The first time I heard this David Bowie song, I felt like he was singing
it to me. This was my song. I wanted to be an astronaut, but
unfortunately being an astronaut is HAAAAAAARD! That and God had other
stuff for me to do so I've put off going into space for when we get
carried off to heaven. If there's an orbital lab around the new Earth I
plan to be on the construction crew - either that I want to be on the
crew of a star ship. I'm certain there will be stuff like that. After
all, we are an exploring species and those of us who survive the old
Earth should be trustworthy enough to turn loose to explore the stars
and there are an awful lot of those out there, so we likely won't be
bored with it all since we're living forever.
This is the coolest version of the song ever done. It's Canadian ISS
astronaut Chris Hadfield singing with NASA footage in a monumentally
marvelous music video. Hadfield has a really good voice too. So enjoy
the first space-based music video with actual astronauts and footage
shot in space. I still think they're singing my song, though.
I first heard this song back in college on a recording by folksingers
Ian & Sylvia. The song was in French; an old voyageur song that used
to be sung by early French traders in America and Canada. I'd been
looking for a song to sing on long canoe trips. I wasn't able to
memorize all of it, but I got enough of it to help me keep up my
paddling rhythm on summer canoe trips with my canoe classes. It's a fun
song with a driving rhythm and really odd words. But then folk songs are
not noted for their Shakespearean intricacies. Here's Miss Lizzy's version followed by the lyrics in
both English and French.
Chorus: Here's the good wind, here's the pretty wind, Here's the good wind! My friend is calling me. Here's the good wind, here's the pretty wind, Here's the good wind! My friend is waiting for me.
Behind our place there is a pond. Behind our place there is a pond. Three fine ducks are bathing there.
Chorus:
The king's son goes hunting there, The king's son goes hunting there With his big silver gun. Chorus: Aimed at the black one, killed the white, Aimed at the black one, killed the white, And all its feathers went with the wind.
Chorus: There are three ladies picking them up. There are three ladies picking them up. And we will make a camp bed. Chorus:
The two of us will sleep in it, The two of us will sleep in it, To have some little children there. Chorus:
I need to learn the last two verses yet. I really like Lizzy's gentle version of the song. It's on my phone now so I should be able to practice it a little.
My wife says I'm just a big kid. Listening to my Mp3 list is probably evidence of that. It tends to lean heavily toward Disney songs and old folk music suitable for kids. I'm a big romantic. I've got a dozen or so Doris Day songs, some things from Aladdin, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Camelot and clips from Danny Kaye movies. This one I have no excuse for. I'm a six year old!
I just love these guys. I'll most likely post a whole bunch of these before it's over. Then there's this song from the wedding scene - "I Swear!" It just brings tears to my eyes (I'm laughing so hard).
This old hymn was one of the first songs that Great Grandma Doney taught to my Grandpa King when he was just a little boy. It remained a favorite all his life. My Grandpa was a praying man and I have no doubt at all that there will be some stars in my grandpa's crown. He'll get at least part of one for me. I introduced my own son to the song when he was little.
Above is one of my favorite folk singers, Burl Ives singing "Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?" Below is my first favorite folk singers, Thomas Adolph King....
So, have you ever wondered how Cowboys ever got into yodeling? It's not the sort of musical style that one would expect to find out in the Wild Wild West. So far as we know, yodeling is only common in the Swiss Alps - a rather long way from the plains of Texas.
Let us offer an alternative explanation. Here are Riders in the Sky with the story of how the Cowboy Yodel was born - a song guaranteed to make even the toughest CowBOYS cringe.
This song always makes me tear up. I've tried singing it and it always gives me trouble. This beautiful song is here delivered by two of Ireland's finest singers from two of Ireland's finest musical families. The Dutchman was written by Michael Peter Smith, who was a nice discovery through this song. You may not know Michael but you may have heard some of his songs. Look him up. He's really good. Get yourself a hankie first.
I love this song. It's one of my favorite Irish folk songs and best of all it's sung by two members of my favorite Irish music families - the Makems and the Clancys. I've actually seen both these guys and their dads performing at the North Texas Irish Festival. First I got to see the Clancy Brothers, then Tommy Makem performing solo. Then I got to see Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy performing together. After them, I got to see the younger Clancys performing together and the Makem Brothers performing as a group.
Since we've lost Tommy Makem and all the the elder Clancy Brothers, Tom, Liam and Paddy, it's nice to know their voices live on in their sons. I could listen to those guys all day, especially singing those ballads like "The Leavin' of Liverpool" and "The Parting Glass".
For this post I've included Rory Makem and Donal Clancy singing "The Leavin' of Liverpool" and The original Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem singing "The Parting Glass". I am so happy the sons have carried on their fathers' musical tradition. Maybe if I can find an Irish festival up here in Washington State, maybe I can see the tradition live on.
Here's Rory and Donal:
And here's Tommy Makem, Liam, Tom and Paddy Clancy
Love these lovely Irish voices. What I would give to jam with them.
