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02 Jun 99 - 11:27 AM (#83458) Subject: Song that changed your life From: Uilleand I don't know if anyone has created a thread like this before since I haven't been on the mudcat for long. But I was wondering how many of us out there have a song or songs that had such an impact on our lives that we actually feel we've made changes or failed to make changes because of that song. Or maybe there are songs that are repeating or ongoing themes in our lives. |
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02 Jun 99 - 11:44 AM (#83460) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Wolfgang Examples of songs that changed something was a related thread though most contributors thought of songs changing a part of the world and not a part of their private lives. Wolfgang |
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02 Jun 99 - 05:03 PM (#83504) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Roger in Baltimore Well, let me start. I have two friends who wrote a song called "Ball Park Figure". I adapted it a bit and it became a central part of my repertoire. I played it one evening at an outdoor open mic as part of a three part set. As I walked off stage and back to the audience, a woman stopped me and asked me if I had a tape of the song. I told her I didn't, but that if she sent me a blank tape I would record it on my cassette player and send it back to her. I gave her my card. We talked a while and then parted. On the way home, I realized that I should have gotten her number as she was quite pleasant to talk to and we both enjoyed music. That was Friday night. Monday morning there was a blank tape in the mail with a return address. I called her up and asked her out. Her name was Marge. She is my fiancee. That song, "Ball Park Figure", changed my life. Roger in Baltimore |
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03 Jun 99 - 04:51 PM (#83778) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Susan-Marie A song that changed MY life is ALtan's rendition of Lass of Glenshee. WHen I heard it several years ago, I was a former guitar player and singer who had given up on music for a decade because I couldn't find any I felt passionate about. Lass of Glenshee was my first exposure to Irish traditional music, and for some reason I thought it was an amazing song. I followed it to other songs by Altan, other bands, and ultimately re-discovered a passion for music. Now I sing with an Irish folk band, am learning bodhran, and my whole life is colored by this music. My only regret is that I haven't known it all my life - but better late than never! |
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03 Jun 99 - 05:02 PM (#83783) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Roger in Baltimore Susan-Marie, I am sorry that your story led you to the sorry state of learning the bodhran. You have my sympathy, but at least you aren't playing the banjo. I had been hoping these would be upbeat stories. Fact is, there aren't many stories at all. It seems so unlike the Mudcat crowd. Roger in Baltimore
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03 Jun 99 - 08:49 PM (#83817) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: DonMeixner Uilleand, I was born in 1950 so I came into the middle of things musicwise in the 60's. Rock and Roll made me want to dance and that was fine. But folk music made me want to sing. Rock was fun but it lacked the lyric power to tell, describe and define that folk music has. Changes, What's That I hear?, Can't Help But Wonder..., This land Is Your Land, Celia, Too Many Martyrs, Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation, Too Many Miles, Thirsty Boots, My Land, These are the types of songs that helped me to see a change and the need for changes. Don |
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03 Jun 99 - 09:42 PM (#83822) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Jeri I heard Dick Gaughan sing Brian McNeill's song "No Gods and Precious Few Heroes." Although it's about Scotland, what I got out of the song was you can't wait for someone to change things for you, you have to do it yourself. It got me interested in politics for the first time, and inspired me to question many things I had taken as truth. |
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03 Jun 99 - 10:50 PM (#83834) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: katlaughing I don't think I can say these really changed my life, as much as shaped it. One of my earliest memories, of being consciously aware of a commercially produced song was Disney's "When you wish upon a star". I later came to know that Walt himself belonged to a metaphysical org. that I also belong to and I enjoyed a great discussion with other members about the hidden and also out front meanings in the song, mainly being the hopefulness and faith to believe in something better for yourself. Since music of all kinds has been so much a part f my life from birth, it is hard for me to think of just one which might have changed my life. I guess you could say the Chieftains did somewhat, as their tapes inspired me to learn even more about Irish music, even though I already knew some about it before I bought their stuff. I can easily trasnport myself, in my mnd, back to the first days of our tiems in new England, when I put on one of their tapes, because theirs were the first music tapes I bought when we moved back there in 1983. The music always evoke those feelings of neweness and excitment that we all had at starting out new in a land so steeped in our country's history. When we moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, I became acquainted with women's music, esp. feminist and lesbian (oh Ferron! oh, Holly! Be still my beating heart!