Subject: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Red and White Rabbit Date: 06 Dec 02 - 02:45 AM looking for the lyrics of a song I heard the other day sung by the black family - dont know the title of the song but it was about waving and mending and the girl 'singing it' finally finding the old woman in herself. one of the lines of the chorus was weave and spin sisters and there was something about collecting the threads/colours in the verses. I am hopeless at this but I am still hoping you can come up trumps cos that line keeps going round in my head - a bit like when MC FAT sang Rother sing Don Song and that plagued me for weeks til I grovelled for the words |
Subject: ADD: Weave and Mend (Trup/Cameron) From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 06 Dec 02 - 06:24 AM It's Weave and MEND, and my women's chorus has performed it. WEAVE AND MEND (Mary Trup/ Ann Cameron) 1. Old Woman is watching, watching over you; In the darkness of the storm she is watching; She is weaving, mending, gathering the fragments; She is watching over you- REFRAIN: (So)Weave and mend, weave and mend, gather the fragments, safe within the sacred circle, sisters, weave and mend (2x) Old Woman, weave and mend. 2. Old Woman is weaving, gathering the threads; Her bones become the loom, she is weaving; She is watching, weaving, gathering the colors; She is watching over you. REFRAIN. 3. For years I've been watching, waiting for Old Woman, Feeling lost and so alone, I've been watching, Now I find her weaving; gathering the colors, Now I find her in myself. We usually have a young woman sing verse 1, an older woman sing v. 2, and a grey-haired beauty sing the final verse. Very moving! It's based on Daughters of Copper Woman, a book about the Nootka tribe in the Pacific Northwest. Mary Cameron wasn't happy about the song, I understand! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 06 Dec 02 - 07:32 AM BTW, there is a song with the term "Weave and spin" prominent in the chorus. It's Aragon Mill, but others might be familiar with it as "Belfast Mill" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Wilfried Schaum Date: 06 Dec 02 - 08:44 AM How interesting! The song instantly reminded me of the three women in ancient mythology spinning the threads of human lives. The multitude of threads may be imagined as a weaving. The first spins the threads, the second measures them, the third cuts them off. In Greek such a woman is called Parze, in German a Norne. They might be related to the three witches starting Shakespeare's Macbeth. Wilfried |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Red and White Rabbit Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:14 AM Many thanks It never ceases to amaze me how quickly catters turn up trumps with lyrics |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: open mike Date: 06 Dec 02 - 05:16 PM there is also an asian folk tals about a crane who weaves her feathers, and as she plucks them she bleeds. she may be a woman changed into a bird...\ i believe the story teller's name waws Brenda Wong Ioki that i heard this story from.. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: SINSULL Date: 06 Dec 02 - 05:32 PM The Greek women were the Three Graces or Three Fates. Clotho , Lachesis and ???? Damn! My books are still packed. One spins, one weaves, and one cuts - the thread of a human life determining its length. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Big Mick Date: 06 Dec 02 - 06:18 PM We had a discussion several years ago about this song. It was in the WOMEN'S SONG CIRCLE thread. In that thread Allison "Animaterra" gave us some insight into what inspired the song. Hit the link, and the discussion begins with about the fourth post in the thread, which was from me. Great song! Mick |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Dec 02 - 07:28 PM Glancing at the thread title reminded me of a little song I hadn't thought of in years. I think Dyer-Bennet recorded it, I know my father sang it. "Buckeye Jim," I think it was called. Not related to the topic at hand, however--just an aside. SRS |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:01 PM And in the Norse mythology, they were the Norns, who held a man's life before them by a thread. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: John Minear Date: 07 Dec 02 - 08:22 AM Stilly River Sage mentioned the "Buckeye Jim" song above. The end of the chorus goes: "go weave and spin, you can't go, Buckeye Jim" It is interesting to try to locate this phrase in the larger context of what you are discussing on this thread. If you are interested in checking out "Buckeye Jim", aka "Limber Jim", click here. T.O.M. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Dec 02 - 08:53 PM Turtle Old Man, I posted to that list you linked to, with some information that occurred to me as I read through that post. It may or may not be helpful. Interesting all of the chores in addition to "weave and spin" that are referred to in these songs. There does seem to be a kindred spirit here. SRS |
