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24 Feb 05 - 03:21 PM (#1419901) Subject: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit A couple of years back, Spaw gave use a hilarious DIY, build your own country song kit. I was wondering what adjectives are acceptable in a folk song with at least some roots a couple of hundred years old. Adjectival phrases count too, of course. hands (female) lily-white steed milk white maid bonny/tender fair hares & hair (female) - bonny black What other acceptable adjectives are there? |
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24 Feb 05 - 03:51 PM (#1419939) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO Deeds, of course, may be fair or foul, secret, stealthy, and of course brave, maybe dastardly (although the rhythm of "dastardly" might make it hard to use.) Swords: bright, keen, swift, deadly, trusty That's it for a start. More later. Dave Oesterreich |
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24 Feb 05 - 03:53 PM (#1419941) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Bobert Well, being a bluesman there are quite a few adjectives which get alot of attention: Mean 'ol ____________... Low down ____________... Big _________________... My black ____________... Short fat ___________... Mean ol' fireman and cruel engineer Took my baby away & left me standin' here... Bobert |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:06 PM (#1419949) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Jerry Rasmussen Danged Jerry |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:07 PM (#1419950) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO Steed: Swift, loyal, (but you mount your beauteous lady on a gentle palfrey) Hawk: Swift, loyal, sharp-eyed, deadly, fierce Hounds: Swift, loyal, fierce?, Ass, donkey: patient, perhaps weary Priest, monk: wise, holy, maybe dedicated, aged, hoary-headed, learned, Grave: lonely, lonesome, shallow, watery, Sea, ocean: Wild, windswept, salty, lonesome, lowland, cruel, icy, wine-dark, deep-blue, crystal, foamy, Ship, boat: Trusty, brave, heavy-laden, great, tiny, storm-racked, swift, That's what I think of right now. Dave Oesterreich |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:17 PM (#1419966) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: John MacKenzie Well you can't use the 'F' word in England now. FOX Giok |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:19 PM (#1419973) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Maryrrf grave - wide and deep or long and narrow! |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:26 PM (#1419978) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO Pistol, rifle: deadly, trusty, unerring Church, chapel: holy or sacred, of course. Tiny, isolated, lone, lonesome, Cowboy: dirty, lonely, lonesome, loyal, weary, jolly, hard-riding, tired, hard-working (but would you want to engage in a cliche like that?) Pony, cayuse, bronco: wild, untamed, mean, broken-down, skinny, spavined, swaybacked, unridden, unridable, Murder: secret, foul, bold(?), revengeful, premeditated, aforethought, There we go. Someone else add some. Dave Oesterreich |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:29 PM (#1419983) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: John MacKenzie lily white ........... |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:37 PM (#1419993) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,MMario grave - dank, cold, dark night - dark, stormy, cold, bitter sail(s) - white, weather-beaten, tattered, torn |
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24 Feb 05 - 04:46 PM (#1419997) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Willa penknife - small letters - false maid -distressed mother - cruel ruffians - bold sailor - brisk, bold, single, poor clay - cold ship - gallant |
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24 Feb 05 - 05:27 PM (#1420034) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit trails - lonesome seas - stormy, salty, deep blue servants - trusty mornings - fair, misty, moisty, foggy young men - handsome, brave, false lovers - true, false hair - raven |
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24 Feb 05 - 05:38 PM (#1420042) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO to add to options for some of Willa's list: penknife - little, keen and sharp letters - braid, loving, hand-writ maid, maiden - fair and also "pretty, fair" false, dear, lovesick, swooning, sweet mother - dear, old, sick, broken-hearted sailor - brave ship - doomed, storm-driven, wrecked, sunken And some others: cannon: loud, deadly, thundrous lies: false-hearted, cold, wicked, ill-thought truth: blessed, sweet promises: loving, false, false-hearted, empty, Wind, winds: relentless, cold, cutting, sharp, Arctic, wintry, Boreal, Captain, skipper: cruel, brave, "skeely", skillful, brave, Dave Oesterreich |
