POSSIBLE THREAD FOR SOTU 459 - Fairy Tales and Folk Tales

This is an original song, a little piece of Tolkien-inspired nonsense that came to me today. The title had come to me years ago, but I'd never thought to make a song of it until now. Played on an armadillo-shell ukulele.

You have been busy the last few days. It shows on the playlist, as it has grown by no less than 12 new submissions.
Special thanks to Brian (pabrizzer) because he inspired both Berni (for a collaboration) and Jim, who made the goblin reappear. Berni, Uke4ia, Allen, Andy, Val, Lynda, Liz, Marc and Kevin, and Del were the other bards and musicians who gifted us with prime arrangements, cover versions, and originals!
I'm enjoying this week of hosting honours! I'll be back tomorrow. Hopefully there will be a few more entries to add to this diverse collection!

Local folklore about local folk from a local of Nottingham ...many miles removed .......
Steeleye Span do this much better....but they're not from Nottingham !!

Frida Kahlo visits the Taybridge Bar a song by Scottish songwriter Michael Marra
It has all the element of a folk tale. Drunken husband, abused wife who appears
as a ghost in the Taybridge Bar in Scotland, which is a waiting room for those
who can't get into heaven cos the pearly gates are rusted shut.



We were all flooded with a scarlet light
Came through the window with the rain outside
It all went quiet and a vision appeared
With a rose in her hair and a ring in her ear
And she says "Buenos Dias boys, this looks like the place
Make my re-entry to the human race
Here I am and here I'll stay
'Til it's hasta la vista and I'm on my way"
And Vince said she was a woman to whom life had been cruel
And she lived with a fat man of the naive school
He liked his beer and he put it about
But she truly loved him 'til the lights went out
Then she made her way up to the pearly gates
She saw Saint Peter, he was pumping weights
He said "Hitch a lift upon this falling star
Make your way down to the Tay Bridge Bar"

There'll be no more lies, no more tears
No more listening through the fat man's ears
There'll be no more tears and no more lies
No more looking through the fat man's eyes
She said she'd never been so happy in a long, long time
Her mind was relaxed and her body felt fine
She said "put on Perdido, tonight's the night
I wanna dance with Jimmy Howey in the pale moonlight
There'll be no more lies, no more tears
No more listening through the fat man's ears
There'll be no more tears and no more lies
No more looking through the fat man's eyes
We were all flooded with a scarlet light

I had hoped to write a song based on a local folk tale for this week but once again, life got in the way and I won't be able to get one finished on time. Pity. I had a look at the songs I have that fit the theme and two that I wrote a while ago have both been used recently so I went for this one from Lord of the Rings. I wrote a tune for this some time ago. Amroth doesn't figure directly in the Lord of the Rings and his tale is in the appendices at the end of the Return of the King but he is referenced. Warning - it's quite long.

My North Carolina hometown is famous/infamous for at least one reason: It's where, in 1868, Tom Dula allegedly killed Laura Foster. The story inspired a poem, which became a folk song, which was reconfigured several ways. The Kingston Trio sanitized the tale and started the folk revolution with their 1958 recording. Mine is based on another take. There's at least one more that Doc Watson recorded in the late '50s/early '60s that introduces the love triangle and casts doubts on Dula's guilt. It's great story and an easy song. I'm playing it in F, if anyone wants to harmonize.

Friday evening in the UK, so I'll be off to bed. Today there were four new songs for the playlist. Thank you to CeeJay, Rob, Geoff and Rick for their contributions. I'll check back in tomorrow.

I cut my thumb on Monday, so I've not been able to play a lot. However, I did this short one today.

Little Red Riding Hood made an earlier appearance, but I brought her back again with a popular nursery song.

A very short and dreary one to match my current mood! Is there a minimum time limit on this thing?

No, for me there is no minimum time limit. You're welcome to condense a song, skip a verse, throw out a repeat, ignore an intro or outro. Less is often more!

For Season 459 . This song and tune was slung together this evening . It needs work. It needs help. It probably needs the attention of its subject !!

Folklore has a Grim Reaper. Readers of Sir Terry Pratchett's creation of the Discworld novels will probably (hopefully) get this. Others may need to know that on a place called the Discworld elsewhere in the multiverse they have a Death, that is his name and he does have a horse called Binky. He is a black robed 7ft tall skeleton and favours a huge scythe. Much like our death he relies on life timers , which are like egg timers but less useful, well from a certain perspective, mostly the owners .

An old wizard called Albert is his housekeeper and yes he does have to muck out the stable....Death also loves curry (and kittens, though NOT curried kitten). Binky is just brilliant and any horse loving young lady would love to own him, but he is loyal and faithful to his keeper. So, a song about the discworld's Death which is a fairy story and not at all real......Or is it ?..................
Discclaimer:
All the characters named are copyright property of Sir Terry Pratchet and his estate ,so if I disappear after this it's because the Night Watch have hauled me off to the Tanty.

Ms Bean said:

No, for me there is no minimum time limit. You're welcome to condense a song, skip a verse, throw out a repeat, ignore an intro or outro. Less is often more!

Click to expand...

