Season of the 'Ukulele (SOTU) 629 - Season of the Cuckoo'lele

[hands_on_lanzon]

Greetings fellow and aspiring Seasonistas!

Data (n=1, last week) shows that posting a SOTU theme early didn't seem to bother anyone and was appreciated by at few, so allow me a slightly early introduction to the Season of the Cuckoo'kulele!

I'm doing something a little different (*ahem @joo ) than I've done in the past by putting a together short intro video, below.
It has some basics of the theme and an intro song, but the most important bit is after the song... and I mean every word!


To expand and add few additional thoughts...

The Theme (options)
The theme for this week is to bring a song that has something to do with mental health.

• Songs with words like mental, crazy, mad, insane, loony, lunatic, cuckoo, bonkers, bananas, depression, etc
  • Please note that I'm not downplaying the seriousness of mental health issues by my Season title.. it just rhymes
  • Songs need not be serious! Seriously crazy is fine by me too.
  • These words should be in context of mental health... bananas or mad as in crazy... not as in fruit or angry.
  • All mental health disorders welcome... OCD, bipolar, anxiety, eating disorders, Schizophrenia, PTSD, narcissistic personality disorder, etc
• Songs that are uplifting or supportive or provide coping mechanisms for folks who might be going thru some tough times or deal with mental illness
  
• Songs that are written or sung by an artist going through some or dealing with mental illness
• Songs that are written in the perspective of a person going through some or dealing with mental illness
• FOR YOU CLASSICAL PLAYERS!! Bring a piece by a composer who had a bout with mental illness. A quick google search found me this...

The Rules

• No limit to number of entries. Play away and free!
• Videos should be recorded for this week. Usual exceptions apply.
• Collaborations and multi-tracking are welcomed. As always, the 'ukulele must be in the forefront.
• No videos should be posted before 12:00 AM Hawaii time, Sunday 3/3/2024.
• Season ends at 11:59:59 PM Hawaii time next Sunday, 3/10/2023.
• New Seasonistas may sing any song they want in any style with any amount of production or lack thereof. BE FREE!!

The Prize(s)

• I'll be choosing a winner (or two or three or whatever I feel like) to receive a postcard painted by me.
• Any new Seasonistas this week will receive a postcard painted by me.
  
  • If you've been thinking about joining and you've read this far... DO IT!!!
• Any Seasonista who signs up to host a future season at any point during the week will receive a postcard painted by me.
  
  • If you've been thinking about hosting a season and you've read this far... DO IT!!
  • It may be a bit time consuming, but it's also fun and rewarding and a completely different SOTU experience.
• I truly hope I get overwhelmed with the amount of postcards I'll have to paint after this season!
• The traditional tattoo world has applied this religious image called the 'Rock of Ages' for decades.
  • Tattooers like to innovate and make things their own... as such, I believe I might be the first to paint a "Uke of Ages."
  • I'll paint a uke of your choice as the rock
    • This example below shows my rendition of a Moonbird Uke of Ages.
    • 

The Playlist

Cheers and have fun! or get serious... or feel feelings or reflect or share or reach out to someone who might need you to reach out or reach out to someone if you yourself need to reach out.

 

[jtsteam]

Not only is this a fantastic theme about an important topic that is not addressed often enough (thank you!) but also thank you for this:
"Any Seasonista who signs up to host a future season at any point during the week will receive a postcard painted by me"
I haven't been doing this coordination lark very long, but it definitely keeps me relaxed when I know there's plenty of people to keep things going.

(Also thank you for noting that the choice of words here can be, shall we say, tricky. Let's all remember to be kind and empathetic while we do this. For reasons I won't go into here, this topic matters to me, so please let's all be nice.)

I think I may have a song or two ready on this topic...

 

[ploverwing]

FOR YOU CLASSICAL PLAYERS!! Bring a piece by a composer who had a bout with mental illness.

Nice option!

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

Nice option!

823! (Ancient pager code for "Thinking of you.")

 

[joo]

The most beautiful and kindest theme, Chris. Thank you so much! <3<3<3
I LOVE your intro video.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your rendition of the Moonbird Uke of Ages too.
I was tempted to sign up to host last week, but this month is super busy for me at the library, plus, i have been struggling with some issues myself.
HOWEVER, i do wanna share that the responsibility(a fun kind!) as a host and the interactions with fellow seasonistas had really brought myself out of my own troubled mind, speaking from past experience when i hosted.* I hope more will sign up to host. It's such a thoughtful and generous gesture from you to give something away to anyone who sign up this week!

*That's why i find commenting on each other's videos really make a difference, both to the recipient and person commenting. We all want to feel appreciated and loved, and it feels awesome to care about others.
@hands_on_lanzon

 

[jtsteam]

*That's why i find commenting on each other's videos really make a difference, both to the recipient and person commenting. We all want to feel appreciated and loved, and it feels awesome to care about others.

It really does. Even just a word or two that says, one way or another, "I listened to your song" is enough to make to someone happy. Let's make each other happy! We have the whole rest of the internet to make each other grumpy after all.

I will go further and say, if you're in the habit of posting but not commenting, let this be the week that you give each other the dopamine rush of a nice friendly comment. I promise you, it's worth it. The more you give, the more you get back. And it only takes a couple of words.

 

[mikelz777]

I'm a fan of the early announcement! It gives me more time to think of a song (clueless so far...) and a much better chance at recording one on Sunday when I have less going on. I do think participants should definitely refrain from posting early and should strictly abide by not posting before the 12:00 AM Hawaii post time.

