Lyr Req: Roseville Fair (Les Barker's parody)

Subject: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added vs.
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 12:20 AM

I saw double-bill concert a few years ago, that was Les Barker and June Tabor. During June's set, she sang the Roseville Faire with a verse, written by Les Barker, that involved the wife catching her husband cheating on her and smashing his head through a banjo "and we couldn't believe the improvement in the music"

For the life of me I can't remember it and was wondering if anyone here knew of it.

Thanks in advance,

Rich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:28 AM

I've just gotta see this. Anybody?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Cavia_P
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 08:50 AM

She pushed his head through the middle of the banjo;
And the old folks said; "That's the way to treat a banjo!"

I have the lyrics at home. My friend Maggie sings Roseville Fair, sometimes the traditional version, sometimes the parrody .
Cavia_P

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: KathWestra
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 11:50 AM

This is one where I hate to see the original (and no, it's not traditional) parodied. Call me sentimental. Bill Staines wrote "Roseville Fair." (with no "e" on the end!) I've heard it sung probably hundreds of times, by many different singers. I still love it. MushKath.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 12:08 PM

Rick Fielding resently taught me how to play Roseville Fair, Bill Staines style. It is a beautiful song. Soon I hope to play it at one of the Toronto Song Circles. It is a good song to have others join in on the chorus and I am hoping one of the guitarist there will accompany my banjo.
Rich the lyrics are available on the DigiTrad

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 12:13 PM

Here ya go
Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 02:44 PM

Was the whole song different from the original, Rich, or just the one verse?
Anybody know what Roseville Staines was referring to? We've got one outside Sacramento, and it's the home of the Placer County Fair (also the Roseville Auction, and the Union Pacific Railroad yard, dontchaknow).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: ROSEVILLE FAIR (parody by Les Barker)^^
From: Cavia_P
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 04:14 PM

Maybe I should post a spoiler warning, this is Les Barker's parody of Roseville Fair. Published in "Irritable Bow Wow Syndrome"


DON'T LOOK MUSHKATH!

Oh the night was clear and the stars were shining,
And the moon came out quiet in the sky
And the people gathered round and the band was tuning;
I can hear him now, comin' through the rye.

She was dressed in blue and she looked so lovely,
Just a gentle flower of a small town girl;
Then he took her by the hand and they danced to the music;
With a single smile she became his girl.

And they danced all night to the fiddle and the banjo;
Driftin' tunes filled the air;
So long ago now but I can still remember
When they fell in love at the Roseville Fair.

They courted well and they courted dearly
Till the followin' year at the self-same Fair;
She caught him holdin' hands with some floosy;
She cracked his skull with a rosewood chair.

And his head went right through the middle of the banjo;
She left them both well beyond repair;
And the old folks said "That's the way to treat a banjo";
She cracked his skull with a rosewood chair.

And we couldn't believe the improvement in the music;
Driftin' tunes filled the air;
With his head still stuck through the middle of the banjo.
We danced all night at the Roseville Fair.

And his head went right through the middle of the banjo;
She left them both well beyond repair;
And the old folks said "That's the way to treat a banjo";
She cracked his skull with a rosewood chair.

Apologies,
Cavia_P ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:05 PM

Thanks Cavia_P I think it's funny!

Jon (A banjo player who loves the real "Roseville Fair")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: GUEST,Rich(bodhránai gan cookie at friends compute
Date: 05 Oct 00 - 05:57 PM

Thanks Cavia.

Rich

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 10:29 AM

"Give my your 'E;", said the fiddle to the banjo,
"Or your 'D' or 'A', I just don't care."
And we sat around while the band was tuning
All night long, at tyhe Roseville Fair.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Musicman
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 11:06 AM

does bill know about this????? hmmmmm, wondering ... I'm going to see him in about 3 weeks...should I show it too him???hmmmmmm.......

Bill is coming to my house to do a concert in Vancouver, BC on October 22nd... first time ever in Vancouver.... looking forward to it....

btw...Roseville fair is one of my favorite songs to sing and play..... many have heard it on hearme....

might have to try the parody sometime too.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Turtle
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 01:58 PM

Re: the Roseville in the song, I heard Bill Staines say in concert once that he picked that name because there were so many Rosevilles, and that rather than writing the song about a specific town he wanted it to be widely applicable.

Until I heard that, of course, I thought it was about Roseville, MN!

Turtle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: bflat
Date: 06 Oct 00 - 08:14 PM

Joe, I heard Bill Staines in an interview say that it wasn't anyplace in particular. It was just a word that worked, I suppose. If I sleep on it, his words may come back to me, that's the kind of wierd memory I have.

Great song. Love to play it myself and often do.

bflat

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 03:11 AM

Having been in the same room as Les and a singer/songwriter of some note, one of whose songs Les had parodied, I can only say that he, like most people, took it as a great compliment.

We have had the 'to parody or not to parody' argument here so many times, it might be worth looking back at a few. I think the general consensus was that there is no song safe from parodying, but more than a few that are not worth it.... I'd take it as a huge compliment that Les had even HEARD of anything I've written, let alone taken the time and trouble to make a very funny version of it.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roseville Faire: Les Barker's added
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 01:20 PM

I caught a good bit of flack at a bluegrass fest once for just mentioning "Will the Turtle Be Unbroken" and that was by people, alot of whom if asked, would say that "Will the Circle..." is one of the most overplayed song in the genre but still shouldn't be fooled with.

Rich