Sunday Singalong with Circlemending

It’s been awhile since I’ve engaged others in my blog and song selections. I have been thinking of some great songs that go along with the current state of affairs. Now, most people I know have been quarantined with other family members and so have at least one other person with whom to play games, have meals, take a walk, sing songs, etc. Lots of my friends are making masks for various organizations, others are volunteering in a number of ways that allow for social distancing. Of course, in this home you would expect us to be playing music, writing songs (been enjoying a lot of parodies I’ve heard on Facebook), learning a new instrument . . . you know, those types of activities. Since my husband has been ill, he is really not up to playing the saw or singing and, instead, we have both been watching a lot of TV (not necessarily together).

But last night I enjoyed a gathering of a few of us from the Riverside Folk Song Society where we attempted to do some group singing on Zoom. We weren’t terribly effective, but we still had fun and are going to give it another go later this month. Usually our meetings have a theme, but such was not the case this time around. It was especially nice because a couple of our members, who no longer live in the area, were able to join us for the first time in years! The host of the group, Bob Palmer, was able to put up some lyrics and chords so we could try for a group sing . . . that system needs a few tweaks before it will work for us, but I see it as a fun way to learn new songs, among other things. There are a lot of groups like ours – people who enjoy certain types of music or instruments and are connecting with others, thus making sequestering a learning experience (and part of the learning includes the operation of the required technology).

My German Hollanders and Trapschuhs gather around the piano for a singalong Sunday

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In the past, I put up a weekly blog called “Sunday Singalong.” Now, I’m not promising a weekly theme, but I hope to get back into this and, at least for the next few weeks – maybe longer – there is plenty of time to seek out a song you remember from childhood, one that you enjoy singing with friends or by yourself, or a favorite piece by a favored artist whose YouTube® performance can be shared here with others. So put on your thinking caps and for this Singalong Sunday (add the song any day this week), our theme is (aptly), SOLITUDE. The song need not contain that word, but should convey that feeling, though it may be a personal connotation – and do share the song meaning or history in your life, if you’ve a mind to. Ideally, include lyrics or a video or audio recording so others can enjoy it too.

SOLITUDE: The first to come to my mind is “I Love to Go A-Wandering” or "The Happy Wanderer" – I remember singing it at camp (don’t ask what year or which one, but I think we sang it in Brownies, too). Now, I, personally, am not prone to go a-wandering (where I live, snakes give me pause and my wandering, these days, tends to be around my own yard, and close to the house, but with eyes still on the ground and never with ear buds to listen to music – can’t hear that distinctive rattle that way). 

Maybe one reason it sticks with me is that it has a German origin, as do I (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happy_Wanderer). The picture (and I’ve found this song in various music books, with exactly the picture I first conjured up when the piece was taught to me) of a lone person walking with a walking stick (no doubt to help keep the snakes away) heading uphill, wearing a backpack (of course), with mountains and trees in the background. I’m not a big fan of backpacks, unless they have wheels, the required equipment for almost every container I transport  . . . but “. . . along the mountain track, . . . my wheely cart by my side . . . “ not only doesn’t rhyme, but removes that picture from the song. But, I confess, in my mind’s eye I don’t picture that hiker as an almost 69-year-old woman! Now, that is an image!

(public domain; stock photo)

Here are some YouTube videos of the song (which, while speaking of solitude, seems to be sung by groups! Go figure).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVcJIMhmGys (some of the people in this one are wandering on bicycles - not following the song concept at all!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QJi7wVENE (in German, as my ancestors would have sung it?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuT3MvLJtLI (some great instrumental accompaniment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qJRlUy2Axw (Finally! Primarily a solo - with a full band and echo chorus keeping him company)

What’s your song of SOLITUDE?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending: Remembering

Memorial day is upon us. A good time to remember. I'm at a campout with Songmakers and enjoying all sorts of music throughout the weekend. This morning was the traditional "Songs of Meaning" period where songs ranged through everything from remembering family members to religious upbringings to special times, along with some songs people might not have felt were "meaningful," yet held some sort of meaning to the singer. Many were in tears, remembering loved ones, times gone by, and private things they shared only internally. I sang a song I wrote for two 2st cousins, 3 times removed - both children - buried in a cemetery in New York. A guitarist and fiddler teamed to play one of my favorites: "Music Box Dancer" (I love that song and get a happy feeling when I hear it, but could not explain what it is or why it conjures up such good feelings). In a large circle, people held hands to sing "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" while some musicians accompanied from outside the ring. When people join together to sing a song, the feeling is one of unity. We can share those memories through songs.

