Season 268 - Won't You Ask a Question?

My second (and last) contribution this week. This is an oldie from 1990 that I wrote when I had a country avatar called Aaron Armstrong.

It is not my wife Carmen's favourite from my repertory :p - despite the fact I told her it was not entirely autobiographical :rolleyes:

 
W.C. Handy is considered the Father of the Blues. Since 1902 this song has been covered by pop, folk, jazz as well as blues musicians. It is frequently used as a dirge in New Orleans Jazz Funerals.

 
This weeks quest for questions reminds me of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
In that book someone builds a computer that calculates the answer to the question of life, the universe and everything. The answer is 42.
The problem is that nobody knows the right question...
 
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This weeks quest for questions reminds me of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
In that book someone builds a computer that calculates the answer to the question of life, the universe and everything. The answer is 42.
The problem is that nobody knows the right question...

Well, of course, 42 is the only possible answer!
 
I remembered this one. I've done it before but this is a new recording. Sorry, Pa. A bit long but it's a good song.
 


I couldn't let the question season go by without playing this song. I used to love Blink 182. Who am I kidding? I still like them, a lot. My performance is full of mistakes, but it was like take 50 and it was getting time to make the kid's dinner.
 
Ah well, no more songs from me. Here is the one I wrote. Think of it as a poem :)

When Did the First Tear Fall?

When did the first tear fall?
Was it something precious that was lost?
Was it beauty, this world, conscious thought?

I can use my imagination
The human that I am
Those questions sometimes
Catch on the jagged ends

Life itself begs those to cry
Surprise and welcome
Oh, so dry

When did the first tear fall?
Was it something precious that was lost?
Was it beauty, this world, conscious thought?

Perhaps those taught
Of Adam and Eve
Have lighter thoughts
And feel at ease

Life itself to Him they cry
Tears in Heaven
Jealous I
 
Ah well, no more songs from me. Here is the one I wrote. Think of it as a poem :)

When Did the First Tear Fall?

When did the first tear fall?
Was it something precious that was lost?
Was it beauty, this world, conscious thought?

I can use my imagination
The human that I am
Those questions sometimes
Catch on the jagged ends

Life itself begs those to cry
Surprise and welcome
Oh, so dry

When did the first tear fall?
Was it something precious that was lost?
Was it beauty, this world, conscious thought?

Perhaps those taught
Of Adam and Eve
Have lighter thoughts
And feel at ease

Life itself to Him they cry
Tears in Heaven
Jealous I

Well, I probably massacred this, but I put it in my favorite key and gave it a whirl.
 
SOTU 268: Who Was It Rigged For? Original Song by ddanner

If I understand time zones correctly, this entry has only about 4 hours to spare. It's an original that I first wrote in 2016 shortly after the U.S. presidential elections. I've rewritten it at least 3 times and am still not happy with it. I think it's because it tends to plod - much like the year 2016 which I thought would never end!

Anyhow, it does ask a question, and Season 268 was a good reason to revisit the song, to work on it some more. Feel free to offer any suggestions on how to make it better: chord progression? melody? tempo? rhythm? It still needs something, but going ahead and preparing this video definitely helped!

I hope you enjoy: Who Was It Rigged For?



{title: WHO WAS IT RIGGED FOR?}
{subtitle: Written by Dennis Danner, 12.15.2016}
{st: Last edited: 04.10.2017}

Intro:
[C] //// [C] ////

[C] Oh, I love my | [Am] country, . . [Am] gave it four years of my [Dm] life. . . .
[Dm] served halfway round the [G] world, . . [G7] during a long war of [C] strife . . .
[C] I always did my | [Am] duty, . . [Am] voted each and every
[Dm] time, . . .
[Dm] but now I really [G]worry, . . [G7] about this nation of [C] mine . . .

He [C]called the system [Am] rigged, . . [Am] told us he was not a [Dm] fraud . . .
[Dm] Said the press was full of [G] liars, . . [G7] and the news was always [C] flawed . . .
[C] Yet, he barely won the [Am] Col - lege, . . [Am] while she ran up the [Dm] score . . .
[Dm] Does that prove it's [G] rigged, . . [G7] she had three million [C] more? . . .

Chorus1:
{soc}
[C] So, who was it [F] rigged for? . . [G] and what did it [C] mean? . . .
[C] Is democracy [F] dying? . . [G7] or just lettin' off [C] steam? . . .

Yes, [C]who was it [F] rigged for? . . [G] and what did it [C] mean? . . .
[C] If it wasn't rigged for [F] Hillary? . . [G7]Was it just a Russian [C] scheme? . . .
{eoc}

Break (Optional):

[C] //// [Am] //// [Am] //// [Dm] ////
[Dm] //// [G] //// [G7] //// [C] ////

[C] Back in two thousand [Am] eight, . . [Am] and then again in [Dm] twelve, . .
[Dm] The President won the [G] college, . . [G7] with the peoples' vote as [C] well . . .
[C] We elected a [Am] black man, . . [Am] many hearts swelled with [Dm] pride, . . .
[Dm] but, a minority vowed to [G] stop him, . . [G7]and tore him down from in - [C] side . . .

[C] They shouted out: "You [Am] lie!" . . [Am] Questioned where he was [Dm] born . . .
They [Dm] ignored the Consti - [G] tution, . . [G7] gave him ridicule and [C] scorn . . .
[C]That's not a rigged e - [Am]lection, . . [Am] nor a vote of discon - [Dm] tent . . .
[Dm]That's political cas - [G] tration, . . [G7] by a rigged govern - [C] ment.


[C] So when I look at [Am] Con - gress, . . [Am] with its gerrymandered [Dm] spawn, . . .
[Dm]It's not the vote that's [G] rigged, . . [G7] it's how they govern that's [C] wrong . . .
[C] Cause, who is it [Am] rigged for? . . [Am] it ain't rigged for you or [Dm] me! . . .
[Dm] It's rigged for re-e[G]lection , . . [G7] and to win by any [C] means? . . .
{eoc}

Chorus 2:
{soc}
[C] Yes, who is it [F] rigged for, . . [G7] it ain't rigged for you or [C] me! . . .
[C] It's all about the [F] power, . . [G7]the money, and the [C] greed . . .
[C] Yes, who is it [F] rigged for, . . [G7] it ain't rigged for you or [C] me! . . .
[C] It's all about the [F] power, . . [G7]money, and [C] greed . . .
[C] / [0000] [C] /
{eoc}

+end+
 
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Nothing like squeaking in under the wire. Quick, dirty, 1 take, but wanted to contribute anything after several weeks inactivity due to letting work get in the way and recovering from a chest cold. Still don't feel like my voice is back, but oh well. Hopefully I'm not just leaving this one for the coyotes Randy let in when he started Season 269.

 
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Here's an old Benny Bell for y'all. Big thanks to JackLuis by way of John Oliver for the Zebra!

 
The video will take a few minutes to upload. Please be patient with it. I need to go out in a minute, and by the time I get back, it will be past the deadline. I'm quite proud of myself for working out the twiddly intro to this one.

 
Sorry.........what was the question?

No one really knows.
There are many theories, according to the book one of popular theories is: "How many roads must a man walk down".
Blowing in the wind would have been kind of fitting for the theme, though the title is not a question - but the Thornton Rule would have needed to be applied.
 
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