Most un-favorite song topics

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 07:28 PM

U. Utah Phillips, the golden voice of the great southwest, related this dreaded song topic back in 1972 or so at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. "I'm a poor folk singer (pain, pain, pain), out on the road (agony, agony, agony), just me and my guitar (pain, pain, pain), and I want to get laid." You know, people are still writing that song.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Alice
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 05:38 PM

"How Can I Miss You If You Don't Go Away", one of my favorite Dan Hicks songs!! Along with " I Scare Myself".

alice

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Bruce O.
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 05:33 PM

Bill D, to see the "The cat came back", words and music in 1893, go to the the Levy sheet music site (Mudcat's Links) and put 'cat came back' in the 'bibliographic search' box (box 54, item 22).

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: BSeed
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 05:25 PM

Sorry about that formatting, guys: I had thought that double spacing worked--but it comes out as a nice puzzle all run together that way. And Barbara, your story reminds me of the time Berkeley High's then-very-popular principal Tom Parker started to address an all-school assembly and after every phrase he was interrupted by applause. I don't think he ever got through his second sentence.
.
And that reminds me of another Berkeley High assembly story: Imagine this, the entire student body called together to listen to the names of dozens of winners of math contests read, most of them sitting on folding chairs on stage (many of their parents in the audience), standing when their names were called. This was the entire assembly, except for the audience response: after the first dozen or so names, a soft one-word chant started up and spread throughout the auditorium. It remained very soft, but with a couple thousand voices chanting it in unison it grew in intensity from kind of a heartbeat sound, more felt than heard, to a clear word. A n award would be announced, a winner named, and the chant Nerd! would follow. This went on for about 30 minutes, with teachers and student supervisors and administrators trying to stop it, but finally accepting the inevitable. That was the first and last math awards assembly, but the teacher who set it up ten years later spent a painful two years trying to be principal.

--seed

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Barbara
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 04:50 PM

Any autobiographical song where the singer whines ('whinges' for you Aussies) about a dead relationship and life in general.
About your dead pet story Bill, last week Tom Lewis was here (shanty singer extraodinaire) and at a pub party afterwards with twenty or so moderately lubricated Portland shanty singing folk, he started a song that had the response line "I say". Well, it didn't come back to him loud enough the first time, and so he asked, "You can all sing that, can't you? Let me hear it."
That *LOOK* went around the room, just like you said, Bill, and for the rest of evening, any quarter note rest in any of his songs had an "I say!" in it. Often several people in unison or harmony.
He was heard to mumble as he left the pub, "I guess I should have left well enough alone." I think he'll be back, though.
Blessings,
Barbara Barbara

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 02:59 PM

1. How Can I miss you if you won't go away-- was recorded by Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. (late 60's/early 70's smooth acoustic jazzy kinda band.)

2. The list of country songs, about which the less said the better, unaccountably has lost my favourite title: You Were Just a Splinter In My Ass As I Slid Down the Banister Of Life.

3. To finally get to the topic of dis thread, almost any song using the clever metaphors of "life is like a river", "rain (in my heart or elsewhere)", or an allegedly "new day dawning" usually has me reaching for the channel switcher. Bill "Its a New Day In the Raging River of My Rainy Heart" Cameron

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: The Shambles
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 02:30 PM

Seed, is there really a song called How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: BSeed
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 02:29 AM

My niece, the same one who sent me the report on the annual Darwin awards, sent me this list of country song titles:

These are NOT made up. These are actual song titles....

