Rhymes of a Red Cross Man

Subject:
From: CarlZen
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 12:17 AM

Reading the thread "Forgotten Soldier Boy" recalled the poetry of Robert W. Service, especially his poems about WWI in Rhymes of a Red Crossman. I know some of his poetry is trite, but like other folk artists there are some gems among the banal. Has anyone ever put any of his poetry to music?

Subject: Robert W. Service
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 04:15 AM

Hi, Carl - I saw a tune for "Cremation of Sam McGee" in a Jerry Silverman songbook I wish I had bought. Hank Snow, the Canadian cowboy singer, did recordings of Robert W. Service poems set to music, and so did Country Joe McDonald. Click here to get to one previous thread on Robert W. Service. Also here
Here is a thread about Hugh D'Arcy's "Face on the Floor," which many people confuse with Service's work.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 10:03 AM

Many times we say without thinking, "oh, not again!", but every time something comes up for the second, third or whatever time, someone has something new to add. So here's my new contribution.

You can order War, War, War by Joe McDonald from CDNow for the nifty sum of $9.47, but I do see it is listed as on backorder at the moment. There are several sound clips, though not for my favorite, Jean Desprez. Failing that, I think you can order it from Joe himself at http://www.dnai.com/~borneo/index.html He does have a let us know if you have any problems link on the How To Buy Stuff Page.

For ease of finding War, War, War at his site, here is a direct link to the cover art and lyrics. http://www.dnai.com/~borneo/war.htm There is a lot of entertaining reading at his site. (Which I have known about for quite a while ~~ a bit of house cleaning on my bookmarks last night brought it back to my consciousness, and now this thread. Serendipity, indeed.)

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Dale Rose
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 10:18 AM

I looked at Joe's Country Joe McDonald url, and saw that it was different from mine. After actually going there, I see they have the same content. Oh, well.

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: CarlZen
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 12:07 PM

Thanks, folks :-)

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From:
Date: 07 Aug 99 - 03:28 PM

Stompin' Tom Conners recorded a version of The Cremation of Sam McGee.

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 12:32 AM

The late David Parry did an album of settings of Robert W. Service poems called THE MAN FROM ELDORADO. David put it out on his own label but its now been assigned to Borealis Records in Toronto. Highly recommended.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: CarlZen
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 03:54 PM

Mike- Any more information as to how one could get ahold of ManFromElDorado? Address, web site, etc.????

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Marion
Date: 09 Aug 99 - 05:19 PM

Without too much difficulty you can fit Cremation Of Sam McGee into the tune for the verses of Star of the County Down.

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: AndyG
Date: 10 Aug 99 - 08:59 AM

Coming to the defence of a poet who I think neither "trite" nor "banal" - sorry.

The Robert W Service pages are here, including the text of:

The Shooting of Dan McGrew
The Cremation of Sam McGee
The Law of the Yukon
My Madonna
The Song of the Wage Slave
The Spell of the Yukon
The Men That Don't Fit In
The March of the Dead
The Low-Down White
The Heart of the Sourdough
The Land God Forgot
The Parson's Son
The Woman and the Angel

AndyG

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Moira Cameron, Yellowknife, NWT., Canada
Date: 10 Aug 99 - 07:14 PM

Thanks Andy! I second that notion!

As a person who lives in Canada's north, I can tell you that Robert's poems are classic northern material. I remember hearing a Metis storyteller in Yellowknife tell of his experiences working as a bush guide for the RCMP. He told of an incident which occured while leading a couple of RCMP officers to the cabin of a trapper. What they found almost exactly followed the storyline of Service's "Ballad of Blasphemous Bill", complete with attempts to thaw a frozen corpse.

Robert's light-heartedness in some of his ballads echos the sentiments of many Northerners. We all tell these outlandish tales--tongue in cheek, of course--to amaze the tourists.

What makes Robert such a great poet in my estimation is that he can write ballads like Sam McGee, and then write tear-jerkers like "Les Mutiles" from his war experiences.

Obviously, I am a fan.

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: DonMeixner
Date: 10 Aug 99 - 10:27 PM

As a collector of bush poetry I can tell you that at one time, depending on where you lived in the world, the most popular poets in the world were Kipling, Paterson, and Service. ( I own a First American Edition of Rhymes of a Red Cross Man) Their work was printed and reprinted in newspapers when that was the primary entertainment in the world. Imagine a time when a poet is held in the same awe and admiration as a Jim M orrison or Kurt Cobain or a Prince Who Formerly Thought He Was an Artist.

Don

Subject: RE: Rhymes of a Red Cross Man
From: Barry Finn
Date: 10 Aug 99 - 11:00 PM

Hi Moira, it's nice to see you back again, I guess things must be thawing up there & we're just starting to cool off down here. Congrats on your CD's, haven't heard them but the reviews were great. Barry