Season 586: Untitled

[jtsteam]

I like to come up with some contrived explanation of a theme and how it came about. Not this time though. The idea is simple: you can post any song you like, under one condition:

• The title must not appear anywhere in the lyrics

Some well known examples are: Bohemian Rhapsody, Subterranean Homesick Blues, A Day In The Life, Space Oddity, and many many more. Titles of the form "X Song" or "Y Blues" turn up a lot. Some bands (including one of my favourites...) seem to do them more than others. There's lists on the Internet, but I'm sure you know plenty already without having to search.

Instrumentals count, what with not having any lyrics at all. There are also songs where the title almost appears in the lyrics, but not quite. For example, you could get away with Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" because he never sings "#2".

Otherwise, usual rules apply:

• Uke front and centre, but feel free to add other instruments as you see fit.
• Collaborations welcome, originals especially welcome.
• Please only post new recordings made for this week (with the usual exemptions).
• Please say either in the video or description on YouTube that it's recorded for Season 586.
• For covers, put the title and original artist/composer in the post or the description. Give credit where it's due!
  (Also, please don't assume I know the song, I don't want to have to google it to find out if it's an original or cover!)
• No song limits. Be as creative as you like: as long as it qualifies I will listen to it, and it goes on the playlist! One caveat: I only promise to comment on your first song. I probably will comment on all of them anyway but I'm saying that to take the pressure off myself if it turns out to be a busy week...
• Don't forget to listen and comment on the other submissions! It's a lot quicker than learning and posting a song after all. All it takes is something like "I enjoyed that" or "Thanks for posting" and you might make someone's day.

You can post any time from 00:00:00 Sunday May 7th, Hawaiian time, right up to 23:59:59 on Sunday May 14th Hawaiian time. You can check the time in Hawaii here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/usa/honolulu

The PLAYLIST is here and will start filling up as the entries come in.

And we'll be off... approximately 14 and a half hours from now. Enjoy yourselves!

 

[UkeFoote]

What a coincidence! I was just talking about “Baba O’Reilly” with a friend who mentioned it’s “one of those songs who’s title isn’t in the lyrics”, and I thought to myself: ‘that’s a good theme for a season’!

 

[Flatbaroque]

At last my chance to do the 1812 Overture. Looking for cannons on GarageBand…..

 

[TCK]

Oh my…I got a few here

 

[LimousinLil]

At last my chance to do the 1812 Overture. Looking for cannons on GarageBand…..

Haven't you got your own cannons, John ... HONESTLY!!!

 

[UkeCan1]

Since we just celebrated Star Wars Day - May the 4th Be With You - I thought of this one.

This is "The Saga Begins", in which Weird Al Yankovic sings the entire plot of Episode 1 of Star Wars, "The Phantom Menace", to the tune of "American Pie", a song which, unlike the parody version, includes its title in each of its many choruses. The parody version is also long, but mercifully is one verse shorter than "American Pie".

So SPOILER ALERT. But honestly, if you haven't seen all the Star Wars episodes by now, what are you waiting for?

(PS for the uninitiated, Episode 1 is the fourth Star Wars movie, not the first. Either you knew that already or you don't care about any of this ... and you probably won't understand a word of this song.)

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

Glasgow Lullaby: Song by Eric Bogle, a Scotsman who left Scotland and went to Australia.

Hush wee babby, for yer daddy's comin' in
Stumblin' up the stair and missin' every yin
Rotten wi' beer and stinkin' o' gin
He's drunk again—as usual
Chorus:
Oh my God, it's a weary, weary life, who wid be a drinkin' man's wife
Who wid thole a' this trouble and this strife, who but a silly woman
Hush wee babby, he's comin' in the door
Drunken big feet are skitin' over the floor
He's had a bucket, but he's thirstin' for more
He disnae ken when he's beaten
Hush wee babby, listen tae him sittin' there
Wi his bloodshot eyes and his tangled hair
Mooth fu' o' big talk and eyes fu' o' despair
And blaming me—as usual
Chorus
Hush wee babby, yer daddy's gone tae bed
The morn he'll no' remember a' the things he said
But his tongue wis sharp and a' the wounds they bled
But then I'm used tae bleedin'
Hush wee babby and close yer weary eyes
Cuddle intae mammy and stop yer tired wee cries
And in the mornin' when ye decide ta arise
Yer mammy will be waiting

 

[Flatbaroque]

Thanks for stepping up Edwin. Here's a Rodriguez cover from his perfect album Cold Fact.