 

[mythinformed]

I'm a fan of the early announcement! It gives me more time to think of a song (clueless so far...) and a much better chance at recording one on Sunday when I have less going on. I do think participants should definitely refrain from posting early and should strictly abide by not posting before the 12:00 AM Hawaii post time.

I've deleted It, hope my reckless rule breaking didn't cause you too much anxiety. xx

 

[TBB]

I LOVE this theme so much, Chris Going to try very hard to bring something, although I can already see the week ahead conspiring against me. But given the theme, that’s probably all the more reason to pull out all the stops and join in!

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

I've deleted It, hope my reckless rule breaking didn't cause you too much anxiety. xx

I do appreciate it. I don't wanna ruffle feathers and I was going to reply as well. It really doesn't bother me, but I do appreciate the enthusiasm!

 

[UkeCan1]

I don't really want to be first with this kinda fun but sloppy set. And, it's 8pm and I need to be up at 4 and got almost no sleep last night, so I'm gonna post and hit the hay.

At the open mic today, I started with my new original from 628, "Leap Day!", followed by three that meet this theme, as explained in the vid:

2) The Bruce's Philosophers Drinking Song by Monty Python

3) Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

4) Games People Play - Joe South

... with the amazing Roland on keys, Mick on bass, and Garth on cajon on the last two songs.



We followed with a bunch of jam songs after this (not on this video), so it was a fun afternoon.

And now it is time for bed!

I'm working on a parody song that I had the idea for last week, that miraculously meets the theme ... I should have time for that tomorrow.

 

[Charley B]

one from my Hawkulele/Hawkwind persona

 

[Canada Jim]

I set the alarm for 5:00 am (midnight Hawaiian time) because I knew that everyone would want to do CRAZY, but it seems that mythinformed still beat me to it. Ya gotta be quick.


Crazy Pat Donohue-parody of Willie Nelson's song the first one that popped into my head.

Fans of Prairie Home Companion will be familiar with Pat Donahue, guitarist in the Powdermilk Buiscuit Band. I'm pretty sure I did this one a couple of years ago, but it's time for a reprise.

Thanks for hosting Chris!

 

[joo]

Songs that are written in the perspective of a person going through some or dealing with mental illness

Thanks for hosting, Chris!
Here is a quick go at a song by John Callahan.
EDIT: i thought i should come back and write something about Callahan.
When he was a child, he was abused by a nun at the school he attended. He began drinking at the age of 12. He said he used alcohol to hide the pain of the abuse. He became a quadriplegic in an auto accident as a passenger at age 21. After the car accident, he went through extensive rehabilitation. At age 27, he gave up drinking alcohol.

I have covered this before, in a slower, darker way.
When I saw the theme this was one of the first songs that came to my mind. (also because it has easy chords :---P)
The banjo uke seems almost incapable of producing sad sounds. So I used it for this sad song.
Lyrics in the YT description.

 

[Renaissance-Man]

Hurt - Johnny Cash

"Situational depression is a familiar feeling that many people experience that comes from the loss of relationships, jobs, or overwhelming, stressful events."

"Hurt’s lyrics outline beautifully the numbness that comes from depression brought about by grief. The song also highlights the pain of losing people we love, either from death or even a painful breakup. The emotional lyrics are relatable for people who have suffered loss and are looking for a song that interprets how they feel."



Postscript:

I recorded this song last night, and it still sounded okay to me this morning, so I posted it, and went about my morning. A thought occurred to me, a little while later, to splice-in Johnny Cash's actual video ending in place of mine, as a tribute. So, I edited my original video, to include the Johnny Cash tribute ending.

Jim had left a warm comment, where he mentioned the origin of the song, so I thought maybe I should include the following video, that tells the whole backstory of how Johnny Cash came to record this unlikely song.

 

[LimousinLil]

Hello, Chris, and thanks for hosting! The woman in this song is definitely depressed ... perhaps justifiably! Played on my "Bouzouki-Uki" .. otherwise known as the "frying pan."

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

Barricading the door against the bailiffs, drunk, broke, a million reasons to be depressed, but we sang songs and snuggled each other in bed. We lived like millionaires.

No ukulele, but a strange little poem that the antidote against madness is love.

 

[mythinformed]

I'll throw this one out again. Having spent time in rehabs myself, I've lived with and heard the experiences first hand of people who have suffered real mental Illness and where their entire lives have been spent between children's homes, prisons and mental Institutions so you'll forgive If I have no empathy for anyone feeling depressed or down Just because they've had a bad day, they don't get enough comments or that their ukulele string broke. I've probably had a life that most people have nightmares about but I'm very much about 'crackin on with It' and 'Positive thinking' and always have been. My experience tells me that a positive can ALWAYS be found from a negative and EVERYTHING will pass at some point where you'll eventually see a light.

 

[dr_mitch]

This song seems flippant, but it's of course about a tragedy, and there's real anger at the tragedy in it, which I tried to get across.



Thanks for a powerful season, though my other songs this week are likely to be less serious.

 

[AlanDP]

This song--not my attempt at it, but this song in general--is a good example of a tradition in jazz of writing lyrics for an instrumental piece that had originally been composed earlier; sometimes years before. For this one, only three years had passed before vocalist Annie Ross wrote lyrics for Wardell Gray's tenor sax piece. It's been recorded by many; Joni Mitchell covered it on her hit album Court and Spark.