**BG**)and I think it helped me to further define myself and also helped to empower me as a woman. I will always be grateful for that. Through all of that ran the threads of my mom and dad's folk and cowboy and dance music, along with my brother's classical compositions, my own piano and violin, as well as the singing and playing of my sisters. Even today, when I really want to get in a cleaning mood, all I have to do it put on Oklahoma, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, or any number of musicals and there I go, just like Saturday mornings when growing up. Thanks for asking, Uilleand. Not sure if this qualifies as an answer, but I had fun! katlaughing |
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04 Jun 99 - 12:53 AM (#83866) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: campfire I wouldn't normally talk about this, but... Jackson Browne's Late For the Sky kept me from seriously contemplating suicide. How's that for upbeat? Sorry, RiB. |
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04 Jun 99 - 01:04 AM (#83869) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: emily rain when i was in elementary school i used to wake up to the morning show on minnesota public radio. one morning i heard sally rogers singing "lovely agnes", and the beautiful chorus became lodged fast in my brain! i went in search of a recording of it, and found my way to a wonderland in richfield mn. called: The Homestead Pickin' Parlor there i discovered an abiding love for folk music, and this has changed my life. |
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04 Jun 99 - 08:17 AM (#83930) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Susan-Marie Roger - No, the band already has a banjo player but it was the banjo player who suggested I learn bodhran, so that probably confirms your worst fears. To make matters worse, my 3-year old daughter Kiera loves playing it, and I intend to give her ample opportunity to learn bodhran, banjo, fiddle, or anything else - I guess you could say that in changing my life, that one song changed her future life as well. We live about 20 miles south of Baltimore - if you ever heard a bodhran/banjo duet outside your window, you'll know who it is! |
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04 Jun 99 - 09:23 PM (#84092) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: GUY Wolff I was working at the wheel{I'm a potter}and my localalternative -at that time college station played Ry Cooder's "Billy the Kid"....There was so much to that thing with such understatment that it helped push me into a kind of thinking I had not expected to find. I love slide work and mandolin and that peice just had so much power without loosing the power of space....I realalized the balence was the thing..Possative and negative.....sound and silence ...and that neither can be greater.THank you WPKN Bridgport and MR Ry Cooder>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> |
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05 Jun 99 - 09:06 PM (#84299) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Mick Lowe Okay this sounds trite I know.. but Every song I have truly "listened" to has had some effect on my life, just the same as any book I have read might have done so. Though because my musical tastes over the years have been so diverse it is hard to pick out the milestones. More often than not it has been a particular artist or group rather than a specific song that has caused me to stop in my tracks and review certain aspects of my life. I find it difficult in choosing my 10 tracks for my "desert island disks" (apologies to those outside the UK & have never heard of this), let alone pin pointing a particular song that has had such an impact as say "Late for the Sky" did for campfire. That's not to say certain songs don't have a very special significance in my life (usualy to do with love), or that certain songs I have written are not special (again due to love). But if I was honest with myself there is one particular track that was responsible for my "introduction/appreciation" of blues music (I realise that for anyone who knows me via the mudcat, this is not in keeping with the usual Irish music I am perhaps more associated with). But through it, albeit over many years I got to sing in front of "ticket paying" audiences. Ah.. those were the days. I could go on forever about various artists.. i.e. Paul Simon because of whom I decided to learn the guitar, but I guess I've bored you enough as it is. Mick |
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05 Jun 99 - 11:08 PM (#84306) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: gargoyle Old Rugged Cross
Just As I Am
Power In The Blood
