G'day again,

Hmmm ... I don't seem to have posted it ... until now. Here it is - as a quiet, laconic eulogy for a life that fulfilled the aims:

Old Man's Song
Words & Music: Bill Scott
(Transcribed, by Bob Bolton, from Harbors of Home, Bok, Trickett & Muir)

When I was a young man, I followed the gold,
Down in a mineshaft all muddy and cold:
Deep in the dark with a flickering light
And nary a nugget to gladden me sight.
          Chorus: And it's way, hey! Now I am old …
            The mornings were silver, the sunsets were gold.    (x 2)

When I was a young man, I followed the sea,
Cold wet and shivering, often I'd be;
Rocked in the rigging or rolled down below
Or sweating me soul out where the gulf traders go.
          Chorus: And it's way, hey! Now I am old …
            The oceans were sapphires, the beaches were gold.    (x 2)

Now I'm an old man, I sit in the sun,
Thinking and dreaming of the things that I've done;
Remembering laughter, forgetting the pain
And I'd go out and do it all over again.
          Chorus: And it's way, hey! Lift it along -
            What good is your life if it isn't a song?.    (x 2 … or 3!)

Here's the tune … in Alan of Oz's now "No Longer Supported By Mudcat" MIDItext format. (At least the ABC fraternity can pick up the tune from the ABC segment at the bottom … and established 'Catters may still have MIDItext running on older [16-bit capable] OSs!)

MIDI file: oldmanss.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 3/4 24 8

Tempo: 120 (500000 microsec/crotchet)

Start

0480 1 55 080 0192 0 55 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 60 080 0384 0 60 064 0336 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0144 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0450 0 62 064 0270 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 60 080 0225 0 60 064 0135 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0144 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0144 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 1104 0 62 064 0216 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 60 080 0912 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0144 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 1104 0 62 064 0216 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 60 080 0288 0 60 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0048 1 57 080 0192 0 57 064 0048 1 60 080 0912 0 60 064 0048 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064

End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1

T:

M:3/4

Q:1/4=120

K:C

G,6|C2C3D|E2E3C|D2C2A,2|C6|C2C2D2|E2E2G2|

A3GA2|G6|C2C2E2|G3GG2|A2G2E2|D6|C2C3D|E2E3C|

D2C2A,2|C3EF2|G6|A6|G2E2C2|D6|-D5C|C2C3D|

E2E3C|D2C2A,2|C6|-C2D2E2|G6|A6|G2E2C2|D6|

-D5C|C2C3D|E2E3C|D2C2A,2|C6|-C2D2E3/2||

Regards,

Bob