Season 341 - L'esprit de l'escalier

Evening one and all!

This week's theme is based on the concept of L'esprit de l'escalier. It's a French term used in English for the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late. (That bit is copied straight from Wiki but sums it up well).

It's something I experience a lot in day to day life (I work in a customer facing role so you can imagine) but also i think it has unique applications in the seasons.

Have you ever got to the back end of a week and thought of the perfect song, but it's too late to work it out or you can't find the time to record? Maybe it's a week with a song limit that you burned through too quickly and then inspiration struck later on. Maybe you had THE song but someone beat you to it and you don't like repeating songs. Or maybe you had one of your own themes you really liked but didn't feel comfortable adding your own songs to it.

The challenge this week is to bring me the songs that got away from seasons gone by. I want to know why you wanted to play it, why you couldn't in the end, and then I want you to smash it out the park. Get it out of your system.

So that this doesn't turn into "think of a song you want to play and then find a theme to fit it" I have a few caveats.

1) Randy' s alphabet season is off limits unless you bring me a really good reason.

2) Max 1 song per day. Partly down to my own time constraints, but mostly because I want you to think about it

3) Please give me some background. I don't need a 500 word essay but equally i don't want an embedded video with no commentary as it kinda defeats the purpose of the theme.

For Seasons debutants or recent arrivals, I appreciate there's not much to work with so please go to the Sign Up For Future Seasons III thread, have a browse of the first few posts and take your pick. No need for backstory from you guys although if it's a season you lurked on but couldn't bring yourself to participate in a story would be great. While you're there put your name next to a free week.

Normal timing rules apply. Multitracking is fine as long as I can hear a uke, I will treat collabs as separate entities that do not count towards an individual's song limits. By definition originals are very welcome, try and dust off those unfinished projects!

Have fun!


Playlist

What a brilliant idea, Ryan!

Clever and inspired theme.

Very nice idea, Ryan! Test us old farts and our (lack of) memory ... ld:

Cool theme and opportunity! Now I can finally go back and do my song about _________! I've got several to pick from Ryan, but I'm pretty sure which one I wil pick first!

I like this one. It's happened to me quite often.

I thinks this will be a quiet week from me then, I can't remember any times in my 305 seasons that I joined in, where I had this predicament, of having a song but not doing it . I do like the idea though. I guess I'm going to have to write/finish something.

Tootler said:

I like this one. It's happened to me quite often.

Click to expand...

Me too!

I did a count a while back, and discovered I had contributed 22 originals to the seasons in my approximately two and a half years of irregular participation here. Of those 22, 11 were written during and for the week they were submitted. I actually wrote a song for week 291, drugs, but never recorded it. It is always hard to find time, with a job, side business, church, and five kids getting to or near adulthood. But here is a chance to bring it!

Well, I better get busy! At least the lyrics are written, and I remember the melody. Thanks for a great second chance Ryan!

It’s a good, imaginative idea for a theme - well done that man! I can think of possibly 2 songs that would fit the bill, but I’ve only done 12 seasons. Not sure if I can still claim newbie status for a few wildcard entries? What do you think, your hostliness?

hendulele said:

Very nice idea, Ryan! Test us old farts and our (lack of) memory ... ld:

Click to expand...

lol! yeah, that "oh i could have done THAT song!" lightbulb moment in the middle of the week after a season has closed, has happened to me alot...................... but casting my mind back isn't bringing me the actual details of the actual song ideas! however, reading back through season themes will, i'm sure, remind me! GREAT THEME!!!!!!!!!! :rock:

OMG, five years of Seasons and over 400 videos, and I have probably planned five songs for every one I got done ... so which to choose?!

Also, I have a handful I actually recorded, but for one reason or another never managed to post. Do those count?

hendulele said:

Very nice idea, Ryan! Test us old farts and our (lack of) memory ... ld:

Click to expand...

xommen said:

I thinks this will be a quiet week from me then, I can't remember any times in my 305 seasons that I joined in, where I had this predicament, of having a song but not doing it . I do like the idea though.......

