Sotu 481 "Mayday ... It's May Day!!!"

There's an excellent McArdle and Bridgett-Blake number you probably all know, that fits perfectly for this season, so I thought I'd have a go at it.



Thanks Tom and Ryan! This is a great song. Also sorry Liz, I was well into trying to learn Ryan's music when your version appeared (but I like your version too :)).

I did some minor tinkering, and I think I forgot the tune a couple of times so I hope I haven't mangled it too much.
 
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Here's my shot at a tune for engravertom's (Tom McArdle's) excellent lyrics. I loved what Ryan did, and then what Del did. But, as soon as I read Tom's lyrics this tune sprang into my head. I had to make myself not watch Ryan's rendition until I sang mine into voice memos, because I knew as soon as I listened to Ryan's I would not be able to hear it any other way. Thank you, Tom, for the words.



I love this tune and your performance! Great playing and vocals!

Glad you found the lyrics inspiring. 🙂
 
Maybe It's Mayday by Engraver Tom McArdle

Engraver Tom McArdle wrote these lyrics and submitted them to SOTU 481 Mayday It's May Day. I noticed that Ryan, Del and Liz had each put the words to music. I haven't heard their versions yet, since, as Liz mentioned, it's easier to come up with a new tune if you don't have someone else's in your head, so here's what I heard when I read Tom's super lyrics. Thanks Tom and I'm anxious to hear your (the real tune) version.

Now I'm off to listen to Ryan's, Del's and Liz's versions.

 
Is Val the host?

Did the Kinks write a song with Spring in the title (even if it was used as a metaphor for aging)?

Well then I think I am required to submit it. From The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society...

 
I still have an iPod that I use fairly frequently. Today while sacrificing the morning on the alter of Federal Bureaucracy I had it on shuffle and this song from the late 1990's (I think) came on. I think it rounds out the trifecta of this season's themes nicely.



This is some peak late 90's nerd wave right here. And the lyrics make no sense, having had to think about them enough to sing them. But it is a catchy tune and one that I immediately remembered all the words too even though I probably haven't heard it in years. (I have a lot of music on that iPod)
 

And, hello again, dear Seasonistas! It's Saturday morning here and it is Victory Europe Day here in France, which means that it's a Public Holiday again (one of no less than four this month!) Big thanks to all yesterday's contributors. We had two great originals, one from Berni about the less-than-glorious Reagan/Thatcher years and one from Lynda, who was having an extra-terrestrial emergency. Liz B. and Jim Y. both brought new and completely different interpretations of Tom's splendid poem ... it's so interesting to see how the song behaves in different hands! Edwin brought us another great interpretation of Ryan's version. Liz B. and Liz (cua 94) both came out in support of the Workers, while Andy brought us some great Kinks in celebration of Spring, after which he sent an S.O.S. message. Rick (Big King Velour) was also suffering and in need of emergency assistance ... although it was difficult to take his plight seriously when he was performing against such an amazing backdrop! Well, it's the weekend - even if you are not fortunate enough to be enjoying a Public Holiday - so there's plenty of time to celebrate, protest or call for help; please keep the songs coming!
 
Every May 1, there's three songs that get stuck in my head.

1. Staines Morris - In the 1850s, a poem from the 1600s called "The Maypole Song" was combined with a dance tune from the 1700s. Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy revived this in the 1960s, and I know it from a live Fairport Convention version when Swarb was in the band. I played this long ago in the Seasons (link below), I think for a spring theme Geoff hosted.

2. Apparition, by the Liverpool band Stealing Sheep. The song itself doesn't really have a May Day connection, but its video is about Morris dancing, so I feel compelled to watch it on May 1. Val has probably seen me post it on Facebook.

3. Mayday, by The Go! Team. I watch this one every May 1 too. I'm still trying to sync up the playing and singing. Hopefully, I'll have it done by tomorrow.




Stealing Sheep - Apparition

The Go! Team - Mayday

Staines Morris - 63rd Season of the Ukulele
 
Here's a somewhat hasty addition, from the late great Justin Townes Earle. This one is from JTE's eighth and final album, "The Saint of Lost Causes," and both celebrates some of the workers that "made America roll," and laments the impact of late 20th century profit maximization on their lives and home city of Flint, Michigan. For some reason I was thinking about Detroit during during last week's season about places, and considered this song which mentions Detroit (though Detroit is not the star location). Thinking about Detroit brought the lyric "Detroit Detroit, got a helluva of a hockey team" to mind though I couldn't remember the song. Turns out that lyric is from "Papa Hobo," by Paul Simon, which could also be considered for this week in that the singer talks about sweeping up the tips he made. Anyway the point of all this is that I didn't get around to learning either song last week, and only barely touched this one now as we head up against the deadline...

 
You See Spring - recording and video for Season 481 "Mayday, it's a May Day"

An original song I wrote back in 2000.

I have not played this song since probably 2005 or so, when I used to play it with a Jazz combo and a real singer singing it.
It's funny, when I was putting it to Uke chords, I found a couple of things I wanted to edit, so it's a good exercise to look at older material now and then.
I am pleased with the edits.

It's about Spring - yes - and also about autumn and winter, but really it's about an optimist.
The subject is a person who always sees the good in the situation, no matter what, and my hope is the song will remind the listener that this approach is indeed possible.

Thanks

 
It’s a lovely day. I had to run an errand so I thought I’d take a uke along. There’s a Woody Guthrie song I still hope to squeeze in, but if not, here’s one that we played at our jam Thursday (first time together indoors since March 2020!

 
Belated happy May Day, comrades!

Here's one from the I.W.W. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent...

Hijos del pueblo, te oprimen cadenas
Y esa injusticia no puede seguir,
Si tu existencia es un mundo de penas
Antes que esclavo prefiere morir.
Esos burguesas, asaz egoistas,
Que asi desprecian la Humanidad,
Seran barridos por los anarchistas
Al fuerte grito de libertad.


 
And I now declare this Season officially over ... and then some! (I am currently distracted by the engineers who are in the process of connecting our Fibre Broadband ... yippee!!!) Thank you, dear Comrades for your brotherly and sisterly support. I'll have the Wrap up in a few days.
 
Andy and Ryan, thank you for your encouragement!

Er ....

(Actually, this new fibre business is not without complications! There are two networks on the new box, but I can only access the 5G one at the moment ... which SHOULD make it possible to join in these riotous Saturday events! Unfortunately, though, it means that I can't access my Kindle Fire (on which I record my vids) as Kindles aren't up to 5G ... so there may be a bit of a delay before I can contribute to this week, Ryan! (I haven't yet discovered whether I can toggle between the slower network (2.4 Ghz) - which, at the moment I can't access - and the 5G network.)

I have emailed Stephane, our local expert on all things Internet, to ask for his assistance and am waiting for him to get back to me (he tends to turn up unexpectedly when it is convenient for him.) Life is far too complicated!!!!
 
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