Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song

Subject: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 04:54 PM

This is an autobiographical song, from this year's the National Folk Festival, as Mudcatter Noreen can confirm....

One of my favourite cartoons has a man walking out of a door marked "University Department of Philosophy" - and he's saying to himself "Ah, well, musn't grumble".

So here is a song taking this philosophical approach. Jean Paul Sartre is there to give it a bit of academic weight - well, he did place much signifcance on the concept that "Les choses sont contre nous. Things are against us", as quoted in the last verse - and he was also rather concrrend about "le regard d'autrui", which ties in with a line in my first verse.

Though to be honest, the philosophy here is more redolent of Paul Jenning's subversive parody of Existentialism, "Resistentalism".

Philosophical Song
                  C                G
Have you ever tried to sing a song,
         C                                     F
And all at once the words are gone,
          C                        
And though you try to carry on
         D             G
And finish anyway
       C                  G
Still everyone is watching you
      C                                        F
"I wonder what he's going to do?"
          C                                    
You wish the ground could swallow you.
       D                      G
And let you crawl away.
             F                     C
You're feeling so perplexed,
               F                      C
You've quite forgot the text,
               F            C          F             C
You're standing there in dumb despair,
         D                                     G
You don't know what comes next
                F                      C
Like you stepped upon a stair,
          F                           C
And there was nothing there,
          F          C            F    C
Your feet and mind are re-aligned –
       F         G       C
It's all just empty air.

It happened just like that one night,
The words just went out like a light,
I think they thought that I was tight,
And I could take no more.
So I bought myself a glass of beer,
And set it underneath my chair,
Then kicked it over, unaware,
It splattered on the floor.
And didn't I feel vexed
My friendly drink upset,
"Last Orders, Sir" – so no more beer.
Oh what would hit me next?
Like I'd stepped upon a stair,
And there was nothing there,
An empty glass, alack alas,
All full of empty air.

But now I'll cut my story short,
I'll spare you all the full report,
But all at once I had a thought -
My cup did over flow,.
Bur didn't Jean Paul Sartre say
There's things against us everyday
No use to grumble anyway,
Philosophy can show ,
When things cannot be fixed.
No need for getting vexed,
Just shake your head, and go to bed,
Prepare for what comes next.
When you step upon a stair,
And there is nothing there,
No good to rage, or shake your cage –
It's only empty air.

29th March 2004

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 28 Mar 04 - 05:11 PM

Kevin

Good song, but I think quoting French philosophers might be a tad undiplomatic in the circs. It was all on the big screen in the bar last night.....

Kitty

PS we could do with a song about Y the inflatable roo, too!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 01:25 PM

The roo? I missed that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 02:45 PM

Good song, Kevin! I quite agree with the sentiment.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 29 Mar 04 - 05:47 PM

Kevin

I don't play guitar so I haven't tried the chords, but I think you could sing it to the tune of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Bob Hawkes blew up (inflated, not exploded)a kangaroo in the bar yesterday afternoon. Why? we wondered.

A good weekend - ironic that Bob Copper died the day after the National had ended.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 06:01 AM

Napoleon Bonaparte? Not the tune I had in mind, but that's not a bad idea. I think I'll try it that way.

Needed a few changes in the last half of the verse to scan. And I've stuck in an extra verse to match where the tune has been before. And, of course, you are more than wlecome to sing it any time:

Have you ever tried to sing a song,
And all at once the words are gone,      
And though you try to carry on
And finish anyway
Still everyone is watching you
"I wonder what he's going to do?"               
You wish the ground could swallow you.
And let you crawl away.
You feel quite naked and perplexed,
You've quite forgot your tuneful text,
You're standing there in dumb despair,
You don't know what comes next
Like you have stepped upon a stair,
And found too late there's nothing there,
Your feet and mind are re-aligned –
It's all just empty air.

It happened just like that one night,
The words just went out like a light,
I think they thought that I was tight,
And I could take no more.
So I bought myself a glass of beer,
And set it underneath my chair,
Then kicked it over, unaware,
It splattered on the floor.
And didn't I feel sore and vexed
My friendly drink was quite upset,
"Last Orders, Sir" – so no more beer.
Oh what would hit me next?
Like I had stepped upon a stair,
And found too late there's nothing there,
A vacant glass, alack alas,
All full of empty air.

But now I'll cut my story short,
I'll spare you all the full report,
But all at once I had a thought -
My cup did over flow,.
Bur didn't Jean Paul Sartre say
There's things against us everyday
No use to grumble anyway,
Philosophy can show,
When things fall out that can't be fixed.
No earthly use for getting vexed,
Just shake your head, and go to bed,
Prepare for what comes next.
And when you step upon a stair,
And find too late there's nothing there,
No good to rage, or shake your cage –
It's only empty air.

So if your words should fall apart,
Think on Napoleon Bonaparte,
And how at length he did depart
For Saint Helena's shores,
And did he rage and did he curse
Or did he mutter something worse?
Oh no, he sang a tuneful verse,
Rehearsing all his wars.
And in the South Atlantic he
Displayed such equanimity,
His hand he pressed across his chest -
And gazed out at the sea.
So when you step upon a stair,
And find too late there's nothing there,
Great Boney too fell, just like you -
It's only empty air.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 01:14 PM

Kevin-

There are evenings at our local coffeehouse where this song would be appreciated, if I could remember the words.

Or maybe, even if I couldn't!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 01:28 PM

I think I'll stick a copy in my pocket, and then the next time I get stuck for words in the middle of a song, I'll whip it out and use it instead.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Philosophical Song
From: RichardP
Date: 30 Mar 04 - 01:33 PM

Hi McGrath,

Spotted you now. I felt for you when the poem just dried up. Still that song looks like a very worthwhile product of a bit of embarassment.

Richard