With Memorial Day less than 24 hours away, what songs bring back memories for you? Certainly, songs that memorialize our military dead are most appropriate, but so are any songs that take you to a time, a person, a place, or an event long (or short) past. Share it here.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Songs about Endings

2 of my amazing grandchildren (FYI, all 24 are amazing, but these 2 have the spotlight today . . .) are graduating with honors from Georgia Tech. This is no easy feat. So while they have much to look forward to (both have been hired for good jobs!! Yay!!), it also marks the ending of 4 years of hard study, some serious play, and a lot of networking on all levels. I am so proud of them! So, in honor of our 2 graduates, Brad & Kati Schmidt, I am proposing that today's Singalong Sunday focus on songs about endings. Endings of childhood, endings of relationships, endings of war, endings of jobs, endings of life, endings of anything. Not all endings are bad, either, as they often mark beginnings. I remember being very happy when my school year was coming to an end and skipped and sang (with many others) all the way home, "School's out, school's out, teachers let the monkeys out!"

So my selection will deal with the end of the Civil War (I'm working hard on this topic for a number of magazines; one to be published a little later this month in GenWeekly - an on-line newsletter - will be an expose on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"). I figure that is a perfect song about an ending that was bitter sweet (not all Johnnies came home and many who did were forever changed). My GenWeekly article compares the American Johnny at the end of the war to the Irish Johnny, "Johnny I Hardly Knew You," which is decidedly less celebratory.

Check out one version on YouTube. I have also recorded it on my Songs of the War of the Rebellion CD.

Now it's your turn - any songs of endings come to mind?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. Its religious significance in the Christian community is sacred and special. I remember, as a child, recreating the Bible story of the events of the day. Of course, I grew up in Illinois and had never seen a palm tree nor understood the types of leaves (fronds) that came from them (other than what I saw in pictures). When I first visited California and saw the tall, tall trees with the umbrella-type leaves that gave little shade since they were so far off the ground, I almost thought they were fake - how could such a plant grow like that?! Today I live in Southern California and think nothing of the towering trees all around me and laugh when visitors express awe when they see them for the first time.

So as spring coaxes leaves back to the trees in the yards of those in the eastern US, what about songs dealing with trees? There are so many (until you try to think of one). One of my favorites is a very sad one, dealing with the tragic disease, Alzheimer's. It was written by Susan Graham White and Tom Paxton and is a song that will likely bring sad memories of someone most of us knew at some time (I think of my grand aunt, Mary Eva - Aunt Mamie - Hollander) who lost all recollection of who her sisters and other family members were. She had been a lover of nature and I would suspect that the lyrics of this song would describe her circumstances perfectly.

The song deals with a man who is suffering from the disease, but has not yet disappeared completely into the mists of the affliction:

"There are days when he'll recall the forest in the fall,
When we can walk for hours together, and he's fine
There are precious days like that when he can name them all;
The ash, the elm, the beech, the oak, the pine.
He's forgotten the names of trees . . ."

Do you have a favorite tree song? Share it - the lyrics, the title, a link to an MP3 or YouTube video. Maybe if we sing enough tree songs today we can help sing away the snows that are still visiting my friends in Minnesota and other northern areas.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending: Rodents

OK, I know this sounds like an odd theme, but it comes to mind after watching repeated trailers for the movie Hop. I have to say that it looks like a cute movie - after all, it's about a cute bunny. Bunnies are automatically cute, right? Well, where we live, rabbits are rodents. (Why is it that the word "rabbit" conjures up positive connotations while the word "rodent" brings up negative ones?) Anyway, out in my territory, the properties are ravaged by bunny-rabbits every day, eating everything (except weeds), including garden growth, flowers, grasses, and even small trees. But because we live in the country, we are also host to other rodents, including squirrels, rats, and mice. Most efforts are focused on keeping the rats out of the house and intimidating the mice to keep them from making as few home visits as possible. Anyone who has left dog or cat food out, has horses, feeds the birds, or has a garbage can is subject to rodent visits. We actually get sort of used to it and when we get together as neighbors the talk often turns to "the best rat story."

So I started thinking about songs dealing with some of these furry creatures (some cute, some a little less than that). I can come up with probably a half dozen rabbit songs, but will leave those to others. Instead, let me share my favorite mouse song - from deep in the deepest recessed of my childhood:

M - I - C K - E - Y M - O - U - S -E (everybody sing!)
Mickey Mouse (Donald Duck), Mickey Mouse (Donald Duck)
Forever let us hold our banner high (high, high, high)
M - I - C K - E - Y M - O - U - S -E

See - not every rodent is an unwelcome home invader!

