ADD: The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over(Goodman)

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Art Thieme
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:54 AM

Who is June Tabor???

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:25 PM

Joe, I **hope** none of my occasionally argumentative words have appeared 'nasty' to anyone...and I certainly wasn't asking (or expecting) you to 'concede' to anything...I was just noting that, when we have aired a lot of the issues, we find many areas of agreement...and if we were all in the same room, talking and singing, we would probably get along pretty well most of the time.

I have a genuine concern that the same process that you refer to in the clubs, where the 'old' stuff is gradually overwhelmed by the 'new & different' stuff will eventually make even this forum a sea of singer-songwriter,pop-commercial stuff with the 'purist' stuff lost in the shuffle. Am I too paranoid? Perhaps I am--time will tell.

**Re-stating my disclaimer**...purist, traditional, old,etc. music is NOT the only thing I like..I sing and play and listen to many things which even I know are not folk/trad....I just want to be able to find it when I want it....much as environmentalists want to preserve 'natural' ecological areas so our grandchildren don't have to go to a few specialized zoos or arboretums to understand what once existed in the wild.

I know that old-growth forest and herds of buffalo will never again be the 'norm', just as groups of friends making up songs & tunes just for fun will never be the 'norm' again...partly because we no longer 'need' that to have music and express feelings...we can go buy something that says something about what we feel or about our society---except that the tendency is then to allow the 'store-bought' songs to do a lot of the defining of trends and feelings...and I really think there is a difference between the way it works now and the way it used to...so I keep on trying to keep those differences clear in my mind.

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:30 PM

oh...and June Tabor was a young woman who did a lot of quite traditional songs (I have a couple of 1976-77 records she made)...except that she had a lot of synthesizer and drums...etc., mixed with traditional instruments, as backup...interesting, but not quite my cup of tea...

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Dawn
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:35 PM

Alex-

I was just at my favorite music store getting new tuning pegs put on my guitar and inquired about Steve Goodman books. There is nothing in print at this time - and to their knowledge, never was - at least as a Steve Goodman collection. I didn't take the time to check in their encyclopedia of printed music for individual song titles that may be in anthologies of "folk music" - ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From:
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 08:41 PM

I don't think the folk who learned folk by ear really cared about the song's history, if they liked it. Most of the old people I knew just sang songs they liked, many of which were folk songs, many of which were not.

Besides, someone, somewhere, had to write the original version of the folk song. They didn't appear like mist out of a bog. Some Elizabethan or Georgian Steve Goodman was behind them.

(That's not to say that there isn't a great value in finding the ur-version, or Q-version, whatever you may call it, usually to clear up corruptions and nonsense in the lyrics of versions passed down from singer to singer. In two hundred years time someone might be trying to find the original version of a Steve Goodman song.)

Look at Finnegan's Wake, discussed here on another thread. How old can that be? Old enough for James Joyce to know of it but I'd be surprised if it is older than the nineteenth century.

I didn't know that comments here could be censored. How many people possess this power, and what criteria are used to determine what should or should not be exposed to view? We should have a TOS, like AOL does, for guidance. Does this mean no more threads on naughty children's songs? And what if someone posted the non-PC version of Congo River? Censorship is always a slippery slope. I'd rather risk being offended.

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Will
Date: 02 Mar 98 - 09:29 PM

Art, June Tabor is a British singer, still recording as far as I know and certainly still singing. Perhaps not so young, but only the dead stay that way. She has recorded several CDs of her own, plus at least two "Silly Sisters" recordings with Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span and one CD with the Oyster Band. I quite like her voice and the music. I also like the musical support, which ranges from a capella to pretty much everything across the board.

I threw in the reference earlier because I can imagine her singing and recording a wide range.

As you would expect, there a bunch of web pages with information about her. The following is one excerpt.

from: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Dave_Smith_6/junetabo.htm (The opinions expressed are those of the author of the page).

June Tabor is often referred to as the leading voice in British Folk music, but, in reality, her tremendously powerful artistry cannot be confined by that definition. Her resonant, expressive contralto and intelligent approach to song interpretation has taken her beyond a repertoire restricted by regional or national heritage. She has created for herself a role of song interpreter that has more in common with the popular and art traditions of Germany (and thus singers such as Lotte Lenya, Ute Lemper and Dagmar Krause).

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Mar 98 - 12:36 AM

Sorry folks, Guess I sure should know of her. I'm from another era me thinks. Bert Lloyd (A.L.) & Ewan are still the top Brit. voices to this old folkie. Lou Killen too. Art

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From:
Date: 03 Mar 98 - 08:44 PM

Art, "Blow Boys Blow" by Lloyd and McColl is out on CD. And what's nice about this re-released old trad stuff is it is so cheap. (Same with a lot of old Louis Armstrong stuff). I think I paid eight or ten bucks Canadian for my copy, which is what I was paying for LP's in the early eighties.

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Will
Date: 03 Mar 98 - 08:55 PM

And there is a nice recent CD of MacColl and Peggy Seegar from the BBC (Folk on 2). Got it at my library, too.

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Will
Date: 03 Mar 98 - 08:57 PM

My last post about Folk on 2 gave me the answer, I think. It's folk if the BBC or the CBC says it is.