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24 Feb 05 - 05:48 PM (#1420048) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,HipflaskAndy What? Have I missed it? No one mentioned 'jolly' yet? Can't have folk without yer jolly this and jolly that. No one should miss out on their 'jollies' HFA - hic! |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:05 PM (#1420123) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST It's all lazy writing!Tabloid stuff. The folk process should refine it, but who dare touch these songs now? |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:15 PM (#1420132) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Snuffy Flowers - pratty |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:39 PM (#1420159) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Chris Green The infinitives in folk songs are always different, too. It's never "to" but always "for to". The other golden rule is that everything has to take place in May! |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:43 PM (#1420166) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Richard Bridge Have we had "lovely" (eg "lovely Nancy") yet? And "Cruel Par-I-ents" |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:52 PM (#1420175) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO In dealing with maid, maiden, I neglected to list "nut-brown". Either "glass" or "jar" or "ale" (or beer) calls for "foaming". Dave Oesterreich |
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24 Feb 05 - 07:57 PM (#1420179) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: curmudgeon Bonny -- anything Penknives are always "wee." |
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24 Feb 05 - 08:27 PM (#1420192) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: khandu buxom, bold, cunning, sly, bawdy; all applied to "Wench", a great word worthy of more use in today's world! handsome, worthy, haughty, bold, foolhardy; referring to the wench's "Swain". k |
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24 Feb 05 - 08:36 PM (#1420199) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Amos And hardy, handsome, handy, brave, are the swains who go to sea and become boatswains. A |
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25 Feb 05 - 01:24 AM (#1420330) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,anonanonanon ....everything has to take place in May! Of course. Too foxing cold in Britain to do anything before May, and once June comes along every one's on foxing holiday! (Whoops! Sorry about the F word, I forgot!) |
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25 Feb 05 - 04:06 AM (#1420374) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Steve Parkes Whenever I sang 'Peggy Gordon' Julie B always used to ask why there are only ever pretty small birds: what about big ugly birds? I'm going to regret asking, aren't I? While we're about it, why do they always change their voices? What does that mean? Starlings: OK, they imitate everything from other birds to cats and car alarms. But does a robin ever wake up in the morning and say to itself "I think I'll sing in the style of Pavarotti -- or Spike Milligan or Julie Felix or Bob Dylan -- today"? Steve |
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25 Feb 05 - 05:29 AM (#1420430) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Noreen Lovely thoughts, Steve :0) |
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25 Feb 05 - 09:16 AM (#1420620) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: harpmaker Penis - tiny. |
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25 Feb 05 - 10:38 AM (#1420673) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Steve Parkes Can you quote that in context, harpmaker? |
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25 Feb 05 - 11:08 AM (#1420700) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,neovo Boy - fine, young and bonny, young but growing |
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25 Feb 05 - 11:35 AM (#1420731) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: greg stephens OK, that's a grand selection of acceptable adjectives. here are some that have never been used in folksong, and never will be: relevant far-reaching innovative radical thought-provoking unusual flocculent turgid ineffectual pertinent magnanimous mauve penetrating auriferous smug serendipitous |
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25 Feb 05 - 12:08 PM (#1420784) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit What does "flocculent" mean Greg? At first I thought it might mean, "I am not going to fast until Easter", but then I spotted the "l". Auriferous? Who uses these words anywhere? |
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25 Feb 05 - 07:57 PM (#1421143) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit I have always wondered about that phrase "pretty fair maid". If she was a "maid" how did the (handsome young)swain know that she was "pretty fair"? Surely some of them must have just been "averagely good"? Or maybe if she really was a maid, nobody really knew at all. I am puzzled. It's time for me to go to bed. |
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25 Feb 05 - 11:36 PM (#1421222) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: rich-joy Very droll !! Perhaps someone can link this thread with the one about "folksongs" composed of cliches (at least, I THINK I've read one here!!??!!) It's time anyway, for an update of Stan Kelly and Eric Winters' 1964 number : "Comeallye and Gobackagain", where they took lines from the publication "Irish Street Ballads" to make one "new" ballad!! - and which makes sense only to Folkies :-) Oh, and can we have a link to Spaw's DIY country thread, here too?? Cheers! R-J |
