modern lyrics for traditional tunes

Subject: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: winniemih
Date: 28 Jan 01 - 09:18 PM

I recently came across a recording by a group called Connemara who do a lovely rendition of the trad. Irish fiddle tune "The Scholar", which has lyrics that were written more recently than the tune (according to the liner notes). I'm interested in more of the same sort, as I'm learning fiddle. I've done vocals for many years and I'm thinking that learning the words with the tune will help permanently fix in my brain the tune for fiddling. Anyone know of others that might be found on a typical session list? Thanks for the help. Winnie

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: M.Ted
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 01:01 PM

Most folk melodies pre-existed the lyrics that we know to them--there are many popular songs that are nothing more than new lyrics to tradtional melodies--Your idea is a good one, because it is always easier to work with something that you already know--I would suggest simply thinking about all the songs you know, then figuring, if it sounds like it is a folk melody, chances are that it is--

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: Bert
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 01:21 PM

You're right there M. Ted. and it includes practically everything on Cowpie.

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 04:08 AM

There are some funny ones but I don't know if you would be interested. If so start with the tune for 'The White Cockade' and insert the words for any one of -

Does you chewing-gum loose it's flavour
My old man's a dustman
Yellow submarine
Pinball Wizard
Karma Chameleon
Sit down next to me

and so on....

I do 'Chantilly Lace' to the tune of the Parting Glass - always fun!

Enjoy

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: Mikey joe
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 09:21 AM

You couldn't have come at a better time by Luka Bloom (aka Barry Moore) which works around the Kesh Jig

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: GUEST,SUsan-Marie
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 01:44 PM

Temperance Reel has lyrics entitled "Invitation to a Funeral" (they're in the Forum).

Mist Covered Mountains of Home (a Scots air) has two sets of lyrics, one with the same title as the tune and another called "Immigrant Mothers Lullaby" or "Hush Hush".

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: Jacob B
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 04:52 PM

Winnie,

Lots of people have learned tunes in the way that you plan to. If you tell us the names of some of the tunes that you want to learn, I bet that people will give you the words which they used to learn those tunes.

Give me all my money, for I'm Off To California
Never mind the furthermore, the plea is self defense
Skinna ma linky doodle dum, don't say I didn't warn ya
I'm off to California, and I'm sitting on a fence

Jacob

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 11:30 PM

Dig through the Mudcat Songbook and you'll find scores of freshly minted numbers based on 100% GENUINE news events, with tunes which reach back int' the mists of history like dawn searching for midnight. All of the very best natural phonemes with guaranteed 100% human sentiment richly interlarded between the carefully handcrafted scansions. Absolute bargains, is what!

A

Subject: RE: modern lyrics for traditional tunes
From:
Date: 30 Jan 01 - 11:36 PM

Good thread for this.....

Someone mentioned on the Cape BReton Music list, that he had heard that Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald had the tune based on a traditional one. His question was did anyone know the trad tune it was based on.

Later in the day someone came up with a possible tune name for it.

Right now I can't remember which tune it was, but if I come across it again, I'll pass it on.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MAID BEHIND THE BAR
From: Stewart
Date: 31 Jan 01 - 12:22 PM

Peter Cooper in "Mel Bay's Complete Irish Fiddle Player" gives lyrics to the fiddle tune (reel) "The Maid Behind the Bar" that one of his students (Barbara Lester) made up in order to help learn the tune by ear.It works great to play the fiddle tune and then sing the song

Oh, there was a maid behind the bar and that was where she stayed
Though her friends all cried "Come out! Come out!" they never could persuade
The maid behind the bar to move - she never would come out,
Her sole purpose on this earthly plane was serving mugs of stout.

Oh, unambitious serving maid, she's overworked and underpaid
Has she no longing to be free? no existential agony?
While serving beers and stouts to ungrateful drunken louts,
Oh, is it too late to change her fate, the maid behind the bar?

Cheers, S. in Seattle