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Art Thieme
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 12:46 AM

Talked to Peggy recently. She's living in the states now. Sent her new CD here: NEVER heard her sound better! Great hard-hitting topics presented in a very new way for her. She was shrill to my ears previously---this much mellower> Title of her new CD is PEGGY SEEGER----AN ODD COLLECTION (is on Rounder) Check it out!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Mar 98 - 09:19 AM

Peggy also has a home page on the internet. If I remember correctly it's www.peggyseeger.com

Subject: 20TH CENTURY
From: JIM
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 11:24 AM

looking for song about the 20th century is almost over which is also the chorus. I think Sam Goodman wrote it

Subject: RE: 20TH CENTURY
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 11:31 AM

It may be in the DT but I couldn't find it. Here's the version I know:

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS ALMOST OVER
(Steve Goodman)

Back in 1899, when everyone was singing "Auld Lang Syne",
A century took a long, long time for every boy and girl.
Now there's just one thing I'd like to know, Where did the 20th century go?
I'd swear it was here just a minute ago. All over this world.

(Chorus:) And the 20th century is almost over, almost over, almost over,
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world,
All over this world, all over this world.
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world.

Does anyone remember the Great Depression? I read all about it in True Confessions,
Sorry I was late for the recording sessions, but somebody put me on hold.
Has anybody seen my linoleum floors, petroleum jelly and two world wars.
The got stuck in the revolving doors, All over this world. CHORUS

Winters getting cooler, summer's getting hotter,
wishing well's wishing for another drop of water,
Mother Earth's blushing 'cause somebody caught her
Making love with the man in the moon.
How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm, Now that outer space has lost its charm.
Somebody set off the burglar alarm, And not a moment too soon. CHORUS

Old Father Time has got his toes a tappin', Standin' in the window grumblin and a rappin',
Everybody's waiting for something to happen, Tell me if it happens to you,
The Judgment Day is getting nearer, there it is in the rear view mirror.
If you duck down, I could see a little clearer, All over this world. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyrics please:20th Century's Almost Over
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 11:45 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 20th Century Is Almost Over (S Goodma
From: GUEST,Doug Henkle
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 11:20 AM

>Date: 02 Mar 98 - 12:38 AM
>From: Joe Offer
>...
>And for the Mother of All Steve Goodman Pages, Click Here.

    My old index page for Steve Goodman referenced above,
   (http://www.execpc.com/~henkle/fbindex/g/goodman_steve.html)
moved on 7-04-2000 to,
   http://www.folklib.net/index/g/goodman_steve.shtml
________________________________________________
Doug Henkle - [e-mail]
P.O. Box 1447, Oshkosh, WI 54903-1447

http://www.folklib.net/
   FolkLib Index: A Library of Folk Music Links

http://www.folklib.net/index/wi/
   FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Music Site Map
   (everything related to Wisconsin Music and Musicians)

---

Link updated. Thanks, Doug.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD 2020 Is Almost Over
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Dec 20 - 09:33 PM

My friend Larry Montgomery is a wonderful person, a fascinating songwriter, and an amazing bird photographer. Here's his update of "20th Century is Almost Over."

2020 IS ALMOST OVER
(Larry Montgomery)

Back in December 2019, no one asked Santa for a COVID vaccine,
We sure weren't expecting a quarantine, for every boy and girl,
Now there's just one thing I'd like to know, when will 2020 go,
2021 is gettin' here too slow, All over this world

CHORUS
And now 2020 is almost over,
Almost over, almost over
2020 is almost over
All over this world.
All over this world, all over this world
2020 is almost over, all over this world.

We're all just longing for a brand new year, hold on folks it's almost here,
We'll see 2020 in the rear view mirror, Not a minute too soon,
How you gonna keep em down on the farm, Now that the Space Farce has stolen all the charm,
They just might use nuclear arms, to wipe the smile off the man in the moon.

CH

With a con man in charge, the nation is hurtin',
But things will get better, that's for certain,
Biden's not beholden to the iron curtain,
Unlike Don the con,
Does anyone remember the great recession,
I read all about it in a Facebook session,
But nobody learned the history lesson, So the scam goes on and on

CH

------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in 1899, when everyone was singing "Auld Lang Syne"
A century took a long, long time for every boy and girl.
Now there's only one thing that I'd like to know
Where did the 20th century go?
I'd swear it was here just a minute ago
All over this world.

Chorus:
And now the 20th century is almost over,
Almost over, almost over
The 20th century is almost over
All over this world.
All over this world, all over this world
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world.

Does anyone remember the Great Depression?
I read all about it in True Confession
I'm sorry I was late for the recording session
But somebody put me on hold.
Has anybody seen my linoleum floors
Petroleum jelly, and two World Wars?
They got stuck in the revolving doors
All over this world.
And now...

The winter's getting colder, summer's getting hotter
Wishin' well's wishin' for another drop of water.
And Mother Earth's blushin' 'cause somebody caught her
Makin' love to the Man in the Moon.
Tell me how you gonna keep 'em down on the farm
Now that outer space has lost its charm?
Somebody set off a burglar alarm
And not a moment too soon.
Because...

Old Father Time has got his toes a tappin'
Standing in the window, grumblin' and a rappin'
Everybody's waiting for something to happen.
Tell me if it happens to you!
The Judgment Day is getting nearer
There it is in the rear view mirror.
If you duck down I could see a little clearer
All over this world!

And now...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 28 Dec 20 - 06:22 AM

I didn't see this thread first time around. If I had my response would have been similar to the following:

I heard a song (a filk, but that's another matter) done for the 2000 UK filk convention. I loved the original, but . . .

The opening lines (and whole premise of the song) was:
"The twentieth century's over, alas.
Oh shed a tear for the days that are gone."

The parody was not long in coming, and matched the number of verses, and most of the rhyme scheme. The parody started:
"The twentieth century's over, Oh no.
For pedants will tell you there's one year to go."

The biggest belly-laugh this got when I performed it in a circle that evening was from the original writer.