Subject: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,amy Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:02 AM I am a musician as well as an illustrator. Last year I illustrated the folksong "The Crabfish" into a children's book. I am looking for another song to illustrate. Song must be atleast 10 verses or so long, be appropriate for children, and have a variety of visual images. I would prefer to do a song that has not been done before. Any ideas? |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Sorcha Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:05 AM Hundreds of verses of Old Joe Clark.....lots suitable for children. I don't think it's ever been done....... |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: MC Fat Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:14 AM How about Matty Groves with lots of blood and all the sex in it |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,swirlygirl Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:17 AM Three Sisters...all robbers and twirling and rivers and the guilt of it all...and murdering sisters...my granny and mum used to sing it to me all the time as a child... It's not in the digitrad though, well an odd one verse version of it which isn't right is, but not the good one! There's also an odd song my folks used to make me sing at parties as a child called Hey Wee Man which is nonsense basically but has lots of good images... :) xx |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: The_one_and_only_Dai Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:25 AM The Earl of Totnes? Renaissance costumes, dastardly villainy, heroic rescues, and a admonition to abstain from alcohol. Oh, and a horserace. NOT Matty Groves. Oh no. Sorry Jim. (tee hee though) |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,Amy Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:26 AM In reply to the last thread... What are the lyrics for Hey Wee Man? I love the song The Three Sisters...lots of interesting versions out there. It works well for Grade 5 and above...I'm not sure it would work so well for lower elementary :) |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Dave Bryant Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:28 AM I'd suggest that you use a slightly abridged version of the ballad Tam Lin. You could drop the casual sex making Margaret pregnant bit. You still get: "Plucking the herb", "Running to the crossroads at midnight", "Elfin court riding", "Being changed into savage creatures etc in her arms", and "gaining her true love". "Greenland whale" would also work well, but the topic is probably too un-PC. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Sorcha Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:33 AM But, hasn't Tam Lin been done to death? |
Subject: ADD: Hey Wee Man From: GUEST,swirlygirl Date: 22 Jan 02 - 11:38 AM Something along these lines as far as I can remember... Hey Wee Man Wi' the big stick in your hand Won't you play me a simple melodee Oh-oh-oh Just to remind me of the girl I left behind me Won't you play me a simple melodee Oh-oh-oh Ahm comin' back bonnie Ma-ry Ahm comin' back tae you Ahm comin' back in the good ol' summertime When the bagpipes are playin' For Auld Lang Syne I know that you'll be waiting To greet me with a smile We'll roam the hills together Among the purple heather Bonny Mary O' Argyll Oh well we held a grand procession And we marched before the Queen The bravest band of warriors The world had ever seen She thought we were the zulus from the land beyond the Nile Until she heard us singin' Bonnie Mary O' Argyll An we were all Scotsmen every wan a Scotsman Buffalo Bill frae Maryhill He never worked and never will Aye man believe it if ye can They'll be reelin' wae jokes an tartan socks Scotsmen every wan Hooch-aye! |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: CapriUni Date: 22 Jan 02 - 12:00 PM From Sorcha: "But, hasn't Tam Lin been done to death?" I don't know... has it been done as an illustrated children's book? One related ballad which is related to Tam Lin is "True Thomas" -- a bard /poet being taken into the realm of the faery for seven years and gaining the gift (or curse) of prophecy... and he was an historical person. I know his story has been retold as a novel. Not sure if it's been done as a children's book. But my favorite ballad is "The Bonnie Lass of Angelsey" (Child ballad #220), which tells the story of a strong, independent woman. A king, jealous of her wealth, thinks he can "win" it away from her, but she turns the tables on him. It can be found in the Digital Tradition here.
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Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: MMario Date: 22 Jan 02 - 12:10 PM 'Tom of Bedlam' could be done. or what about 'Maid on the Shore'?