When I was about 5 we got our first television (1956). Every day after kindergarten, my best friend, Liz Thompson, and I would sit in front of the TV to watch the Mickey Mouse Club. We had our favorites (mine were Karen & Cubby) and cartoons we thought were dumb and ones we enjoyed. But we liked the singing part best, when Jimmy Dodd would take out his Mickey Mouse guitar and sing songs that carried special lessons. (No, I did not decide at that time to play guitar; that decision was made about 4 years later.) And then was the sad part when they would all sing (and appear so sad and almost ready to cry):

Now it's time to say good-bye to all our family
M - I - C (see you real soon) K - E - Y (Why? Because we like you!) M - O - U - S -E

To keep the Mickey Mouse Club alive in my life from one day to the next I had a Mickey Mouse tee-shirt. I even got to see the Club live at the 4th of July Fireworks Program at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois one year (my grandfather took me). It was a memorable experience, to say the least.

So there's my rodent song and why it is special to me. Got a rodent song? Share it here - the lyrics, MP3 or YouTube on-line, or just the title. And does it have a special meaning to you?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending: Time

It's spring! If you live in the parts of the country where Daylight Savings Time returns every spring, then last night (unless you forgot), you made the clock spring forward and lost an hour of sleep. But you will be rewarded with an extra hour of daylight every evening for the next few months. I love this time of year! I love the extra hour of daylight at night because, as most people who know me are well aware, I am NOT a morning person! TIME is a commodity that I do not take lightly and I wish my TIME to be spent without artificial light as much as possible (I love to open the curtains, and windows if weather permits, and let the sun shine in to brighten the whole house). So this is the TIME of year that I celebrate. I may have suggested this topic in the past, but for today's Singalong, I propose the songs about TIME that have been meaningful to you. Whether or not the song mentions TIME with that exact word or it just references the concept, share your TIME-related song, an MP3 or YouTube version of it.

I can think of so many, that it is hard to choose. Yesterday I blogged about Phil Ochs and the movie about his life, so I think a Phil Ochs song would be most appropriate here. One of my favorites is "When I'm Gone" (link is to Allison Crowe version):

Oh, there's no place in this world where I'll belong, When I'm gone;
And I won't know the right from the wrong, When I'm gone;
And you won't find me singing on this song, When I'm gone;
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here.

Good words of wisdom for us all, don't you think?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Presidents' Day

Happy Presidents' Day! OK, it isn't until tomorrow, but Lincoln's birthday is already passed and Washington's is on the horizon. Let me guess: You don't know many songs about Lincoln or Washington, right? Hmm, that is a shame.

Of course, with my studies of the Civil War, I have learned a number of songs that mention, directly or indirectly, the President of the time. I won't mention them here, leaving them for others to suggest. But let's open it up a little further: how about all the Presidents? I know, I can really be opening things up for some negative stuff as many protest songs have been written about various Presidents (especially during particular time periods), so I am going to request that we remember the purpose of Presents' Day: to honor our Commander in Chief (believe me, I could come up with about 2 dozen negative Presidents' songs). So, now that I have really taxed your brains, let me share one that I have on a 45-rpm record that I have never forgotten. It was written in about 1959 for the campaign of John F. Kennedy, sung by Frank Sinatra (there are actually 2 songs on the record, but I'll just put in my favorite here): "Everyone wants to back Jack, Jack is on the right track, 'cause he has high hopes, high hopes . . ." Check the YouTube version with slides of campaign ribbons, etc.

What do you remember of a song that promotes or honors a President?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Songs to Celebrate Special People

Every year, sometime before the end of January and the beginning of February, I open my home to fans of Pernell Roberts. We visit, learn about each other, watch videos of our favorite actor, and eat way too much. It is a merry time. This year we have felt the loss of this talented thespian: he passed away just over one year ago. While tears have been shed, we have spent more time celebrating his life, enjoying the fact that he left such a wealth of television and movie appearances from the mid-1950s till the end of the 1990s, many of which are now on DVD.

Missing a loved one is not something unique - most of us can identify with the feelings of loss, often mixed with the feelings of being blessed for having that person (or those persons) in our lives. It is important to celebrate those special people who have touched us. These people might be ancestors, close relatives, friends, or even people in celebrity status.

