Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words (songs)

Subject: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,Ana
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 11:46 PM

Melodies always catch me before I hear the words. Once the tune is 'caught' I then just have to 'own' the lyrics... and then I sadly find I've added another wrist slitter to the repertoire. I seem to be getting a reputation - help!
So - names of happy songs please - must be beautiful melodies, preferably able to be sung in the unaccompanied style
Ana

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 12:36 AM

Rank Stranger, the Stanley Brothers.

eric

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 12:39 AM

Reputations build careers, so just keep playing what sounds good to you!!

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,Ana
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 12:56 AM

Thanks Eric - 'smelly' strangers is a good one (great melody) ..and it doesn't involve blood, dead babies or lost lovers. A poignant song though...if it's the happiest we can come up with, I'm off to have a drink! (thanks too Ted)
Ana

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 07:14 AM

An Everley Brothers song, The Lightning Express, worst song I've ever heard in my life.

eric

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Grab
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 07:32 AM

Leonard Cohen: "Take this waltz" and too many others to count.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 07:49 AM

The Prickle-Eye Bush. Go to the Spiers & Boden website, you can listen to it for free.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 05:46 PM

'And the band played Waltzing Matilda', and alot more Eric Bogle. Plus much of Leonard Cohens work, as above.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 05:50 PM

Randy Newman's "The God Song", especially as sung by Etta James. (I know you asked for happy, but razor-bladers are much more fun...)

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 12:53 PM

The Gallant Hussar.
The Maid on the Shore.
Dance to Thee Daddy (the lyrics without everyone being drunk witless).

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 03:43 PM

Flow gently, sweet Afton
A very precious love
I could have danced all night
Seeing Nellie Home
Spring has now unwrapped the flowers

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 03:55 PM

"My love is like a red, red rose"
"Abide with Me"
"Lili Marlene"
"Dink's Song"
"The Water is Wide"


are all tunes I think of as immortal.


A

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 05:13 PM

Searching for Lambs.
Wraggle Taggle Gypsies.
Warlike Lads of Russia.
O'er the Hills.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Lanfranc
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 06:01 PM

"Love's Return" Gordon Lightfoot
"Lord Bateman" (can be sung to "Searching for Lambs")
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" Ewan MacColl
"Circle Game" Joni Mitchell
"Here, There and Everywhere" Lennon & McCartney

Good tunes, positive lyrics.

But you're right, wrist-slitting predominates

Alan

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Mudlark
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 08:31 PM

As beautiful melodies and wrist slitter words are my stock in trade also, I dont have much to offer...but what about a couple of Michael Smith songs...The Dutchman and I Brought My Father With Me...poignant but def. not "sad." Also, from Small Potatoes: Quartzite and 1,000 Candles, 1,000 Cranes; Kate Wolff's Give Yourself to Love. In a more trad. vein: The May Carol, John Riley, Carlton Weaver, Blow the Candle Out. And...arrrrrr...songs of the sea: Farewell to Tarwaithe, The Coast of Peru, Bonny Ship the Diamond, We"ll Rant and We'll Roar...hard times but they all make it home again. I think all these songs have great melodies and above average lyrics.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 09:15 PM

Not much to offer? Listen to the lass sing sometime.

A

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 01:31 AM

Kilkelly, aaggghh. Dreary song, dreary tune.

eric

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Chris Green
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 06:17 AM

Sweet Thames Flow Softly by Ewan MacColl.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: van lingle
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 07:30 AM

Wild Mountain Thyme might qualify and sounds good sung slowly without accompaniment.
It really is tough to think of beautiful songs that don't have sad lyrics.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: van lingle
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 07:35 AM

... also Down to the Valley to Pray (Doc Watson) and Diamonds in the Rough (Carter Family).

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 09:06 AM

Don't Put Your Tongue In My Mouth, I'm Kissing You Goodbye .

eric

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: bfdk
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 09:51 AM

Jim Malcolm's Lochs of the Tay
Dorothy Hewitt's words to Martyn Wyndham-Read's tune Sailor Home From Sea and
Nick Keir's Portnahaven
might all fit your bill - beautiful tunes, but nowt to slit your wrists about in the lyrics ;-)
Also check out Harvey Andrew's song "La Jeusseliniere" from the CD Somewhere in the Stars.

Bente

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Mudlark
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 03:53 PM

Thank 'e kindly, Amos! Just thot of a couple more: John o'Dreams and Bok's Quiet Faith of Man. What a fun challenge this has been!

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,sajumikey
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 06:01 PM

kathys song simon and garfunkle powerful lyrics and can be sung unaccompanied

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Justa Picker
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 06:07 PM

"Only Women Bleed" -- Alice Cooper

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Tootler
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 07:32 PM

Lovely Joan
Brigg Fair

Brigg Fair is one of the few songs that has a classical arrangement that works IMO. Percy Grainger really captured the soul of the song in his arrangement.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Grab
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 04:22 AM

"Almaz" - Randy Crawford

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: nager
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 04:44 AM

Can't remember the name of the song but.. one of those wonderful Tom Lehrer ones where he sings: ``Let's all go sliding down that razor blade of life.."

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Ferrara
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 11:22 AM

Here are some more suggestions.

Kate Wolff's "Trumpet Vine"

Three happy endings set to very beautiful melodies:
   Crooked Bawbee
   Jock O' Hazeldean
   Lass of Glen Shee

A lot of Scottish melodies are quite gorgeous actually. Jean Redpath sings a lot of them. A few Civil war songs and stephen Foster songs are beautiful without being tearjerkers....

Broom of the Cowdenknowes (barely makes it, but it's sad not morbid)
Rolling Hills of the Border
Annie Laurie
Dumbarton's Drums (sung by the Beers Family among others)
Lassie With the Yellow Coatie
Beautiful Dreamer; I Dream of Jeannie; Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair; Open Thy Lattic, Love (all Stephen Foster)
Flow Gently, Sweet Afton
Andy's Gone With Cattle
Gentle Annie (the Australian one, not the Stephen Foster one)
Rose of Allendale
Turning toward the Morning (Bok)
Bheir Mi O (Bok)
When You and I Were Young, Maggie
Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy (sailors song, I think the Copper Family sang it)
Will You Come to the Bower (Thomas Moore?)
Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms (T. Moore)

It's tricky to find songs that are beautiful and cheerful but are NOT schmaltzy. Some of the above are schmatlzy but so beautiful that I like them anyway. - Rita F

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 11:36 AM

A couple of racing ones:

Creeping Jane.
Skewball.

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 01:20 PM

Master of the Sheepfold
Loch Tay Boat Song
Fair Flower of Northumberland
Lady Mary (Palace Grand) (Sad Song)

Subject: RE: Beautiful Melodies & wrist slitter words
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 01 Aug 05 - 05:04 PM

These have nice tunes but are not weepers.

Cannery Shed (Mary Garvey)
Cornflower Blue (Kate Wolf)
Girls of Neil's Harbor (Sam Moon)