Chord Req: Mother Country

Subject: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 07:50 PM

from another thread:

Thread #19663   Message #3703544
Posted By: GUEST,Guest
22-Apr-15 - 05:07 PM
Thread Name: Origins: I'm a Rowdy Soul.
Subject: Mother Country

Does anyone have the chords to Mother Country?

I don't know lyrics, SO I'd appreciate seeing them, too. Anybody know the song?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: GUEST,#
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 08:03 PM

I don't know the song. Is this it?

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/song-midis/Mother_Country.htm

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 08:13 PM

Thanks for finding that, #. That leads us right back here to the Digital Tradition, but I can't find anything more about the song. The Digital Tradition says the song comes from Vera Lawrence in her book Music for Patriots, Politicians and Presidents. The song isn't listed in the Traditional Ballad Index, but at least we have a text for it. The Digital Tradition says the tune is Greensleeves, but I can't say the sune fits the lyrics very well.
Anybody know anything else about the song?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: GUEST,#
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 08:23 PM

Joe, this is off topic, but if you haven't seen this site, do give it a look. It has a wealth of info about hymns. And there's a load of hymns at it. It's very Mudcatish in some ways. IMO, excellent site that will take a good but worthwhile 1/2 hour for a cursory exam.

http://library.timelesstruths.org

---

Thanks a lot, #. Not only is it a nice collection - it's a very nice way to display songs. I wonder what software they use.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: GUEST,#
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 08:27 PM

'In many ways the problem between England and the colonies was like a problem between a parent and a growing child Check The Source - "Letters From A Farmer". In Philadelphia one of America's most famous citizens—a great writer, thinker, and inventor named Benjamin Franklin—wrote a funny poem about "Mother England." It went like this:

"We have an old mother that peevish is grown,
She snubs us like children that scarce walk alone;
She forgets we're grown-up and have sense of our own." '

from

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web01/segment3_p.html

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: 12-stringer
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 09:40 PM

This is evidently the same Guest who posted exactly the same query in the "John Stewart Songs" thread.

If so, the song he/she's looking for can be found at http://www.californiabloodlines.com/ , along with the rest of Lonesome John's repertoire, nearly all with choice of lyrics or lyrics/chords. This one is from his epochal "California Bloodlines" LP of 1969.

You can't save a URL for search results, so here's the song/chords:

Title:         MOTHER COUNTRY
Songwriter:         John Stewart
Tab:         Spoken Background - strings muffled with heel of hand and played
with index finger in an almost marching beat.
Rhythm goes something like,
"(C)Dum-de-dum, de-de-(F)dum-da-(G)dum-da..."

(C) (F) (G) (C) (F) (G)
(Spoken)
(C) There was a (F)story in the (G)San Francisco (C)Chronicle
That of (F)course I for(G)got to save,(C)
But it was a(F)bout a (G)lady
Who (C)lived in the 'good old (F)days',(G)
(C) When a (F)century was (G)born
(C) And a (F)century had (G)died,
(C) And a(F)bout these 'good old (G)days'
(C) The old (F)lady re(G)plied,
(C) (F) "Why, they were (G)just a lot of (C)people
(F)Doing the (G)best they (C)could.
(F) Just a (G)lot of people(C)
(F)Doing the (G)best they (C)could."
(F) (G)And then the lady (C)said (F) (G)that they (C)did it,
"Pretty (F)up and (G)walking (C)good."

(F) What(G)ever happened (C)to those faces in the (F)old photo(G)graphs?
(C) (F) I (G)mean, the little (C)boys...(F) (G)
(C)Boys? (F)Hell, they were (G)men
Who (C)stood knee deep (F)in the Johns(G)town (C)mud
In the (F)time of that (G)terrible (C)flood, (F) (G)
And they (C)listened to the water,(F) (G)
(C) (F) That (G)awful (C)noise...
(F) (G) (C)And then they (F)put a(G)way the (C)dreams
That be(F)longed to (G)little boys(C)...(F) (G)

(Play "unmuffled")
(Sung)
(E) And the sun is going (Am)down(D7) for Mister (G)Bouie
As he's (E)singing with his (Am)class (D)of nineteen-(G)two, (G7)
(C)"Oh, mother (F)country, (G)I do (C)love you. (F) (G)
(C)Oh, mother (F)country, (G)I do (C)love you" (F) (G)

("Muffled" again)
(Spoken)
(C) (F) I (G)knew a man (C)named E.A. St(F)uart,(G)
(C) Spelled (F)S.T.(G)U. (C) (F) A.(G)R.(C)T.
(F) And (G)he owned some of the (C)finest horses
(F)That I (G)think I've ever (C)seen,
(F) And (G)he had one (C)favorite, (F) a (G)champion,
(C) The old Cam(F)paigner,(G)
(C) (F) (G)And he (C)called her
(F)"Sweetheart (G)On Pa(C)rade", (F) (G)
(C) And she was (F)easily the (G)finest horse(C)
That the (F)good Lord (G)ever made.(C) (F) (G)
But old (C)E.A.Stuart, (F) (G)he was going (C)blind, (F) (G)
And he said, "Be(C)fore I go,
I (F)gotta (G)drive her (C)one more time."(F) (G)