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05 Jun 99 - 11:28 PM (#84309) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Tucker well folks, ( and I know that Katlaughing will get a kick out of this) when I entered the army I told them I was a CO (pacifist). I had ate up all the Peter, Paul and Mary and Buffy Saint Marie stuff. ( I still hate war by and by, been there done that). Anyway, universal soldier had an influance on me. Yeah Kat and Joe, I probably hate war far worse than you guys do, I have four kids, and a grandson and many wee mentorites that I want to see live.I am not knocking you. Military tradition is also a family tradition (see black watch). Anyway, it called, I went. Back to the subject. blowing in the wind, Universal Soldier. Where are the singers now that Kosovo is raging? |
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06 Jun 99 - 12:50 AM (#84324) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Night Owl I can't pick just one song, "Crossing The Water"; "Show Me The Road" and "Quiet Faith of Man" by Bill Staines and "Turning Toward The Morning" Gordon Bok are all songs that have deeply impacted the most recent chapters of my life. |
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06 Jun 99 - 02:11 AM (#84336) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Rick Fielding God, I know it's corny, but "We Shall Overcome" sung by Pete Seeger really made me think I could help make the world better. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto in C#m is still the greatest bit of music that I've ever heard, followed by "I'm So lonesome I could Cry" (only Hank Williams' version though), Leadbelly singing "Good morning Blues", Sandy Paton singing "My Old Man was a Man Like Lincoln", Lucretia Bori doing "Un Bel Dia" from "Madama Butterfly",...oh Hell, I guess I could go on and on...oh, and of course Leroy Carr singing "Blues before Sunrise" and Bix Beiderbecke playing "In a Mist", and "Singin' the Blues". Guess they all changed my life, cause they showed me that good music wasn't easy to find. You had to hunt for it. still hunting - rick. |
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06 Jun 99 - 07:59 AM (#84362) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Roger in Baltimore Mick, You have piqued my curiosity. What blues song was that to which you referred? Big RiB |
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06 Jun 99 - 08:44 AM (#84369) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Bulldog Melanie Safka's album "Garden in The City" remember the words from the song:"and we don't know what it is, and we don't know where we are going" Beautiful song but I can't remember the name......Must be getting Old! Also the Hymn "For Those in Peril on The Sea" Dave |
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06 Jun 99 - 10:35 AM (#84382) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Peter T. Bix Beiderbecke's "Singing the Blues" (Rick's pick too) changed my life -- it was the first jazz song I ever really listened to carefully (thanks to Humph Littleton's classic description in his book on the Giants of Jazz). To have something shaped so beautifully and somewhat spontaneously: could such a thing be? I followed that up with all kinds of 20's jazz (Louis, oh, Louis); and then one day for no good reason, I thought well, why not try some real blues, and I went out and bought a compilation disk, and on it I heard Son House's "Death Letter Blues" (Thank you, Columbia Records!) and that was that for awhile (a few zillion Muddy Waters and Little Walter records later), and then one day, many years later, I was surfing the Net looking for where Son House was buried intending to visit and pay homage (not done yet, one day I will), and I found a brief reference to Son House in something called the Mudcat Cafe, and then I clicked around the site, and then here I was! Life changing, or what? Yours, Peter T. |
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06 Jun 99 - 12:04 PM (#84399) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Jeremiah McCaw Interesting thought. There've been so many at different stages of my life. I suppose Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage" has to be near the top of the list, if for no other reason than that it brought me back to folk music. I used to hang about the village (specifically Yorkville in Toronto) back in the 60's; the Riverboat (I was there the night Joni Mitchell tripped over somebody's seeing-eye dog and she was coming off a darkened stage at the end of a set), the Mousehole, the Penny Farthing - God what an amazing amount of music happened then! Somehow, I drifted away from folk in the early 70's. 'Bout a dozen years back I got a double cassette deck that could sequence-record 2 tapes. Neat - 3 hours of recording time. Thinking about a program I used to listen to on Saturday aft on CJRT in Toronto, I set the machine to record it. Played it back later and the very first thing I heard was Northwest Passage - missed the announcer's intro, he didn't identify the song after. Took a couple of weeks before I found out who and what the damned thing was. Just got chills, hearing it for the first time. Saddest thing was that this was a couple of years after Stan died. Couldn't believe I'd been away from such music for so long. I guess I've tried to make up for it since - started singing in public (bless the folk clubs), learned (somewhat) to play bass guitar, help organize a folk club (the White Oak Folk Club in Oakville) and have recently become part of a trio (and may even start recording this summer). Yup. Northwest Passage. Started a major change in my drift through life. And folk music is the best part of my life. - Jeremiah |
