forgetfulness songs you can remember ??

Subject: Lyr Add: OH SHIT I'VE FORGOTTEN THE WORDS (M Lewis
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 04:52 PM

Hi folks,
    The song Leadfingers wanted me to offer up is "Oh Shit! I've Forgotten the Words" which was written by my old friend and performing partner in 'Laidback Folk', Murray Lewis. Hamish Imlach recorded this although I think he 'created' a chorus where Murray didn't write one.

      Murray wrote this one night at a folk club where it seemed every floor singer was afflicted with memory loss. Murray nipped out to the loo and scrawled down some words, came back and sang the song.

      To make it memorable he used his initials, M L and then S O S to start the words to each verse (it is not the song in which to forget the words!) I know, I have!



OH SHIT I'VE FORGOTTEN THE WORDS, by Murray Lewis

My heart is a-pounding within my breast,
I've remembered the first line but forgotten the rest,
A memory like mine is one hell of a pest,
Oh shit, I've forgotten the words.

Last time that I sang it, it went down a treat,
Then a dog started howling right out in the street,
And I spilt my beer all over my feet,
Oh shit, I've forgotten the words.

Some time they come by line as I sing,
But tonight I cannot recall a thing,
Terry's* sure to know them, should have given him a ring,
Oh shit, I've forgotten the words.

On a scrap of paper** I had them wrote down,
But I threw it away as I came through the town,
And now I am feeling one hell of a clown,
Oh shit, I've forgotten the words.

So come all of you singers and practice your verse,
For if you do not you surely will curse,
But if you follow me then you cannot do worse,
Oh shit, I've forgotten the words.


* Murray always changed the name depending on the venue, usually inserting the M/C's name.

** Murray actually wrote, 'On the back of a fag packet, I had them wrote down.' but since he actually died of lung cancer I can't bring my self to sing his words. He literally smoked himself to death.

    He was a dear, dear friend who was there for me at the darkest time in my life. When he died his daughter gave me his song book in which he had notated all his songs. (He actually took a week off work to decorate his flat but ended up creating his song book instead.) If anyone would like copies of Murray's songs, pm me.

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 01:39 PM

Hi, Open Mike. I meant to mention that 'Forget Me Not' [the song with the whatcha-call-ems] was written by Lou and Peter Berryman. I'm sure you can find out more by searching for them.

This verse out to whet your appetite further:

"I almost can remember what you looked like -
your elbow on the gizmo of the chair -
Pinning on the doodad for your dickey
and snapping the doo-hickey in your hair."

The song tells a good story, but it also showcases how many substitute words we have for when we can't remember the noun we have in mind.

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: open mike
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 02:51 PM

any more info on this one: Whatchacallems Blossom !

gotta hear more about those thing-a-ma-jigs
or are they dew-hickies?

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 01:40 PM

A felloew muso at an open mic recently told me, "I love the way you just start talkin in the middle of a song, or even in the middle of a line, as if you've forgotten the words." Phew, they think it's part of the act!

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: deepdoc1
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 09:42 AM

To OP, Tom Rush does Remember? which fills the bill for the glasses and the car keys. It's on his _Trolling for Owls_ album, and was written by Steve Walters. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Leadfingers
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 08:49 AM

Bob H - Where are you ??

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 08:45 AM

Not the same song, but one of my favorites is 'Forget me not,' a/k/a 'When the Whatchacallems Blossom by the Back Porch.'

It is about half-remembered, unrequited love.

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Marje
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 08:31 AM

I know the Hamish Imlach one and have sung it. I generally save it for occasions when several singers (posibly including me) have messed up the words, to the point where it's beginning to seem like a contagious outbreak of amnesia.

The trouble is, I have to be absolutely sure I can remember the words - more than any other song, that one would be ruined if I got stuck!

Marje

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: open mike
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 04:48 AM

yes, that's the one...Remember? by Steven Walters
I can't remember who i have heard singing this..
but that's par for the course, i suppose?

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Young Buchan
Date: 15 Feb 10 - 04:37 AM

John Lawson of the Sun folk club in Stockton wrote a song called I've Forgotten The Words about a folk-singer with said problem. Regretably I can't remember it....

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: eddie1
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 11:37 PM

Could this be the one

Tom Rush - Remember Song?

Eddie

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Artful Codger
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 10:51 PM

♫ Yesterday,
What the hell did I do yesterday?... ♫

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: Effsee
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 10:48 PM

I seem to remember a song that Hamish Imlach recorded where the final line in every verse was "Oh shit, I've forgotten the words!"

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: open mike
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 10:22 PM

come on, can't any of you geezers remember these?

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: open mike
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 06:00 PM

oops--can't find that URL...is there a "WWW" in there somewhere?
since it is on the world wide wierdness...

Subject: RE: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: GUEST,Guessed
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 05:08 PM

I don't know those ones, but this one is very good:

http://mog.com/music/Firehose/If%27n/Me_&_You,_Remembering#play

Firehose - Me and you remembering

Subject: forgetfullness songs you can remember ??
From: open mike
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 03:45 PM

I am searching for a song about someone who has lost their keys, glasses, (and maybe their mind, too). does anyone know this one?

As we folk singers continue to age, there is a growing number of these.

I have heard a comical take on "Last Thing on My Mind" by Hot Soup called What was the last thing on my mind?

here is a video link that was sent to me today..
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=7lSliucgygc

are you able to remember any of these songs?

if you know of any, esp. that first one, please put info here..