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20 Jul 01 - 10:44 PM (#511735) Subject: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: catspaw49 Now generally, I'm one to refresh old threads, but in this case, it would be a lot more fun to start fresh since we have so many new folks and this was a long time back. Peter T. started the other thread with this info from another website. Read, Enjoy, AND ADD WHAT YOU CAN!!!!!!! HOW TO CREATE A FOLKSONG 1. All folksongs begin with the phrase: "I asked my love to take a walk" 2. The walk should be:
a. Down by the riverside It should not be:
a. To the store for a loaf of bread 3. The conversation along the way should be about:
a. Your racehorse 4. Places to be mentioned include:
a. Botany Bay 5. All folk songs repeat the same words in each verse, but move them around until one person is killed or the ghost appears. If the ghost appears, it repeats the original verses and the process begins all over again. This is known as revenge. 6. The chorus of all folk songs is half of the words of the verse moved around some more, and with the addition of some poignant nonsense syllables, all in a minor key. No new information is provided. 7. References to work in folk songs should include:
a. Hammers (visionary or steam) 8. Job categories allowed in folk songs include:
a. Circus work 9. References to work in folk songs should avoid the following job categories:
a. Insurance 10. Words that can be sprinkled at random over folk songs: gather, farewell, thee, dead, twa, alas, true love, bonnie, dagger, do Lord. and so on.... Any additions? C'mon now....See if the new folks can be as good as the older group!!! Spaw
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21 Jul 01 - 12:39 AM (#511780) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: Amos 11. Folks songs never narrate events in normal weather. The weather is always: a. A fair and pleasant day b. A May morning c. A dark and stormy night, a storm and gale, at night while trimming of the glim. d. A mighty day 12. Death is frequently mentioned in folk songs. It is never caused by: a. cirrhosis of the liver b. Hodgkin's lymphoma c. Multiple sclerosis d. high-altitude sickness 13. Death in folk songs is caused by: a. A broken heart b. Being slain c. Drownding in the deep blue sea d. Being hanged e. Sorrow f. Being poisoned by your love g. Being stabbed to the heart by your love 14. When folk songs are not about death they are often about love or food. Acceptable foodstuffs to be mentioned include: a. Any form of alcoholic beverage except a wine spritzer b. Chitlins or anything that sounds like it might really be chitlins c. Cabbage d. Bread, country pie, and some kinds of cookies e. Moonshine, Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, White Lightnin', Mountain Dew, or jar whiskey f. Eggs and marrow bone g. Eels and eels' broth 15. Food types which should not be mentioned in folk songs include: a. Boeuf Bourguignonne b. Hot Rocks c. Radishes carved to look like valentines d. Sandwiches carved to look like radishes e. Chateaubriand a deux f. Coq au vin g. Canard aux oranges h. Sauerbraten |
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21 Jul 01 - 12:57 AM (#511788) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: Mudlark Additions to foods to be avoided...liver and onions, sweetbreads, rutabagas. 15. In need of some traditional flavor? Comb the dictionary for weird Scottish words. Throw in My Only Jo and deario as a refrain. 16 References to birds are helpful...phrases like fly away, on the wing, etc. lend airy romance. 17. Animals are always endearing in folk songs, especially hound dogs, farm animals and cats that come back. Best to leave the more exotic species like dugongs and Tasmanian Devils to nature programs, unless going for humor.
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21 Jul 01 - 01:55 AM (#511812) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: katlaughing This will be fun, Spaw. I had to go back to the OLD THREAD to see what I'd posted. Don't want to get redundant!**BG** There is a real gem of an Art Thieme in that one, as well as others. kat |
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21 Jul 01 - 01:56 AM (#511814) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: alison 18. first line must contain a time or month (preferrably both!!) before "I asked my love to take a walk" ie... one morning in May / June etc
19. the "hero" needs to have really bad eyesight so he can mistake his love for an animal (usually a swan) thereby providing himself with a damn good excuse for why he kills her.....
20. the "heroine" must be none too bright to not recognise the fella who has been away for 7 years, and returns to try to convince her that he is in fact dead!!!
21. the "heroine" must also be thick as 3 short planks because she stills takes him back after he giggles and says "fooled you!!" instead of kicking him in the balls and sueing him for psychological damages...
slainte alison |
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21 Jul 01 - 04:23 AM (#511837) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: Roughyed As Les Barker pointed out, judges looking over their left shoulders are always a bad sign. |
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21 Jul 01 - 04:25 AM (#511841) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: Mark Cohen A folk song is always in 4/4. Or maybe 6/8. Unless it was collected by A.L. Lloyd, in which case it's in 5/4 alternating with 7/4. If a song is in 3/4, it is not a folk song--it's a march that's been folk processed. Aloha, Mark |
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22 Jul 01 - 01:02 PM (#512379) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: catspaw49 Tunes for folk songs can be stolen from any appropriate source. These include:
A) Any tune used for any Child's song. Tunes NOT appropriate include:
A) Any self-written and contrived sounding ditties lacking anything resembling a melody. Spaw |
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23 Jul 01 - 09:22 AM (#512515) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: Amos Folks songs are not written from ordinary perspectives even when they claim to be. The writer always, overtly or not, conceives of him/her self as: a. Poor and wayfaring Folksongs do not portray the narrator as: a. Aspiring to popular election If you are confidently planning anything you should probably not write a folksong about it, unless it is dying. |
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24 Jul 01 - 02:12 AM (#513136) Subject: RE: BS: How To Create a Folk Song (II) From: wysiwyg refresh |