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06 Jun 99 - 12:53 PM (#84407) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Rick Fielding Welcome Jeremiah. You'll love this community, and I think you'll find a few "Stan Fans" here as well. But I better warn you about Catspaw! Well maybe I won't. He's been very well behaved lately. rick |
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06 Jun 99 - 01:15 PM (#84412) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: The Shambles This Dick Gaughan song did. |
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06 Jun 99 - 01:42 PM (#84415) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Rasta will the banjo player please move his Benz . I believe theres a concpiracy between Roger and susan marie against banjo players. Maybe I should lay down in my (banjo brutality position) and call out the riot squad.---------- Hey rog , no not tom dooley but how about---Dyland dream --dont think twice--and I song written by John Stewart-Kansas rain--and of course--Its 40 below, or the rodeo song----====----//////Rastaaaaaa |
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06 Jun 99 - 04:43 PM (#84442) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Rick Fielding Great link Sham, and very good explanation by Dick. After reading it a couple of times though, I thought that it could easily be a reply to your last point in the "Gay/Bi-sexual" thread. I've been asked the same question as Dick, and now I have a song to answer why I haven't become conservative in my dotage! |
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06 Jun 99 - 05:14 PM (#84450) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Mick Lowe Roger, It was Peter Green's Need Your Love So Bad, performed by Fleetwood Mac (in the days when they were a R&B group). Now twenty something years on a more recent recording by Gary Moore has quite a significance in my life. Cheers Mick |
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06 Jun 99 - 05:22 PM (#84453) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Ted from Australia Uilleand,
I had been playing R& R for some not inconsiderable time when i move d to Darwin where Ii first heard someone sing Gordon Lightfoot's Canadian Railroad Trilogy at a music gathering (which incidentally was the start of the long running Darwin Folk Club) Regards Ted |
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06 Jun 99 - 05:24 PM (#84454) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: katlaughing PeterT reminded me of something. When It's Roundup Time in Texas definitely changed my life. I was talking to my dad in last Dec. last year, when I told him about searching for things on the internet. He said, "Hey when you're looking around there sometime, see if you can find the lyrics to "WIRTIT" and "Little Bell Brandon". He then told me some of his history with those sogs. With them in mind, I went hunting through Yahoo, ended up at Mudcat, posted my first few threads and the rest is of great historical significance in my life. Really did change my life; made some riends for life, dear, dear friends, and am enjoying myself immensely! kat |
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06 Jun 99 - 07:24 PM (#84470) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: SingsIrish Songs It is hard to pinpoint a specific song that really changed my life...though several have great significance and meaning... The most recent is finding the music to accompany the lyrics of "The Runaway Mare" an 1875 song that my Great-grandfather used to sing...it came at a time in my life when lots of things are going on which could change my future forever and served to give me hope that anything is possible! I suppose this would come closest to "changing my life"... I'll never forget favourite songs of my Grandfather ("When I Grow Too Old To Dream" amongst others) and Great Aunt (Mother Machree) who were special people in my life. Songs associated with romance in my life would have to be included...a few by Gary Moore, The Saw Doctors, and a very special song written by a very special someone in my life. A few Irish songs recorded by Carmel Quinn and Arthur Godfrey (45 rpms of my Mom's) started my interest in Irish music. Then "Who Threw the Overalls in Mistress Murphy's Chowder" (actually an Irish American tune) was the first tune I ever sang solo at a pub and that was when I was hooked singing Irish songs...Irish Music in general lead me to finding my bestest friend in the world, so that is significant I suppose. ~Mary |
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07 Jun 99 - 05:53 PM (#84700) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Lowcountry When I was in high school an uncool boy whom nobody knew much about sang "Old Man River" in the high school operetta and it blew me away. To this day it is the most moving performance I have ever heard. It taught me that all of us have our own unique talents and qualities. It taught me that it is the passion, not the perfection, that makes a song. |