Click to expand...

Nothing coming to this old head ..... no doubt it has happened but no recollection of any particular songs. If I want to do a song I usually get it done one way or another. I vaguely recall a Regina Spektor song about a folding chair that I didn't get done....

Very original idea. I've definitely had this happen more than once. Often due to limited time, or not feeling I could pull off the song in question. Thanks for hosting and look forward to seeing what the week brings.

pabrizzer said:

Nothing coming to this old head ..... no doubt it has happened but no recollection of any particular songs. If I want to do a song I usually get it done one way or another. I vaguely recall a Regina Spektor song about a folding chair that I didn't get done....

Click to expand...

Ooh, yes ... your much-promised "folding chair" song!

UkeCan1 said:

OMG, five years of Seasons and over 400 videos, and I have probably planned five songs for every one I got done ... so which to choose?!

Also, I have a handful I actually recorded, but for one reason or another never managed to post. Do those count?

Click to expand...

Hi Wendy. Obviously the spirit of the seasons is for newly recorded songs only. Would be great to see something from you this week!

DelGriff said:

It’s a good, imaginative idea for a theme - well done that man! I can think of possibly 2 songs that would fit the bill, but I’ve only done 12 seasons. Not sure if I can still claim newbie status for a few wildcard entries? What do you think, your hostliness?

Click to expand...

I'll leave that up to you mate.

What I will say is that I obviously don't expect everyone to bring 7 songs this week. One or two is fine.

UkeCan1 said:

OMG, five years of Seasons and over 400 videos, and I have probably planned five songs for every one I got done ... so which to choose?!

Click to expand...

Me too! There are too many songs to choose from! Do I try to play my guitalele again, play a song about a fixture or fitting, or play a song about something sweet? I might even talk Tiffany into singing something colourful with me!

Don’t believe I’ve played this song on the ukulele – and there have been plenty of seasons where it met the theme (including 340).
Charlotte played the uke and I sang and blew some harmonica on the song for TCK in season 301.
So here is a ukenoodling version for 341.


Charlotte was recently chosen to be one of the performers at a creative arts night for her high school.
She performed so well just accompanying herself on guitar.
She has WAY more talent than I did at her age.

This is a German children’s song I was initially going to do for Sarah, Srax season 266, Sing a song in a language other than your own. I ended up doing Danke Schön and fully intended to do this one too but ran out of time. This has particular significance because Season 266, back in March 2017, was my very first Season. I had intended to make my debut in Tootlin’ Geoff’s Paul Simon Season, 264, but didn’t get round to doing anything for that one, sorry Geoff. The lyrics roughly, and I mean roughly, translate as

Green, green, green are all my clothes.
Green green green is all I have.
Therefore, I love everything that is so green because my sweetheart is a hunter.

Red, red, red are all my clothes.
Red red red is all I have.
Therefore, I love everything that is so red because my sweetheart is a rider.

While white white are all my clothes.
White white white is all I have.
Therefore, I love everything that is so white because my sweetheart is a miller.

Black black black are all my clothes.
Black black black is all I have.
Therefore, I love everything that is so black because my sweetheart is a chimney sweep.

Colourful colourful colourful are all my clothes.
Colourful is all I have.
Therefore, I love everything that is so colourful because my sweetheart is a painter.

As you can see, it loses a little in translation

Gday Ryan.Like the theme.Pretty sure I've heard the French phrase but didn't understand it's meaning.And I came 2nd in French in high school..sacre bleu!I've only been around since Season 323 Kevin's Outlaw Country.I came out blazing for that one with plenty of ammo..and I think it was a long weekend.Most weeks I only get time for 2-4 songs.There a quite a few songs I would have done if I had more time.
Here's one I would have liked to have done for Del's recent Light Season.It's a Jimmy Webb song.Just didn't have time during the Season.Thanks for the chance to do it now.It has light i it...and is a super song.Not so well known.