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26 Feb 05 - 03:09 AM (#1421294) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit I don't know if Spaw actually started that thread, but his build your own country song DIY kit was a hoot. |
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26 Feb 05 - 04:05 AM (#1421312) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Liz the Squeak Too foxing cold in Britain to do anything before May, and once June comes along every one's on foxing holiday Strictly speaking that's not true. The holiday was the month of May, hence the Tudor song 'Now is the month of Maying'. Everything happens in May because that's when people had more daylight time to go walking out... Lambing and calving is finished, ploughing and planting is done, now is the time for some 'R&R'. If you get pregnant in May, you're still capable of helping with the harvest in August without too much danger, you've got the whole summer/autumn to eat well and give it a good start. By the time you can't move around so well, it's November/December and you can rest at home doing winter things. In January and February there were the spinning and weaving jobs you could do whilst sitting until the baby was born. Babies are always 'bonny, beauteous, or sweet babes'... none of these adjectives apply in real life. LTS |
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26 Feb 05 - 04:34 AM (#1421318) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: darkriver love - always 'true' just about anything - lonesome to add to Greg S's list of never-will-sees: copacetic anthropomorphic honkin' |
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26 Feb 05 - 07:30 AM (#1421385) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: HuwG Captain (military) - "dashing", "fierce", "bold" Captain (naval or merchant marine) - "storm-beaten", "weathered", "wise" Steed - "trusty" Steel - "trusty" Was there a dyslexic or myopic Mr. Trad. Anon. who mixed these two up ? Although it has to be said that "trusty" as an adjective of quality applied to stabbing weapons beats "martensitic", "austenitic", "quenched / annealed" and especially "nitrided / face-hardened" Squire - "dashing", "bold" (or occasionally "wicked" - thank you for that reminder, Angelina) Blacksmith - "sturdy", "stout" or "true" (thank you again, Angelina) **** By the way, for those still mystified by Greg's codex: "flocculant" - promoting froth or bubbles "auriferous" - gold-bearing (in Geology). I last used this term in my BSc (Hons) thesis. |
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26 Feb 05 - 07:31 AM (#1421387) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Flash Company Maids surely can be 'Young and foolish' or 'Wealthy old' Sea Capti-ins (so pronounced) are always bold, FC PS Hey that rhymes! Start for a song? FC |
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26 Feb 05 - 11:03 AM (#1421476) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,Joe_F greg stephens: A song by Tom Paxton contains the line "She made a most unusual offer to me". I have not checked that or any of your other words in DigiTrad. For data, let's start with Child 1: north (country), bonny (broom), noble (worth), stout (courage), brave (courage, knight), eldest (sister), silver (pin), second (sister), youngest (daughter), young (knight), fair (maid, maiden), three (questions), this very (day), longer (love), deeper (hell), louder (thunder), sharper (hunger), greener (poison), worse (devil), glad (knight), lovely (bride), constant (you). Those will surely do to go on. --- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: Don't call him a fool; ask yourself _whose_ fool. :|| |
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26 Feb 05 - 01:03 PM (#1421568) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: greg stephens Joe_F: Tom Paxton may well have used the word "unusual" but I was talking about your proper trad, author anon real folk songs. Modern singer-songwriters can all sorts of highfalutin' vocabulary if they want, but I was only referring to good ol' downhome folks. |
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26 Feb 05 - 04:27 PM (#1421731) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Well, there are things like "neck like a swan", and "lily white breast/bosom/arm(s)". |
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26 Feb 05 - 04:35 PM (#1421736) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: goodbar as an adolescent i enjoy swear words and subtle references to sex. |
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26 Feb 05 - 04:44 PM (#1421749) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO Alanabit, you said: I have always wondered about that phrase "pretty fair maid". There are two meanings of "fair" here, that are distinct but historically related. "Fair" may mean blonde, light-complexioned. or "Fair" may mean "pretty" or "beautiful". At one time in England, (Saxon times, and even Norman times) the upper classes were indeed light of hair color, and the socially influenced standard of beauty leaned heavily on color of hair and skin. Thus "the brown girl" was not fair of color, and was not considered so beauteous, because of the social-standing meaning. The brown girl would be not only of the old, lower-class, pre-Saxon stock, but she had to work out in the sun and got tanned, which was a no-no for a lady then. The two concepts got somewhat separated over the years. In the case of "pretty, fair", it doesn't mean (as we might mean by those words today) "sort of okay", but both pretty and a blonde. That's why I put the comma in there when I entered it earlier in the thread: She's both pretty AND fair. Dave Oesterreich |