 

[UkeCan1]

As a kid, this was the song that introduced me to the possibility that a song didn't have to be named for something in its lyrics.

Apparently, Paul Simon hates this song, and wouldn't deign to title it after such a lowbrow phrase as "Feelin' Groovy". So instead he named it for the cobblestoned, lampposted site that inspired it, "The 59th Street Bridge Song".

 

[pabrizzer]

paoriginoodle from just over a year ago
re-recorded for season 586

 

[YorkSteve]

I managed to avoid the coverage of the Coronation yesterday, but the actions of the police (arresting 50+ peaceful anti-royalty protesters hours before the event, and confiscating their placards) reminded me of this song. Written by Leon Rosselson, and a hit for Billy Bragg in 1985.
It tells the story of The Diggers, a radical group who in 1649 set up what was a sort of agricultural cooperative. It all went well until the wealthy landowners decided it wasn't a good idea.

 

[xommen]

This is called Unknown Caller, which is nowhere in the Lyrics, that somehow surprised me as most U2 songs do have the title in the lyrics.

 

[bobjking]

Cheers for hosting, Edwin!

Here's a Gram Parsons/Chris Etheridge tune from The Flying Burrito Brothers' classic album - The Gilded Palace Of Sin. One of my all time favourite songs so thanks for the excuse to have a pop at it!

 

[jtsteam]

Hi all! Thanks to Wendy (twice), Rob, John, Brian, Steve, Wim and Bob for getting us off to a flying start. Looking forward to hearing what else you come up with. I'm hoping Brian F is working on Baba O'Riley . And maybe when John finds his cannons, an 1812 Overture?

 

[LimousinLil]

Hello, Edwin ... and thanks for hosting! Oh, dear ... I have deserted my week, but there's no one around and Sunday is a good day for me to record. As you say, Edwin, there are a fair few songs in which the title never appears in the lyrics - not something I'd ever thought about before - and this is one of them. GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING: It's a bit noisy at the beginning and the end (and all without the use of John's cannons!)

 

[jtsteam]

During February Album Writing Month, I got myself some fridge poetry and fiddled around with it. I ended up with a trilogy of fridge magnet songs that tell some kind of story. I don't know what it's about, but nevertheless, here's the first part of it. It's called "Fridge Magnet Part 1". Maybe I'll post the other two later in the week, I'm sure you're itching to know what happens next.

Oh yes, here's evidence of the first draft:

 

[UkeFoote]

Ennio Morricone's theme song for the film "My Name is Nobody", for concert ukulele, overdubs of whistling, electric bass, secondary vocal, and tenor fuzz ukulele. Thanks for hosting, Edwin!

 

[good_uke_boy]

Here's an instrumental version of "Annie's Song" by John Denver. Thanks.

 

[ukudancer]

Truly enjoying all the entries so far!

Anyway, here's mine for the season. I actually heard this song for the first time last week while watching a basketball game with my old college buddy. My first thoughts were 1) what a fun tune, 2) is this in C? and lastly, what's the name of this thing?

If you're not familiar it's an electronic pop song with lyrics. But I wanted to play it on the uke...My original thought was a heavier palm muted rhythm. But it didn't feel right, so I kept the palm mutes but played it mostly clean with the faintest hint of gain.

The chords, bass and synth lines were fairly simple and easy to learn, it was just a matter of learning the lyrics, playing the right notes and adapting it onto the uke.

And that's how we got to this little instrumental!

 

[TCK]

First one. Cover of Kathy’s Song. Simon and Garfunkel 1969