picasso
He could walk down the street
And girls could not resist his stare
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole.
(Not in New York....)

Girls would turn the color
Of an avocado
When he'd drive down the street
In his Eldorado

etcetera.....

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 09:35 AM

Are you suggesting making whoopee is neither an art nor a craft? Sondheim: "Sunday in the Park With George". Porter (the opposite): "Never Be an Artist" (Can-Can). Nat King Cole ("Mona Lisa") (joke). Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Bill
Date: 22 Oct 97 - 03:27 AM

Howdy All,

The feeling of crafters and artists s very strong in the song "Fashioned in the Clay" by Elmer Beal (and the title song of one Bok, Trickett, & Muir album on Folk-Legacy).

Allinkausay,
Bill

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Earl
Date: 21 Oct 97 - 11:48 PM

How about Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece"?

Subject: RE: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Will
Date: 21 Oct 97 - 10:56 PM

How about "Roll over Beethoven"?

Subject: Songs about Artists, The Arts, and Crafts
From: Shula & Akiba
Date: 21 Oct 97 - 09:36 PM

Dear all,

We were listening to the Don McLean song, "Starry, Starry Night" (about Vincent Van Gogh) on the radio, and it got us thinking about songs devoted to creative endeavors. "Sing For Your Supper" from "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" was one we came up with, and a recent addition to the Mudcat forum about "a piece of yarn" is a splendid choice from the folk tradition. Wondered if others could think of more examples. (Sometime' ya jus' git raht plum tahred o' singin' 'bout nuthin' butcep' spoonin' 'n' sparkin' n'r murther'n mayhem!) Give it a go, eh, loves?

Akiba & Shula