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26 Feb 05 - 09:53 PM (#1421966) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,anonanonanon Never been used and never will be, Greg? I'm sure I've heard the word *turgid* in a long Scottish ballad, (or perhaps that was just the description of it). And from the semi-serious to the abjectly silly, how about these lines: ....As She Mauve-d Through the Fair... ...As he filled the sailor's mug... not forgetting that great folk song Nellie the rElevant.... Enough! |
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27 Feb 05 - 09:17 AM (#1422211) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,Joe_F But it's not irrelevant -- it's a hippopotamus. -- --- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: When you have a cold, the universe is half full of galaxies & half full of snot. :|| |
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27 Feb 05 - 06:17 PM (#1422347) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Azizi Inspired by this thread, I would like to extend this discussion to include examples from my primary area of interest African American children's rhymes {which surely are forms of folk songs!} Here are the adjectives found in the contemporary [1980s to date] foot stomping chants that I've been collecting from Pittsburgh, PA area. To date, I have also collected examples of these foot stomping chants in Philadelphia; New York City; Athens, Georgia. I have also seen what I believe are examples of these chants in a 1983 book of Afrian American children's rhymes from Houston, Texas {Barbara Michels, Bettye White "Apple On A Stick"}. It's my belief that these foot stomping cheers are probably found throughout urban areas in the United States, and possibly elsewhere. An analysis of the foot stomping cheers that I collected and read suggests that African American and Puerto Rican elemetary and preschool girls [and others?]use these words to describe themselves: fine [meaning physically attractive]; {examples I know I'm fine/justlike my sign"; also "fine/wine"; "fine/time" sexy bad [meaning good] fly [meaning hip; street smart-up to date with the latest fashions, physically attractive tough rough and tough cool cool and the gang super cool super star foxy mighty sweet super super super [for example "I'm a super Super Virgo""]* hot stuff **** The text of these synchronized, syncopated street cheers reflect the importance to the girls of being seen as sexy, physically attractive, and tough [meaning: able to defend yourself verbally and probably otherwise..] Here's two examples of these chants that I collected from my daughter's memories of mid 1980s Pittsburgh,PA FLY GIRL Group Fly girl one Fly girl two. Pump it up, Renee Just like you do {or "Show me what you do"} Soloist #1 {"Oh" or "Well"} my name is Renee. Group What? Soloist #1 and I'm a fly girl Group What? Soloist #1 It takes a lot of men to rock my world. 'Cause I can fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee. And that's why they call me SEXY. **** HULA HULA Group Hula Hula Who thinks they bad? Soloist #1 I do. Group Hula Hula Who thinks they bad? Soloist #1 I do. Group Ool! You think you bad. Soloist #1 Correction, Baby, I know I'm bad. Group Ool! You think you smart. Soloist #1 Smart enough to break your heart. Group Ooll, you think you tuff? Soloist#1 Tuff enough to strut my stuff. Cause when I twist like this the boys cannot resist. and when I turn I burn and break down like a worm In both examples, the cheer is repeated by the next soloist [either exactly the same words or that fit the same pattern]. This continues with the next soloist until every member of this informal group has had one turn as the soloist. IMO, this 'group/consecutive soloists' variant form of call & response is the signature structure of these percussive, dramatized foot stomping chants.. *These chants frequently mention astrological sun signs. Another example of this is: "My sign is Sag and that's alright cause all Sagittarius are out of sight. Azizi |
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27 Feb 05 - 06:22 PM (#1422356) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Azizi Correction-it has been my experience that the ages of girls who perform these chants are usually elementary to pre-teen, and sometimes slightly older [6-14 years]. Sorry about that typo..Few pre-schoolers could execute these synchronized percussive movements that combine bass sounding foot stomps with individual handclaps and body pats [and a little bit of hip switching and other movements from popular social dances] |
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27 Feb 05 - 07:11 PM (#1422417) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: RangerSteve Rivers tend to be blue, but I've never seen a blue river in real life. then there's good old friends and good old dogs. |