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Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Mr Red Date: 22 Jan 02 - 12:20 PM Wild Colonial Boy. Highway man plus as many versions as you can dig up I was going to suggest the "Dear Sir" "Paddy's Sick Note" (aka Respected Sir speach from Gerrard Hoffnung "Debate at the Oxford Union") but not sure of the language in the Noel Murphy version. The images of bricks and relative weights plus the barrel abuse must surely rate highly among kids. The shanty Alabama - has a lot of macro scope but don't forget the 10,000 spectators on the cliffs above Cherburg. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,amy Date: 22 Jan 02 - 12:25 PM Thanks for the last suggestions... It is very hard to find a song in which each verse has a distinct visual image. That is why songs like Froggie went a Courtin', Fiddle I Fee, Over in the Meadow, Old MacDonald etc. have been done a hundred times. I love to sing Child Ballads but find they just don't have the appropriate content for young children. Do you know any songs that are humorous, have animals in them, or simple put...just have some "lighter" themes or stories? It can be newly composed as well... |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: swirlygirl Date: 22 Jan 02 - 01:09 PM What about the devil and the feathery wife? You could get images out of that... Or the Red Yo-Yo by Matt McGinn, classic kids song? Or what about the Jeelie Piece song? :) xxx |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: swirlygirl Date: 22 Jan 02 - 01:20 PM Linky bit to thing in other thread with The Red Yo Yo lyrics Still not too good with this linkey stuff so hope it works... :) xxx |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 22 Jan 02 - 01:28 PM I have a children's song that I wrote many years ago, and sang to exhaustion that I always thought should be illustrated. Only has four verses though, and I'll be darned if I'll think up six more.. The Chorus is:
Robert's roosted is red and his dog Jack is black
The verses are about playing by imagining that they're in a circus, at a big parade, in a storm on the sea, and finally curling up on the floor and going to sleep. Jerry |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: wysiwyg Date: 22 Jan 02 - 01:45 PM Follow the Drinking Gourd-- but maybe it's already been done. Other spirituals? Or shanties! Geeze, don't do the ones in the Mudcat Songbook-- kinda raunchy, some of them! *G* ~s~ |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Les from Hull Date: 22 Jan 02 - 02:58 PM Any of the old ballads has a narrative that could be illustrated. But if you're looking for for an illustration a verse and suitable for kids, you could try 'a rare bog a rattlin' bog' and the very many similar songs. You must know a very different version of the crabfish if that was suitable for children. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Kipling Date: 22 Jan 02 - 03:40 PM A good Shanty, that could be used is 'The Noah's ark' shanty, telling the tale of why dogs' noses are cold. I'm not sure how you interpret the verse 'the bull and the cow started for to row!'But i'm sure this would go down well with children, is funny and many children may have heard the story of Noah's Ark already.
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Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SINSULL Date: 22 Jan 02 - 03:56 PM I would love to see an illustrated version of the "Golden Vanity" for older children. It was my son's favorite song as a child and I would buy multiple copies in a minute. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SharonA Date: 22 Jan 02 - 04:44 PM What about "The Cat Came Back"? Has that been done as a kids' book? (Or would the animal rights activists be up in arms about it? Perhaps not, if Old Mr. Johnson is portrayed as the inept villain... hey, it worked for "101 Dalmations"!). There are 9 verses that I know of, in that song (and I'm sure there are more that I don't) so it should meet your requirements. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: CapriUni Date: 22 Jan 02 - 04:58 PM From Guest,amy: "I love to sing Child Ballads but find they just don't have the appropriate content for young children." What do you mean by "young" children? (pre-school? pre-teen? somewhere in between?) If we knew, maybe we could be more help. A few years can make a big difference. Also, check out The Kiddidles site here. Not many ballads, or very long songs at all, but you might get some ideas. Do you have samples of your artwork online, somewhere? Maybe if we knew the style you like to work in, it might remind us of certain songs we liked as a kid... (Just had a thought: Has the song "Boom, boom! Ain't it great to be crazy" been done as a book?) |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: lamarca Date: 22 Jan 02 - 05:09 PM While I tend to like the more morbid ballads, many of which have great visual possibilities (like the Two Sisters turning of a breastbone into a harp, Willie's Lady in protracted labor, False Lamkin and the wicked nurse sticking the baby with pins to lure his mother down to her doom, etc), they may not be appropriate for a children's picture book. Here's a few of suggestions of ones that might work well: The Mockingbird Lullaby (in DT here) –it's not a story song, but has good visuals. I did a search on Amazon.com and they listed one children's book version, now out-of-print) The Beggarman or Jolly Beggar is a good rags-to-riches story (look for Child #279 in the DT) Alison Gross (Child #35, one version in DT here) is great – an ugly witch, beautiful gifts, a magic spell and a rescue with a happy ending. Chivalrous Shark (may be under copyright) is in the DT here and is gruesomely amusing (or amusingly gruesome?) The Crafty Farmer's Boy (Child #283, in the DT here) a young boy on his way to market outwits a robber and gains a fortune Scarborough Fair (The Elfin Knight, Child #2) all sorts of versions here that have fun possibilities for illustrating the impossible tasks. The Half Hitch – Margaret MacArthur's version of this tale in song is wonderful – lovers in disguise and a happy ending, in the DT here: HALF HITCH Old Bangum (Child #18) has an evil witch, a fierce wild boar and a brave knight (in some versions…) I have a marvelous children's book version of Kemp Owen, with the story told by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Dennis Nolan, Called Dove Isabeau - sadly, it's out of print now. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Bobert Date: 22 Jan 02 - 05:26 PM GUEST, Amy: Do you have any copies of your book for sale. My wife, P-Vine, teaches orff music and is always looking for interesting kids stuff. I'll also ask her if she has any songs to recommend. She uses a lot of songs that have been written bu other Orff folks. I'll check back later with you tonight and when she gets home from teaching we'll see what she has for you. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: TNDARLN Date: 22 Jan 02 - 05:28 PM The Rattlin' Bog would be great! Just make sure you give us a clear picture of a bog please! Drinking Gourd has been done. Don't think Clementine has been [and then I have to explain herring boxes to non-coastal kids]. Children, Go Where I Send Thee would be good [counting and visual] Few cowboy songs have been done, and kids today are less familiar with the whole concept/vocabulary than we were a....several years ago. [smile] Music in Motion [musicmotion.com] lists just about all the books that illustrate songs in their catalog. I'm sure I'll think of more titles, given time. As a suggestion, let me recommend to you any of Peter Spier's books on songs: The Star-Spangled Banner, Erie Canal, London Bridge, etc. He does detailed, historically accurate illustrations that help so much in a classroom! I didn't know, for example, what a "rampart" was until I saw his book. Though it's not a song, I have a beautifully done book of Annabel Lee, which makes me wonder if Barbara Allen couldn't be done too.....Good Luck and Keep Us Posted Here! |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 22 Jan 02 - 06:00 PM What about Froggie Went a Courtin'. Probably been done, but it would be great fun to illustrate.. Jerry |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Bobert Date: 22 Jan 02 - 07:00 PM Hi, I just got in from a lot of teaching and am sort of screwy from the methods that I use: multiple skills going on at once times 7 kids. But...I would suggest Jack Prelutsky books as a source for really funny poems; he has rules, though, about using his stuff so you'd have to check that part out. I think if I knew what grades or ages you're interested in as well as what type of illustrations you do, it would make it simpler for me to tap my zillions of pages of music. If you would like any further help from me, tell husband, Bob (Bobert) and I'll try to work on it this weekend. "P-Vine", alias Eve |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Bobert Date: 22 Jan 02 - 07:02 PM Hi, I just got in from a lot of teaching and am sort of screwy from the methods that I use: multiple skills going on at once times 7 kids. But...I would suggest Jack Prelutsky books as a source for really funny poems; he has rules, though, about using his stuff so you'd have to check that part out. I think if I knew what grades or ages you're interested in as well as what type of illustrations you do, it would make it simpler for me to tap my zillions of pages of music. If you would like any further help from me, tell husband, Bob (Bobert) and I'll try to work on it this weekend. "P-Vine", alias Eve |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: JudeL Date: 23 Jan 02 - 05:38 AM Can't remember the title but there's a trad song - Steeleye Span do it, about a farmer who goes takes his old grey mare to market to sell her, and gets tricked by a trader, who, having tidied her up (plaited her mane etc) sells her back to the farmer as a different animal, much to the disgust of his wife and daughter. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,Stavanger Bill Date: 23 Jan 02 - 06:36 AM One suitable for illustration or animation would be Archie Fisher's "Witch of the Westmoreland" - basically tells the tale of a knight wounded in battle who is told that he must seek and catch the Witch of the Westmoreland in order to heal his wounds. The knight aided by his hound, hawk and horse succeed in catching the Witch, who then must cure him to regain her freedom. Ends: Ride with brindled hound to heel And you're good grey hawk in hand For there's none can harm the knight who's lain Wi the Witch of the Westmoreland. The lyrics are fantastically descriptive, great song and story. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,Amy Date: 23 Jan 02 - 08:31 AM Wow! Lots of suggestions to investigate. In response to some previous threads... I work in watercolor and paint in a fairly realistic style. I teach music to children ages 5-8 so perhaps that is really the ages I am looking for. My book "The Crabfish" is indeed not your average bawdy version of the song! I traced the many versions of the Crabfish in my master's thesis and used it as the basis for discussion the reasons and types of textual variation that occur in folksongs. Fascinating study. I used a version collected by Cecil Sharp and added my own ending...I find it works quite well with "young children". As for getting a copy of my book...it may be a few years before it is out on the shelves...it shall be grand when it is however! Simms Taback illustrated a book "joseph had a little overcoat" a few years ago that won the Caldecott Medal. This is based on a yiddish folksong. Folksongs can be a hard sell in the publishing world. Either publishers are tired of doing the same songs again or are leary of taking on more obscure songs that the general public does not know...(like The Crabfish :). Anyway his book and the song he used has the right elements of simplicity, the ability to be illustrated etc. I noticed some people joining the discussion may be writing from England. I am new to these discussions... and am amazed at the widespread input I can get - Thanks! |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SharonA Date: 23 Jan 02 - 09:03 AM Bobert and P-Vine: What is Orff music? |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: MMario Date: 23 Jan 02 - 09:09 AM Amy - yes - this is a worldwide forum; I believe we now have members from every continent! (yes, even Antartica if Wyowoman's post is correct) What about 'Aiken Drum'?