Get Your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns Into Bed

Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye

Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure

How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away

I Can't Get Over You, So Why Don't You Get Under Me

I Don't Know Whether To Kill Myself Or Go Bowling

I Got In At 2 With a 10, And Woke Up At 10 With a 2

I Hate Every Bone In Your Body Except For Mine

I Just Bought A Car From A Guy That Stole My Girl, But The Car Don't Run, So I Figure We Got An Even Deal

I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You

I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well

I Still MIss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Better

I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dog Fight, Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win

I'll Marry You Tomorrow But Let's Honeymoon Tonite

I'm So Miserable Without You, It's Like Having You Here

I've Got Tears in My Ears From Lying On My Back in My Bed as I Cry Over You

If I Can't Be Number One In Your Life, Then Number Two On You

Mama Get A Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)

My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, And I Don't Love Jesus

My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, and I Sure Do Miss Him

Please Bypass this Heart

She Got The Ring and I Got The Finger

You're the Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly

I Would Have Written You a Letter, But I Couldn't Spell

Quote: "People show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they find laughable." -Anon

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: McMusic
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 12:29 AM

Say, has anyone ever tried to put music to "100 Uses For A Dead Cat?" Bill D., that was purrfect!!!!

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Nov 98 - 12:08 AM

was at a sing once...some lady was there who was new...we asked her if she'd like to sing one, but she was bashful or something...so we said "Well, is there anything you'd like to hear...it is a tradition for those who don't HAVE a song to request one"

She said, "Oh, no..that's ok you all just sing..as long it's not about dead pets or something..."

Well...there was this LOOK that went around the room! And the regulars among us KNEW what was about to happen...totally unable to resist our baser inclinations we opened our throats and gave her about 6 dead cat songs in a row!!...you know.."Nobody's Moggie Now".."The Body in the Bag".."The Cat Came Back".."I'm Going to Kill My Cat"...etc...

She stared...she shook her head...we never saw her again..it was one of those moments you just can't plan.We all sort of felt guilty...but......

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: rosebrook
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 10:15 PM

Maybe not QUITE along the lines of this thread, but vaguely resembling it... I heartily recommend the book 'Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs'. It had me laughing hysterically in the library! It really is a hilarious read.

Rose

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Barry Finn
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 10:03 PM

SIng a song about your newborn, as if it's only happened to you & you just had to tell the world about this new, one time only sensation. Barry

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Alice
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 09:37 PM

Any song message that is "I'm a victim, I'm a victim, so I'm angry at you and have a right to get even."

Also on the un-favorite list, "My life belongs on a sick tv talk show, and the same for all my friends and relatives."

alice

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Cuilionn
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 09:27 PM

I cannae help reca'in Woody Guthrie's auld line: "I hate a song that makes ya think you're not any good." I cannae abide onythin' entirely hopeless an' cynical...but I love sangs o' tragedy an' blues, 'cause if someane is singin' 'em it maun mean they survived!

Muckle obligit for yir ither answers postit aboon... I've nae laughed that hard in days!!!

--Cuilionn

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: BSeed
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:57 PM

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: McMusic
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:19 PM

You mean: "If you're happy and you know it, blow your nose?"

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Mo
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:13 PM

Any song that asks me to demonstrate my state of present joy and knowledge of it by perfoming some totally unrelated physical action. You know the one I mean! Mo

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Chet W.
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:09 PM

Many songs (not most) particularly by new writers (not all), seem to contain thoughts that might better be left private and images that we would edit out if we took a few minutes to think. I know it's all part of a learning process, but never ask your audience to be your therapist or your confessor.

Chet W.

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: McMusic
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:07 PM

Or ANY song with "Ooooo, baby..." in it. Or "Floating on a sea of love."

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: McMusic
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:03 PM

Or, "You broke my heart, so I broke your jaw."

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: Big Mick
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:02 PM

---seed,

Amen!

Mick

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: BSeed
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:02 PM

Oh, and of course there's "She Done Me Wrong So I Killed Her." --seed

Subject: RE: Most un-favorite song topics
From: BSeed
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 07:00 PM

How about "I'm going to heaven and you're not"? --seed

Subject: Most un-favorite song topics
From: McMusic
Date: 14 Nov 98 - 06:52 PM

Anyone want to work on a thread of least favorite song topics? How about: "Hurt me, scream at me, do what you want; only don't leave me, baby." Or, "I'll do it with anything that moves, but I still love you best."