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27 Feb 05 - 09:23 PM (#1422504) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Uncle_DaveO Ranger Steve, that reminds me of the old Spike Jones rendition of The Blue Danube--which says that "The Danube isn't blue--it's green!" Dave Oesterreich |
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28 Feb 05 - 02:36 AM (#1422653) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit I lived by the River Lhyner in Cornwall as a kid. I have seen it turn just about every colour you could imagine, because so many things can effect the light which falls on it and the lighting which surrounds it. It has different depths at different seasons. Different waste, sediment etc are carried down according to the season or weather. The weather/season also affects the tree and plant life on the banks of the river, which in turn affects the hue which is reflected. I have seen that river look blue, brown, red, yellow, clear, grey, silver on a sunny day (from the top of the Cadsonbury)- just about any colour (and a few more) that you could imagine a river to be. Mind you, I don't think any of this affects the fact that there are only a few acceptable adjectives which can be applied to rivers in folk songs. "Soft", "fast", "slow" and "deep" are all allowed, I know. No others spring to mind at the moment though! |
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28 Feb 05 - 07:48 AM (#1422765) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST Wet? |
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28 Feb 05 - 08:00 AM (#1422773) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: JennyO Now here's a song which should fulfil requirements on this thread and the one about acceptable months. Okay, so "free" is not really an adjective - I suppose it's an adverb - but when I read the previous post, I thought of this song. Only The Rivers Run Free When apples still grow in November When blossoms still bloom on each tree When leaves are still green in December It's then that our land will be free I've wandered the hills and valleys And still through my sorrow I see A land that has never known freedom And only her rivers run free I drink to the death of her manhood Those men who'd rather have died Than to live in the cold chains of bondage To bring back their rights were denied But where are you now that we need you? What burns where the flame used to be? Are you gone like the snow of last winter? And still only our rivers run free How sweet is life, but we're dying How mellow the wine, but we're dry How fragrant the rose, but it's dying How gentle the wind but it sighs What good is in youth when it's aging? What joys are in eyes that can't see? When there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers And still only our rivers run free. |
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28 Feb 05 - 08:30 AM (#1422776) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: JennyO BTW, when I said the previous post, I meant Alanabit's post, although rivers can certainly be wet - but where does it say that in a folk song, GUEST? Oh - I just thought of another one - The water is wide |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:03 AM (#1422801) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,anonanonanon For rivers, I would have thought "dry" in Australian folksong, though I can't think of any just now. Several NZ references to the "dry" Cardrona River (sp?). "Sweet" Thames Flow Softly. And can I recall a reference to the "Sweet" Liffy Water? (Don't think I would care to *taste* either of them!) "Wet"? No, unless there's a song about the previous guest contributor.... (Am I allowed to say that?) |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:14 AM (#1422807) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Muttley Just a little add-on here - though I am by any means a songwriter: written a couple of parodies, but that's all (the one MOST appreciated by my schoolchildren audiences being "Blame it on the Tellies: or Why I hate the Tellytubbies" which is sung to the tune of the traditional Australian folk ballad "Blame it on the Kellys" - a little graphic in what SHOULD happen to those evil little beings but nothing risque!). HOWEVER (sorry - i can't italicise) I reckon the BEST song which wholeheartedly pushes the "sensuality" or "eros" envelope without crossing the line is "Drink Down the Moon" as sung by Steeleye Span (first recorded on the Now We Are Six album if I am not mistaken) this goes about as close to singing openly about pre-marital "nookie" as anything I have heard. The most explicit being the brilliantly wrought lines in the final part of the song ....... "There is a thorn bush in our cael yard There is a thorn bush in our cael yard At the back o' thorn bush there lays a lad and lass And they're busy, busy farin' at the cuckoo's nest" Brilliant, suggestive, sensuous and above all - - - - CLEAN !! |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:36 AM (#1422831) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: JennyO GUEST anonanonanon, here's a song about an Australian river - it is rich in descriptive words, but dry