Well I didn’t get my 16 minute opus up today. Trying to cut it way down. Tomorrow!

i don't know if this quite counts as a folk tale - folk lore maybe? but i remember catching a bit of a nature programme presented by david attenborough, and he was talking about how, before people realised the amazing journeys that migratory birds undertake, they wondered where they disappeared to. he talked about the idea that some birds slept under water during the winter. i had a bit of a google today and other notions that came up were swallows flying to the moon, geese actually growing into existence on a tree, like fruit, and one type of bird turning into another different kind, during winter. i've bunged all that mind-boggling-ness into this song!

Thanks for hosting the season Ms Bean x. Its a bit of a rough and ready bash at it as I've not had much time (and I'm way too Impatient at spending too long on a piece and like to hop around) but hope ya likes anyways . A song from Disney's Toy Story........

Couldn't resist this short burst of Scottish traditional/folk ...........

Better late than never...

The Tale Lady Marigold and Mister Fox (an original). Since I was a kid I've been fascinated by this story of, well, a serial killer. This is a 9 minute song I cut down from the original 16 minute ballad. Don't expect anyone to listen to the whole thing but I'm just happy I got something done. The full lyrics of the long version below.



The tale of Lady Marigold and Mr. Fox (video is a shortened version):
Chords: Am E

Lady Marigold was young and brave / with flaming braided locks
Now Lady Marigold was much taken / by the dashing Mr Fox
For he was handsome, rich, and gallant / when he came to woo
So her hand she promised him / swore ever to be true

On the morn’ of her wedding day/ brothers toasted groom and bride
But Lady Marigold’s face was pale/ full of gloom as she sighed
Says Lady Marigold, “An ill dream/ tossed me till the crow of the cock”
“My Lady ease your heart, this troubling dream/ do confide,” says Mr Fox

Says Lady Marigold to her wedding guests/ “Pray this tale prove only jest
I dreamt alone I traveled on a darkened road/ through the loneliest of forest
And chanced upon a wrought iron gate/ foreboding but unlocked
Proud was the family crest of your estate/ posted there my darling Mr Fox”

“Strange were the words upon the arch carved in stone/ worn and old
Be Bold, Be Bold
That is what it told, a sign of hope or one of woe?”
Says Mr Fox, “But It was not so and it is not so”

“At my feet dying leaves of autumn / cloaked a friendless courtyard
For none came forth to welcome me, not a servant nor a guard
Save the lone caw of a raven / that echoed from the wall
Shivered something dark at my neck / ghost’s breath oh so foul”

“Strange were the words upon house, carved in stone, worn and old
Be Bold Be Bold but Not too Bold
That is what it told, a sign of hope or one of woe?”
Says Mr Fox, “But it was not so and it is not so”

“In your great house was a grand hall / full of dust and of gloom
Up stone steps, all was silent there /not unliken to a tomb”

“Strange were the words above a darkened door, craved in stone, worn and old
Be Bold Be Bold but Not too Bold
Lest That Your Heart’s Blood Should Run Cold
That is what it told, surely a sign and one of woe”
But says Mr Fox, “It was not so and it is not so”

“Candles burning in a chamber / there to find a bloody altar
What devil doth worship here / bringing innocents to slaughter
A’ lying there the bones of many maidens / everyone of them dead
All were dressed in bridal finery / torn and stained blood red”

But says Mr Fox, “It was not so and it is not so”

“Oh my dear Mr Fox how quick I hid / at that moment home you came
Dragging by her hair and up the stair, a poor crying lass / you sought to maim
A ruby on her finger, she held to the rail / in vain her fate to resist
You gave one chop, cleaved her jeweled hand / clean away at the wrist”

Mr Fox jumped up, “But it was not so and it is not so!”

“In your haste Mr Fox that poor dead hand / was left to lay from whence it flew”
Lady Marigold stood tall and proud / met Mr Fox, eye to eye
Says the Lady to Mr Fox / “Indeed it was so and it is so
For here’s the girl’s hand and her dowry ring / that I have to show”

Swords and daggers drawn, guests and brothers / all rushed at Mr Fox
A thousand red ribbons ’twas all left of him / nothing more for the choppin’ block
Oh ladies beware the deadly kiss / of the dashing Mr Fox
Dressed as beggar man or in fine clothes / he’ll seek to cut your wedding knot

Be Bold Be Bold
Be Bold Lady Marigold

This is one of those weeks I'm glad the season ends on Sunday Kev and I put a lot of work and love into this one. Diggy Diggy Hole by the Yogscast that coincidentally is currently hosting their annual Jingle Jam to raise money for various charities. I've been enjoying these creative folks for years now and it just felt right to play their signature song. Floor Tom Drums provided by a friend of Kev's, Richard Blackett. Kev performed vocals, uke, scratch, bass and the mix! Thanks so much for all the help. Really enjoy making music with ya. I added vocals, uke, art and the video.

Here is a (half of) a chord melody on my newly recovered from quarantine Flight TUS-35.

My wife insisted I post it rather than relegating it to the blooper reel, and I know better than to argue!

My son loves the Japanese folk tale "The Boy Who Drew Cats." When we play (and we play a lot nowadays since he doesn't get to play with other children during the pandemic), I often take the role of the goblin rat. Sometimes I'm a mean goblin rat like in the story. Other times I'm a nice goblin rat, and he and I have an adventure together. I love goblin rats.

There's much more to the original folk tale than you'll hear in this not-enough-time-or-energy-to-write-a-song version...



Have a good one!