Learn the Song!
Hi All @ OFC,
This song was written in Scotland, and inspired by a conversation with the Scottish songwriter Davie Roberston of 'Star O' The Bar' fame. He told me he goes for a walk in the East Lothian countryside every Wednesday and always comes back with a song. It worked for me too!
I hear this sung to the Irish tune used by Noel Murphy for 'Paddy and the bricks' and by Nic Jones for 'Barrack Street'. The song is intended to be humourous and there is certainly no intention to offend anyone, though I am puzzled by this phenomenon that has grown over the last ten years or so to the point that now everyone seems to do it. If you want to sing it, or add verses, please do!
Grahame Hood.
A man came to a folk club with a fine Martin guitar
A music stand with a little light. Professional! A star!
He opened up his folder at page number sixty two
And then he sang the same Tom Paxton song he always seems to do.
Chorus
So come on guys, learn the song! The music and the words!
Then I saw another bloke, just the other day
Put his i-pad on the mic stand, and he began to play
He stopped, he blushed, he knew he'd lost the audience affection
Why have you stopped? He cried, “I’ve lost my internet connection!"
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ln this modern age of apps, many sights you see
At an open mic a singer said, “Please accompany me”
The guitarist got his phone out to help him play the chords
The singer had his own phone out to remind him of the words!
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How difficult is it to just to learn a simple basic song?
Carthy and Dylan often sing ones thirty verses long!
lt's not jazz, it's not prog rock, the chords are pretty easy
ls it just playing in public that makes folk singers queasy?
Chorus
W. Grahame Hood 18/06/2017 (Revised 10/08/2017)