So here's the Singalong Challenge: A song that reminds you of someone no longer living, but that reminds you of that person in a positive way. And share why it is a special song in that way.

Since I am currently sitting here with fellow Pernell Roberts admirers, I would have to select a song that reminds me of him. An old English ballad called "Early One Morning" was one he sang on Bonanza as well as in a brief scene on Diagnosis Murder and recorded on a Bonanza cast album. In one of our last visits, we sang it together, giving me a lasting memory of a special time. To hear this song, check the YouTube recording of our local high school chorus - the Corona High School Madrigals - as they performed it in 2008.

Your turn - a song that reminds you of a special person, no longer living. It can be a listing of the lyrics, a link to the lyrics, an MP3, or a YouTube recording.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Beginnings

I am well aware that we are over a week into the new year . . . I am almost used to writing 2011 on things. However, it still feels as if the year has just begun. Beginnings are part of all aspects of life. We begin new adventures - classes, jobs, hobbies, trips, etc. And our lives also include less public beginnings - embracing new philosophies, starting a new book (writing or reading), diets, etc. Then there are the beginnings that we don't realize have been part of our lives until we've passed the beginning stage (I once mounted a few pictures in a creative way and before I knew it, I was a scrapbooker!).

So, how about a song about beginnings (starting something, the initiation of an activity, etc.). Use your imagination. It can be an older song, but it can also be something more contemporary.

How about the beginning of the end? I love Bob Gibson and Dave North's song "Let the Band Play Dixie." It talks about the new beginning the US experienced when the Civil War came to an end. President Lincoln devised an ingenious way of starting the mending process and it is immortalized in this song. Here is a YouTube recording of Bob Gibson (1931-1996) singing this song that was written for the play The Courtship of Carl Sandburg. Check it out!

Your turn - a song about a beginning of something, etc. Just the title is enough, but a link to lyrics or MP3 or YouTube also works. Let's start the year with lots of music!

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Songs of the Season - The Birth of our Savior

It is the last Sunday of Advent. This coming Friday night is Christmas eve, when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. There are so many songs, hymns, and carols that celebrate that event. Surely you have many favorites, so share one here.

One of my favorites is "Infant Holy" - it's a simple song and I love the version on the recording "Twas on a Night Like This" (discussed a couple of weeks ago. But here is a YouTube version with a lovely background video, the song performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Enjoy the experience.

So now it's your turn: Share the lyrics, title, or link to a favorite song that speaks to the birth of our Savior, the reason we celebrate this time of year. Let us not forget the Reason for the Season.

Merry Christmas to all my followers, and to anyone who just stumbles on this post.

Monday "Mum-along" with Circlemending

Since I was busy yesterday (Sunday) dealing with computer email problems, I never got the Singalong blog posted, so today I will suggest a Mum-along. The Mummers were the folks who took holiday music to the street when Cromwell banned it from the Church (1600s). While many mumming songs have become our regular Christmas carols (from the French carole meaning "ring" - songs that would accompany dancing, usually those performed in a circle, or ring), I thought it would be interesting to see if others like mumming songs as I do. Sometimes they are songs sung as rounds (another form of ring), sometimes they are songs that simply express the joy of the season. One verse resembles the previous, with just simple changes, encouraging people to sing along.

While the mummers usually did their plays and music in disguise (possibly so that Cromwell's people would not recognize them, saving them from the stocks), we sing them around the piano, fireplace, or even going door-to-door. They often wish happiness and health to the household they visit, suggesting a prosperous New Year. They also often ask the householder to give them some food, drink, or even money in exchange for those wishes.

One of my personal favorites of the mumming songs is named for the punch - wassail - that is also part of the holiday (read more about that at Wikipedia, and check the companion article on wassailing, the focus of the song I include here).

Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wandering, so fair to be seen,
Love and joy come to you, and a Merry Christmas too,
And God Bless you and send you a happy New Year,
And God send you a happy New Year.

(See the full set of lyrics here). On YouTube, there is a wonderful instrumental by The Canadian Brass and a vocal by the Strathroy Chorale, among others.

One of my favorite renditions is on the Caroline & Sandy Paton recording "'Twas on a Night Like This" available from Folk-Legacy.

I recorded a version a couple of years back that can be heard or purchased (as a CD of Holiday Songs) from CDBaby.

So what songs on this type of theme are your favorite of the season? Share lyrics, links, or just titles here . . . and maybe sing a few to add some merriment to the holidays.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Songs of the Season - Snow

OK, I am reading Facebook posts by friends all over who are dealing with snow (some say they are enjoying it). I moved to So. Cal. to escape the snow of the Midwest, but I still appreciate snow - in photos. And in songs of this winter season. Many of our most well-known Christmas songs don't mention Christmas or even Santa, but they focus on the weather - the snow and/or cold.