(C)So people came from (F)miles a(G)round, (C)
And they (F)stood a(G)round the ring,(C) (F) (G) (C)
But (F)no one (G)said a word,(C)
You know, (F)no one (G)said a thing.(C) (F) (G) (C)
(F) Then (G)here they come,(C) (F) (G)
(C)E.A. Stuart (F) in the (G)wagon right be(C)hind, (F) (G)
(C) Sitting (F)straight and (G)proud, (C)
And he's (F)driving (G)her stone (C)blind. (F) (G)
(C) And would you (F)look at her,(G)
(C) Oh, she (F)never looked (G)finer (C)or went better (F)than to(G)day.
(C) It's (F)E.A. (G)Stuart (C) and the (F)old Cam(G)paigner,
(C) (F)"Sweetheart (G)On (C)Parade", (F) (G)
And the (C)people cheered,(F) (G)
(C)Why, I even saw a (F)grown (G)man (C)break right down and (F)cry,(G)
(C) And you (F)know it was (G)just a (C)little while later(F) (G)
(C) That old (F)E.A. (G)Stuart (C)died. (F) (G)

(Play "unmuffled")
(Sung)
(E) And the sun, it is going (Am)down(D7) for Mister (G)Bouie,
As he's (E)singing with his (Am)class (D)of nineteen-(G)two, (G7)
(C)"Oh, mother (F)country, (G)I do (C)love you. (F) (G)
(C)Oh, mother (F)country, (G)I do (C)love you." (F) (G) (C)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 11:16 PM

Damn. I'll bet you're right, 12-Stringer. That's more likely to be the "Mother Country" the requester is seeking.
But it was fun exploring the Ben Franklin piece.

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Mother Country (John Stewart)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 15 - 11:39 PM

Here is a flawed transcription the lyrics to "Mother Country," which should be easier to read without the chords.
Source: http://www.mickeynewbury.com/backporch/post.asp?method=TopicQuote&TOPIC_ID=3939&FORUM_ID=2. I've corrected that transcription below, using the 1974 Phoenix Concerts recording.


MOTHER COUNTRY
(John Stewart)

There was a story in the San Francisco Chronicle
That I forgot to save
But it was about a lady who lived in the good ol' days
When a century was born
And a century had died
And about these good old days,
Well, the old lady replied,
"You know, they were just a lot of people
Who were doin' the best they could"
She said that the Good Old Days were just a lot of people
Who were doin' the best they could
And then the lady said that they did it
Pretty up and walkin' good


Whatever happened to those faces in the old photographs?
You've seen 'em, the little boys...
Boys? hell, they were men
Who stood knee deep in the Johnstown mud
It was during the time of that terrible flood
When they listened to the water, that awful noise
And then they just put away the dreams
That belong to little boys

Oh, the sun is going down for Mister Bouie
As he's singing with his class of nineteen-two:
Oh, mother country, I do love you.
Oh, mother country, I do love you.

And I knew a man named E. A. Stuart,
He spelled it S-T-U-A-R-T;
And he owned some of the finest horses
That I think I've ever seen
And he had one favorite - oh, and she was a champion,
The old Campaigner
And he called her 'Sweetheart on Parade'
And she was easily the finest horse
That the good Lord ever made


But old E. A. Stuart - well, he knew that he was goin' blind
But he said, "Before I go...
He told the boys around the tack room one day, he said:
"Before I go, I'm gonna drive her one more time."
So people came from miles around
And they stood around the ring.
But no one said a word,
No, they just stood there.
No one said a thing.
And they're openin' the gates back there,
And then here they come!
E.A. Stuart in the wagon right behind,
And he's sittin' straight and proud,
And he's drivin' her stone blind!
And would you look at her,
Ah, she never looked finer or went better than today.
Yes, E. A. Stuart and the old Campaigner
Sweetheart on Parade!
And the people cheered
Why I even saw a grown man
Break right down and cry
And you know, it was just a little while later...
Yeah, you know, it was just a little while later
That old E. A. Stuart died

Oh, the sun is going down for Mister Bouie
As he's singing with his class of nineteen-two:
Oh, mother country, I do love you!
Oh, mother country, I do love you!

Live recording, 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWwayDfJtkE

1974 recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF0XBlW_L6s

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Mother Country
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 23 Apr 15 - 01:44 AM

I learned that song by memory when I was in my early 20's, and a friend of mine, David Ragosin, used to play and sing it. Even adding harmonies.......and saying many of the words in unison.   Brings back such memories. We were both John Stewart fanatics.