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Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Gary T Date: 23 Jan 02 - 10:16 AM She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain The Crawdad Song Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SharonA Date: 23 Jan 02 - 11:15 AM "Tie Me Kangaroo Down"????? (Wouldn't the part about tanning his hide when he's dead – Fred – be too traumatic for young kids?) (Not to mention the whole issue of holding aboriginals as slaves: "Let me abo go loose, Bruce...") |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Keith A of Hertford Date: 23 Jan 02 - 04:58 PM One possible origin of "Liverpool Judies have got us in tow" is that the professional ladies of that town would row out to assist ships into port when business was slow. I see a version of Turner's Fighting Temerraire but instead of being towed by a steam tug, by a boat load of ladies in fishnet stockings,tight red dresses and leather mini skirts. Row bullies row, Keith. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,mg Date: 23 Jan 02 - 05:07 PM Zoom zoom cuddle and croon down by the misty sea The moonman sings a silvery dream?? fashioned by moonbeams 3 and the tide goes out and the tide goes in and nodding...?? and why the moonman fishes the sea only the moonman knows. Also a great lullaby for the lullaby thread.
Also, one more river, that's the river of Jordan.. Zoon, Zoon (The Moon Man) |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: CapriUni Date: 24 Jan 02 - 12:11 AM "I teach music to children ages 5-8 so perhaps that is really the ages I am looking for." In that case, I'll still recommend Bonnie Lass of Anglesey, especially for girls. That age range is the prime target for Barbie[tm], and many parents are looking for something to counter that kind of image pressure. There's not many stories out there for that age that have strong women or girls as central characters, and if you're looking to sell this story to publishers, one selling point could be that this is a story that could fill that niche. Yes, it is a Child ballad, but has is no sex, and no violence, what it does have is kings and knights, and galloping across the countryside, and a young woman who is stronger and more poised than 15 warlords. :-) Heck, if you don't do it as a book, I might... ;-) |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,swirlygirl Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:58 AM What about the musket, fife and drum-my one? Only I'd sing "Off she went to her grandfather's chest, and she brought him a ___ of the very very best..." instead of all the individual people...but the individuals might be better to illustrate... :) xxx |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: My guru always said Date: 24 Jan 02 - 09:39 AM How about 'Jennifer's Rabbit' by Tom Paxton. It's only got 6 verses but the words are absolutely magical. I've found the words in the DT, sorry, can't link yet, try taking a look. The first verse goes: Jennifer's rabbit, brown & white, Left the house & ran away one night, Along with a turtle & a kangaroo, And twenty-four monkeys from the city zoo, And Jennifer too. I've always wondered if anyone would illustrate it, maybe now's the time! |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Steve Parkes Date: 24 Jan 02 - 10:24 AM "Liverpool Judies" refers to the currents in the Mersey Estuary (or round that way somewhere; maybe tidal?), which speed the ship on her way to the port. Richard Dana in "Two years before the mast" said that when a vessel got into the north-bound currrent (I forget which one!) off the Eastern Seabord, the sailors used to say "The Boston girls have got hold of the tow-rope." That would make a nice illustion, I think; in fact there's a faint glimmer of Heath Robinson's pics for Anderen's "Little memaid" at the back of my mind. There are some contemprary wood-engraved illustrations of the Alabama and the Kearsage, which are worth looking at for verisimiltude's sake; the guns are unbelievably enormous! Les from Hull: you obviously know the same "Crabfish" I do. Now that would make for some interesting drawings! Many years ago my then singing partner, Barrie Roberts, printed a lot of songs on "broadsheets" (which were actually no bigger than A4) with copies of woodcuts or wood engravings or sometimes original drawings of his own. John Foreman, the self-styled "Broadsheet King" has been doing the same thing since time immoral, too. I think we should encourage this kind of thing, and maybe Amy (and others) would make them available through the Mudcat? Steve |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,Amy Date: 24 Jan 02 - 