Subject: LYR ADD: Launderland From: Mark Cohen Date: 07 Dec 02 - 09:39 PM Speaking of Aragon Mill, but on a slightly skewed note, this popped into my head at Camp Harmony 1988, and, with help from L.A. songwriter Sarah Lifton, this is what popped out. (Apologies to Si Kahn.) I think this made it into Sing Out! some years ago. Aloha, Mark LAUNDERLAND lyrics (c) 1988 Mark Cohen and Sarah Lifton tune: Aragon Mill by Si Kahn At the north end of town Half a block west of Grand There's a faded old sign And it says "Launderland" But there's no steam at all Coming out of the vents For the washers all broke down One just stole my ninety cents CHO: And my closet is bare And my hamper's full again Tell me what will I wear Rinse and spin, rinse and spin Well my Maytag is broke It just burped, coughed, and died Now I'm scrounging for change For a three-ounce box of Tide CHO There's a row of plastic chairs Some are orange, some are green There's a puddle on the floor Something's wrong with each machine One is filled up with suds One is fouled up with dirt One just stole all my change One just ate my last shirt CHO |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Haruo Date: 07 Dec 02 - 10:39 PM There's a Christian hymn "Restless Weaver", I think it's in the Chalice Hymnal; will have to check and see if it's in this vein, it's been a while since I looked at it (and I don't think I've ever tried to sing it, or heard it). Haruo |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: lamarca Date: 08 Dec 02 - 12:22 AM The Three Fates, or Moirai, were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. A good, brief description of their roles in mythology can be found here: http://www.loggia.com/myth/fates.html. (I read a whole LOT of Greek and Norse and Welsh mythology in my misspent youth...) |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: John Minear Date: 08 Dec 02 - 07:09 PM Stilly River Sage, thanks for your contribution at the "Limber Jim" site and for refreshing that thread. As I read back over this thread it became clear that it was focused on the role of women as the weavers and spinners in the real cotten mills and in the mythological mills of life. That makes the "Limber Jim/Buckeye Jim" reference even more puzzling. Buckeye Jim was obviously a male. Why is he being told to "go weave and spin" instead of wherever it was that he wanted to go: "Be limber, Jim, you can't go. Go weave and spin, you can't go, Buckeye Jim." T.O.M. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Dec 02 - 09:08 PM Men didn't weave and spin? This isn't true of historic times or in the pre-historic--there are too many variations on these tasks throughout the world, let alone in North America with all of the cultures here that would indicate otherwise. This is a fallacy, just as is the idea that only men hunted and women took care of the hunting and gathering in ancient cultures. Women did a lot of hunting of smaller game, and it's pretty clear they were active participants in some of the big game hunting as well (for the charismatic things like mammoth, bison, etc.) Think again about what he's being told--what possible contexts exist to explain the song? Are his skills as a weaver too valuable to let him choose to do something else? Is it a put-down, that all he can do is weave and spin? Don't decide it can't be true based on the idea that Real Men don't weave. SRS |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: weave and spin From: John Minear Date: 08 Dec 02 - 09:22 PM In response to your comment, SRS, I remember that among the Hopis, I think it was, and probably still is the case that the men do the weaving and spinning, especially of ritual sashes. This is in contrast to their Navajo neighbors, where the women spin and weave their beautiful rugs. And I have a neighbor who is a fine weaver, and is also a man! T.O.M. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Weave and Mend (Trup/Cameron) From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Dec 02 - 02:20 AM I wasn't very clear above--the myth was that men hunted and women gathered--my argument rolled over the top of the original statement before I made my point clearly. Better get some sleep. . . |
Subject: Lyr Add: RESTLESS WEAVER (O. I. Cricket Harrison) From: Haruo Date: 10 Dec 02 - 12:00 PM Here's the Disciples of Christ hymn I mentioned above, Restless Weaver. Although it's a Christian hymn I think many pagans, Jews and "others" could sing it without emendation; and it doesn't assign gender to the Weaver, so those who think God's a man for a' that can sing it too: RESTLESS WEAVER O. I. Cricket Harrison, 1988; rev. 1993; © 1995 Chalice Press The tune is BEACH SPRING, first pub. in Sacred Harp, 1844 (MIDI of more modern arrangement here) Restless Weaver, ever spinning threads of justice and shalom; dreaming patterns of creation where all creatures find a home; gathering up life's varied fibers every texture, every hue: grant us your creative vision. With us weave your world anew. Where earth's fragile web is raveling help us mend each broken strand. Bless our urgent, bold endeavors cleansing water, air and land. Through the Spirit's inspiration offering health where once was pain strengthen us to be the stewards of your world knit whole again. When our violent lust for power ends in lives abused and torn, from compassion's sturdy fabric fashion hope and trust reborn. Where injustice rules as tyrant, give us courage, God, to dare live our dreams of transformation. Make our lives incarnate prayer. Restless Weaver, still conceiving new life now and yet to be binding all your vast creation in one living tapestry: you have called us to be weavers. Let your love guide all we do. With your Reign of Peace our pattern, we will weave your world anew. I like it. Haruo |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Weave and Mend (Trup/Cameron) From: GUEST,Root Date: 21 Apr 18 - 02:15 PM I see three goddesses. One is spinning. One is weaving something meaningful, the third is not only cutting the thread but is also gathering up the wool, flax or cotton in order to prepare it for the spinner to start the next phase. Cutting the thread it's also reminiscent of the midwife cutting the umbilical cord, an end and a beginning. Each female figure is an aspect of the mystery of creation. |
Share Thread: |
Subject: | Help |
From: | |
Preview Automatic Linebreaks Make a link ("blue clicky") |