Lyr Add: The Cucurbit Song

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CUCURBIT SONG (Jay Hogan)
From: Barbara
Date: 16 Aug 98 - 12:19 AM

This song has to do with the cucurbit (squash) family’s habit of cross pollinating and giving you surprise fruit /vegetables when you grow them together in the garden. The tune is a variant of Blackbird. He does this a capella except for a drum.
Blessings,
Barbara THE CUCURBIT SONG
Jay Hogan

My song is of pumpkins, they grow on the vine
The pumpkins and squashes are all friends of mine
And they have some cousins familiar to you:
Cucumbers and melons are cucurbits too.

The squashes are many, they come in all kinds
Though I prefer winter squash with their hard rinds
Like Hubbard and Acorn and Butternut so sweet
They are known for the goodness of their tender meat.

Hey, hey diddle ow dee, hey dley eye har
Hay dley eye hoe way, Diddle eyeee yar
Hey -eyee hoe way, high ee yar
Wi yoh way, oh hey, Ah hoe way yar

The Indians grew squashes along with corn and beans
And they found that squashes could be ... in-between
Cause they knew as I do, if you know what I mean,
That people and squashes can be in-between.
Yes, people, like squashes can be in-between.

Now pumpkins are squashes, but cantaloupes are not
Though till the fruit's open, you don't know what you've got
Cause melons and squashes, well, some will breed true,
And some will cross over, and there's nothing you can do.
Yes, some will cross over, so what's it to you?

So the seed industry has taken alarm
Cause they don't want in-betweens grown on their farm
So they cover the females before it's too late
While the male flowers they quickly emasculate
If you plant a garden, then you probably know
How you love your little ones as you watch 'em grow
But some might surprise you, and lately I hear
(that)One squash in ten is apt to be queer.
Yeah, one squash in ten, they say , is apt to be queer.

spoken: Why, I saw one last week, I couldn't tell what it was. I mean, some of my best friends are, but it's my little ones I'm concerned about Cause, if it's natural, does that mean it's hereditary? Well, there's never been a case of it in my family...
'cept my Uncle Bob...
Some people like squashes, though some prefer gourds,
1/2 time: Some folks love melons reg time and some folks ain't sure
And some lie about it and some live alone
And some they love pumpkins in the privacy of their home.
Well, I eat zucchini and muskmelon too,
Straight neck and crookneck and sweet honeydew
Can you tolerate that? Cause some they cannot
And some they will bash them and leave them to rot.

(up one step)
Hey yah hey ah yah hey, hey ah yey ho
Hey ah hey-ey , Hey ey ho
Yey ahha hey yey, hey -ey ho
Yoh hey, oh hey , ah homo ay yo
(back down)

If you have some little ones, I'm sure you will find
That some ripen early while some take their time
And some will surprise you, oh it's wondrous to see
For there's all kinds of folks here in our family.
Yes there's all kinds of folks here in our family.

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: Barbara
Date: 16 Aug 98 - 05:52 PM

Well, I was wrong. I just played some versions of Blackbird, and it's none of them. The tune is minor or modal, bluesy anyway. If I can't find it, I'll post it.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From:
Date: 16 Aug 98 - 09:23 PM

Speaking of cucurbits. Did you know that there is an extract derived from a wild cucurbit called cucurbitacin, that stimulates the feeding activity of corn rootworms. Now corn rootworms are a very serious agricultural pest. They are actually beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with several species being pests and other native species being quite benign. The beetle larvae feed on corn roots, hence the name "rootworm". The adults feed on various flower pollens and other things. One of their favorites is pollen from cucurbits, which led to the discovery of cucurbitacin. Cucurbitacin can be mixed with insecticide to effectively control the rootworms. The advantage is that by combining the 2, the amount of insecticide that needs to be applied can be reduced by 95% or more, a definite step in the right direction to reducing pesticides in the environment.

I may get in a pickle for saying this, but it is quite a cuke song, a real dilly.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: Roger Himler
Date: 16 Aug 98 - 09:36 PM

Watch out Art, rich r is right behind you!!!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: northfolk
Date: 17 Aug 98 - 08:40 PM

Am I right to deduce that Art and rich r. are pun-kins

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 17 Aug 98 - 08:57 PM

never thought I would see Diabrotica undecimpunctata mentioned at THIS website!!??

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: Big Mick
Date: 18 Aug 98 - 06:38 PM

That rich r certainly can turn a phrase can't he??

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: BSeed
Date: 18 Aug 98 - 08:48 PM

Nice song, Barbara. Do you know Katy Kalleck's "My Family"? I'm looking forward to the tune (it sure doesn't fit McCartney's "Blackbird"). --seed

Subject: RE: Lyr. Add.: The Cucurbit Song
From: rich r
Date: 18 Aug 98 - 10:38 PM

I was actually thinking more of Diabrotica virgifera and Diabrotica barberi, the western and northern corn rootworms respectively, but Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (aka southern corn rootworm or striped cucumber beetle) is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Kind a makes you want to squash 'em all.

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cucurbit and found it bare.

rich r

Subject: Tune Add: THE CUCURBIT SONG
From: Barbara
Date: 19 Aug 98 - 05:42 PM

Here's the tune. Alan's program tells me there may be some timing errors in the ABC, so use the MIDI.
Blessings,
Barbara

MIDI file: cucurb.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0840 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 71 080 0288 0 71 064 0072 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 62 080 0288 0 62 064 0072 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0384 0 64 064 0096 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0384 0 71 064 0096 1 64 080 0000 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0000 0 64 064 0048 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 76 080 0192 0 76 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 71 080 0384 0 71 064 0096 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 66 080 0096 0 66 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0384 0 62 064 0096 1 59 080 0192 0 59 064 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 64 080 0384 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:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
B8|B3E2EE2|D4B,D3|E3EE4|B,E3^FGB2|d2B2d2e2|
B2A2B4|EE2A2B2d2|e2B2d2e2|B2^A2B4|BBB2E2^FE|
D4B,2D2|E2E2E13/4||