One of my absolute favorites is called "Dark December" (click the title to access the full song lyrics) by Graeme Miles and some of the lines dealing specifically with the weather are:

Should we curse the winter, for being e're so dark?
When the sun is late in rising, but early to depart.
When the bitter northern winter winds freeze our very hearts.

cho) Oh, should we curse the winter? (3X)
And December most of all.

It's an old and obscure song with a haunting melody (I have recorded it, as have a handful of others). Just singing it makes me feel cold!

Any songs about the weather of the season? Share them here (some lyrics, link to lyrics, link to an MP3 or YouTube video, or just the title).

Your turn.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Thanksgiving, Part 2

Last week I suggested songs that expressed gratitude in the lyrics. This week, let's consider songs about things for which you are thankful. There are many things in our lives for which we are grateful (I've been reading about such things on Facebook throughout this month and have been moved by many of the things that evoke feelings of gratitude in people).

I can think of a multitude of songs that deal with elements (ethereal and concrete) for which I am thankful. But probably the things that is a blessing constantly are the freedom and liberty we enjoy in America. It hasn't always been that way in our country and still is not in other countries. But even today we hear about people who have been brought to America as slaves - human trafficking. It seems inconceivable that such behaviors are back on these shores. It reminds me of a song from the Civil Rights movement but dating back to pre-Civil War days of slavery. I used this song as an example back in July, but will suggest a different YouTube version this time:

Alfred Street Baptist Church, Male Chorus, singing "Oh, Freedom."

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Thanksgiving, Part 1

We are entering Thanksgiving week so I want to use that as the theme inspiration for this week and next. To start with, how about a song that expresses gratitude?

In 1968, I wrote a song for my friend, Pernell Roberts, which I was honored to sing for him twice in his life (once in 1969 and again in 2008). It expresses what his influence in my life did for me. I did record this on a CD a number of years ago (it is no longer available) and am planning to record it again in the coming year. Meanwhile, here are the words:


FOR YOU

For you, for always being there; for you, because you always care;
For you, you always understand; you are, to me, a special man;

chorus) Thank you for just being you; no one else could ever do,
What you've done for me; can't you see? Because of you, I'm a better me.

When I'm alone I see your smiles, I hear your voice across the miles;
I haven't seen you for a long, long time, but the mem'ry keeps me feelin' fine (chorus)

For you, every night I pray; I think about you ev'ry day;
You are to me a special friend; I know some day I will see you again (chorus)

copyright 1968, Jean M. Wilcox


Your turn. Share a song; lyrics (some or all, as applicable); a link to an MP3 file or YouTube video or the printed words. Let start the Thanksgiving week with a musical reminder!
(Next week: songs about things for which you are thankful.)

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Songs to make us feel better

This week has been one of organizing and cleaning for us. Putting things in order can be a somewhat therapeutic activity for me. And while I was doing much of the work, I was playing music (not personally, I mean on the player). It occurred to me that perhaps I didn't needed to clean up to make me feel better . . . all I needed was to play some music. Of course, my office would still be a mess!

So, what songs make you feel better? There are so many songs that fit that description for me, but I can only choose one, so I'll select "Golden Slippers." I love the topic, but also the upbeat manner in which most people perform it. I found this version on YouTube that reflects these elements.

Is there a song or a tune that makes you feel better? Share some lyrics, a link to a YouTube or MP3, or just tell us the title - what song will help bring you up when you are feeling down? Or just keep a good mood going?

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - The Senses - Touch

After a week + with a cold and bronchitis, I finally am back among the living. Just in time for the Sunday Singalong. Continuing on the subject of the senses, it occurs to me that there are a large number of songs dealing with touch. Whether it is a loving touch, a hug, or touching something, rather than someone, we are constantly using our sense of touch. And singing about it.

I have loved the old song "Bold Soldier" that can be found in some obscure music books (it's in an ancient Burl Ives pocket-book of songs that I have had since I was a young teen). The phrase, implying touch, "Hold your hand," is repeated a couple of times. It actually means to stop a moment, but sounds as if one is being physically held back. Of course, the song also involves a physical altercation - another type of touch. The Burl Ives version of the lyrics can be found here. But my preferred version is sung by Pernell Roberts and a YouTube of his photos, with "Bold Soldier" playing in the background, has been posted on the Internet.