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07 Jun 99 - 06:08 PM (#84705) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Banjoman_CO It wasn't so much a song, but an instrument and style. I was a jazz musician for years. Then in the late 50's and early 60's I was introduced to folk music(coffee house type) and the 5 string banjo. I became involved and even learned to play. Later I performed in many of the coffee houses in the central USA. It has been a part of me ever since. Fred |
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07 Jun 99 - 06:33 PM (#84709) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Fadac I can't think of a single song that made a big change. Perhaps the melocony (sp?) The fishermans song, (AM Stewart) is high on the list. More for changes, is music in general. I was prevented from making music as a youngster. Perhaps if I pushed harder I could have got some, but my father was very unmusical, and assumed that I was that way too. I do remeber requseting flute lessons, and was told, "No, that's not a MANs instrument." What BS. but I was ten, so I believed this crap. Soooo, if things were a bit differant, knowing what I know now. I would probably be a musician rather than a computer systems analist. Now I'm damn near 50, it's not too late. I'm taking accordion lessons ever week and practicing when I can. So it's swinging around. To try and prevent this in my own grand kids, I have offered to get them an instument of their choice, and pay for lessons. (heck of a deal eh?) They have to show me some intrest. And play for me, I don't care if its row, row, row the boat. But I won't jam it down their neck, right now they just are not intrested. But someday? I hope so. I'm patiant, it only took me 45 years to figgure it out. :) |
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07 Jun 99 - 08:06 PM (#84742) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Shack "Night Rider's Lament" as sung by Jerry Jeff Walker. It still helps me when I get second thoughts about having not conformed better to what other people expected. Indeed, they "never heard old Camp Cookie sing." |
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07 Jun 99 - 09:33 PM (#84768) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: SingsIrish Songs GOOD FOR YOU, Fadac!!!! For learning music for yourself and keeping tabs on your grandkids' interest!!!! Mary |
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08 Jun 99 - 08:55 AM (#84886) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: harpgirl ...music is such an important part of my life that it was more the confluence of experience when I heard "Paper in my Shoe" by Clifton Chenier and "Aeroplane" by John Hartford that make these songs so memorable...harpgirl |
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08 Jun 99 - 09:36 AM (#84896) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Easy Rider The very first popular song I can remember (This dates me.) is Bill haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock". A girl was playing it on a portable victrola. I was a little kid, but it stopped me in my tracks. I had to listen. Got out of my seat. Started moving my feet. Lord I had to dance. EZR |
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08 Jun 99 - 10:31 AM (#84911) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Steve Latimer It has been a long road, but back in 1972 I read a review of Johnny Winter's 'Still Alive and Well' I had never heard of him but bought the album based on the favourable review. From the opening licks of Johnny's cover of Muddy's "Rock Me Baby" I was hooked. Originally I went on an electric blues kick, but in getting more of Johnny's material I found out about acoustic Delta blues, His covers of When You've Got a Good Friend, Goin' Down Slow, as well his own acoustic pieces Broke Down Engine, Dallas and Bad Luck and Trouble showed me that you didn't need Stratocasters hooked to Marshall stacks to make powerful music. I have been on a quest to hear the people who influenced Johnny. I have discovered Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Tampa Red, Son House (my favourite blues singer) as well as the electic guys, Muddy, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, T-Bone Walker etc. I listen to almost nothing but the blues now, but it's the Delta stuff that really does it for me. I find it to be music in it's purest form, a guitar or two, a voice and a story. For what it's worth, I'm still a big fan of Johnny's especially since he decided to get back to the blues. His work with Muddy and Sonny Terry is exceptional. He is the first white musician inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. |
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08 Jun 99 - 10:52 AM (#84921) Subject: RE: Song that changed your life From: Indy Lass Yea, I can hear those snickers out there, but when I was 17, my family took a trip out west for 6 weeks. And THE song that summer was John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High." That motivated me to get my first guitar and learn all Denver's songs of his albums. I told my mom, "Sorry, but the piano lessons just don't do it for me." (Which I do regret giving up at times now) But, ya know, you just gotta learn stuff your own way... |