02:56 PM To "my guru always said"... I love the lyrics to Jennifer's Rabbit. I would illustrate that in a second! I did some research and found out that it was recently illustrated by Elizabeth Miles. Oh well... |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: My guru always said Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:24 AM To Amy, thanks for that, I'll check it out, I'd love to see what it came out like! Magical stuff! |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: Gary T Date: 25 Jan 02 - 09:59 AM SharonA, I always thought that line was "Let me emu go loose,"--I'd never heard of Aboriginal slaves in Australia. I guess the "tan me hide" verse might be a bit too graphic for some of the younger ones. I'm not sure what age kids tend to get interested in macabre and gross-out stuff. |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: CapriUni Date: 25 Jan 02 - 11:09 AM From Steve: "I think we should encourage this kind of thing, and maybe Amy (and others) would make them available through the Mudcat?" I think that is a Wonderful Idea, Steve!! Capital! I was reading, at the Contempator's short History of Broadside Ballads (here), that people who would buy broadsides would paste them up wherever it was convenient to read them, until the song was learned, and then take them down or paste over them. I suppose folks could do that by printing out lyrics in the DT, but it wouldn't be as much fun as having them beautifully illustrated... Maybe Amy and/or artiste types around here could start Mudcat's own BoM club (Broadside of the month, club, that is ;-)) and offer a different song for auction on the 1st of each month. I know I'd be interested in having a set.. I wouldn't just paste 'em up and take em down, though. I'd frame them very nicely, and put them on rotating display, for my guests and my own enjoyment -- maybe in the bathroom [where reading matter is always apreciated] or the bedroom [for the bawdy songs, of course ;-)], the library for the lyrical or historical songs, the dining area for the feasting/drinking songs, etc... What do you say, Mudcatters? What can we do to revive and reinvent the broadside tradition? |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SharonA Date: 25 Jan 02 - 12:38 PM GaryT: Here's a link to "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" in the DigiTrad: TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN The verse I referred to is as follows: Let me Abos go loose, Bruce Let me Abos go loose They're of no further use, Bruce So let me Abos go loose. I had always assumed that "letting Abos (a slur similar to the American slur 'darkies') go loose" meant freeing them from slavery upon the owner's death, as was sometimes done in the pre-Civil-War US. Am I assuming incorrectly? I searched briefly, using Google, and could not find any historical reference to Europeans ever having enslaved native Australians. But if the verse does not refer to slavery, what does it mean? |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: SharonA Date: 25 Jan 02 - 01:23 PM In reference to my last post: In order to prevent a high magnitude of thread-creep, I started a new thread on the subject of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" and my questions about that one verse. If anyone has any information or links that would help answer those questions, please go to the following thread to post them: Tie Me Kangaroo Down'let Abos go'explain Thanks! Now, back to our regularly scheduled discussion. Sharon |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: RoyH (Burl) Date: 25 Jan 02 - 04:36 PM I'm glad you made it clear that your 'Crabish' song was not the one I learned in the army. How about the Australian song 'The Drover's Dream'?. It's full of singing and dancing animals, that should be suitable. Burl |
Subject: RE: songs suitable for illustration From: GUEST,Amy Date: 26 Jan 02 - 01:40 PM Burl - Just out of curiosity what were the lyrics to the Crabfish version that you learned. I know about 30 versions...I am always out to find more :) I don't know the lyrics to "The Drover's Dream" - where could I find those, as Digitradition didn't have them. |
Subject: LYR ADD: link to Drover's Dream From: lamarca Date: 26 Jan 02 - 04:51 PM I can't believe this one hasn't been added to the DT, but here's the words on an old thread, and here's a site with the tune. This would be a really fun song to illustrate because of all the Aussie animals - some you may not be familiar with are:
Bandicoot I especially like the image of the emu "with its claw up to its ear", like Ewan MacColl when he sang... |
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