Your song need not include all the lyrics - just the one about touch. Or make it a link to an MP3 file or YouTube video. Or just a title. Do tell why the song is one that you like. Remember, my grandkids have access to this blog, so keep it clean, folks!

Your turn.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - The 5 Senses - Hearing

Last week we looked at songs that used references to sight or eyes (tackling the 5 senses over the next few weeks). How about hearing? I can think of a lot of songs that emphasize sounds - what about you? They don't have to be songs that our ancestors sang, but that's always a nice idea, reminding us that many of our songs have been part of our families' lives for many, many years.

A number of years ago Phil Ochs took the poem "Bells" by Edgar Allen Poe and put it to music. You can hear his singing of it on YouTube (though it is taken from the recording, not video of a live performance).

How about you . . . can you think of a song that emphasizes sound? I know there are a lot of Christmas songs that include that theme (just to give you a hint). Post the lyrics, just a verse and/or chorus, the title, or a link to lyrics or a performance of the song in MP3 form or on YouTube.

Have fun with this!

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - The 5 Senses - Sight

Well, I got another idea for a theme from listening to The Village on XM Radio on Friday: Songs about the Five Senses (to go on for the next few weeks). We will start this week with the sense of sight (references to seeing things, watching, or eyes). The older the song, the better (considering what our ancestors sang), but more contemporary pieces will work as well.

Share some of the lyrics, a link to the lyrics, just the title, or a link to an MP3 or YouTube.

My offering is found on the Traditional & Folk Songs site (with a MIDI file): "Copper Kettle" by Frank Beddoe. The chorus includes the phrase "Watch them jugs a-fillin', in the pale moonlight." I have fond memories of singing this song with friends and, while I am a definite non-drinker, I find the lyrics and melody to be soothing. Some of the history of the song and its meanings, along with links to recordings of it, can be found on Wikipedia.

Your turn.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - Place Songs

Another week has sped by! I was pleased to be a featured speaker at the Chula Vista Family History Seminar yesterday, Oct. 2 (see Randy Seaver's blog for a full report on the lectures presented - mine and others).

On the way home from the seminar I listened to The Village (on XM radio) and a themed program of songs about places. I thought that would be a great idea for a theme for my own Sunday Singalong, so I am suggesting that you consider the many songs of geographic locations that you have learned over the years. Songs about places are not new - our ancestors wrote about the places they loved just as many do today (consider "Home on the Range"). The subject can be about a town, a state, or a general area (including a country or continent).

Most of us have a soft spot in our heart for a location that means "home" to us. I am from Wilmette, Illinois and was raised there from the ages of 1 to 20. No matter where I go, when I think of "home," I think back to those tree-lines streets (which were brick, back when I was growing up). But your selection need not be about your hometown (to the best of my knowledge, "Wilmette" figures into only one song - a piece by Chicago musician Steve Goodman, author of "City of New Orleans," who snuck it into the chorus of a song called "Lincoln Park Pirates" - well, there are 2 place names, though the former refers to a train, not the city).

Is there a song about a place that sticks in your mind? If so, share the lyrics here, or maybe just a verse and chorus, or just the title; or you can provide a link to an MP3, on-line set of lyrics, or a YouTube recording. But do tell why the song is special to you.

So here's one of my absolute favorites, which covers them all. It's by Lou & Peter Berryman who are known for their humorous songs that touch on subjects that most of us are familiar with but that we would never expect to find put to music. It is called "Your State's Name Here." I have been unable to locate a YouTube recording of it, but if you click on their website link here or Google them, you can find a number of other YouTube recordings they have done. Sure to make you smile, and that's one reason I love their material!

Your turn.

Sunday Singalong with Circlemending - waterways

It is time to share a song. I am listening to some sea chanteys while I write this so my mind immediately goes to that as a theme. Sometimes sea or waterway songs can give a person a sense of peace; sometimes the story is one of stormy seas and peace is hardly an aspect.

I have a fondness for Bill Staines's song "River" - it makes me want to find the closest river and just sit on the bank with my feet in the cool water, feeling the smooth rocks, and watch the sun go down. Do you know it? It's on YouTube (of course): Aileen & Elkin Thomas (one of my favorite musical couples) performed it with him at the 1987 Philadelphia Folk Festival (how I would have loved to have been there).

Or just read the lyrics.

Do you have a favorite waterway song? Share the title, some lyrics, or link to an MP3 or YouTube performance. Don't forget to tell us why it is a special song to you.