is not one of them. I can't think at the moment of a reference to a dry river, although we certainly do have rivers and creeks that dry up. MURRUMBIDGEE WATER © John Warner Born in the highland snows, Wild in her youth's descending, Swiftly she fills and grows Out on her floodplains, winding and bending, Feeding the towering gums, Bush in creek and gully, Sharing her bounties wide, Spreading soil in plain and valley. Murrumbidgee fair, Murrumbidgee fertile, Nurturing at your breasts we who walk here for a little while. High on a ridge we stand, gazing in love and awe Over the lands you made with your gentle hands: how rich the gifts you pour. Over her years of floods, Current twisting wild and strong, Children she made in the land, Creek and anabranch, pond and billabong. Bright on the wide floodplain Glints the rippling water, Proudly side by side, Flow the mother and the daughter. Murrumbidgee fair, Murrumbidgee fertile, Nurturing at your breasts we who walk here for a little while. High on a ridge we stand, gazing in love and awe Over the lands you made with your gentle hands: how rich the gifts you pour. We have known the drought, we have seen her anger, Hurling trees in her rage, we've borne thirst and we've borne hunger. Yet for us who seek, beauty waits in hiding, In some shaded pools wait the fruits of her providing. Silver mist like hair, As the day is dawning, Marks the river's way As we hunt on a winter's morning, Duck and cod from the stream, Fruit and fungus, plant and seed, Kangaroo on the plain, See, she gives us all we need. Murrumbidgee fair, Murrumbidgee fertile, Nurturing at your breasts we who walk here for a little while. High on a ridge we stand, gazing in love and awe Over the lands you made with your gentle hands: how rich the gifts you pour. |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:48 AM (#1422846) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: Snuffy Lots of moons are silvery, but not many are "silent". (Well, they all are actually, but not in song!) |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:58 AM (#1422857) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,Joe_F JennyO: In fact, I think "free" in that context does parse as a (predicate) adjective; cf. "stand tall" & "still waters run deep". The contrast between an adverb & a predicate adjective is neatly displayed in Stevenson's line "Glad did I live and gladly die". "Wide", absolutely. Not only "The water is wide", but "'Cross the wide Missouri", and according to the Volga boatmen, their river is "shiroka da gluboka", wide & deep. --- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: The world is too full of people whose world is too full of people. :|| |
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28 Feb 05 - 10:08 AM (#1422873) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: JennyO Thanks, GUEST,Joe F, for that clarification. Yes, it felt like an adjective, but I wasn't sure. I suppose the adverb would have been "freely". Quite a different meaning, really. Snuffy mentioned the moon, and another of John Warner's songs immediately came to mind. In the chorus of "Andersons Coast" it is a lonely moon: But Annie, dear, don't wait for me, I fear I shall not return to thee, There's nought to do but endure my fate, And watch the moon, the lonely moon Light the breakers on wild Bass Strait. |
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28 Feb 05 - 11:25 AM (#1422953) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: GUEST,Uncle DaveO Let's see how many "river" adjectives I can come up with in one place many of which have probably been give already): River: Fast, swift, raging, rushing, rushy, slow, deep, shallow, wide, narrow, full, high, low, rocky, sandy, treacherous, dangerous, risky, wild, quiet, sleepy, lazy, dry, cold, clear, sparkling, muddy, murky, old, busy (with river traffic), angry perhaps, foamy or foaming, wandering, crooked. Of course there are the subjective reaction words, like beautiful or lovely, pleasant. I've run "dry". Any others? Dave Oesterreich |
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28 Feb 05 - 02:44 PM (#1423116) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: alanabit I know when I'm beat! |
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28 Feb 05 - 09:10 PM (#1423477) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: JennyO Then there's moody river and steely water (James and Nancy) |
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01 Mar 05 - 02:03 AM (#1423587) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: rich-joy MUTTLEY - we want the TELLYTUBBIES song, please!!! (New thread) Cheers! R-J |
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02 Mar 05 - 08:07 AM (#1424839) Subject: RE: Acceptable adjectives in folk songs From: greg stephens Azizi'`snalysis of the actual adjectives used in specific songs are very interesting. Here are four traditional songs reduced just to their adjectives. The feelings location etc of the songs are given very faithfully by their adjectival context. 1: wild, great, bright, best, prodigal 2:north, pretty, lish, right, tight, green, good, fine, golden, raging 3: pleasant, delightful, green. melodious, true, far, dearest, flowing 4: true, green, young, fair, cold, earthy, fairest |