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Country Favorites

Nov27

I’ll admit it. I grew up in West Texas among what we called back then “kickers and cowboys,” and I listened to a lot of country music whether I wanted to or not. I did develop a taste for some of it, sentimentality and cryin-in-my-beer notwithstanding. My mom called it “honkey-tonk music.” Anyway, I have a daughter who likes the twenty-first century version of country, even though we live in the big city, major suburbia, so I thought I’d make her a mix CD for Christms of classic country songs. These are the songs I’ve picked out so far. Any suggestions to add to it?

Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker

I Can’t Help it (If I’m Still in Love With You) by Hank Williams Jr.

Hey, Good Lookin by Hank Williams Sr.

Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine by Tom T. Hall

I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash

Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford. My daddy loves this song. He can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but he tries sometimes to do his Tennessee Ernie imitation, singing way down low.

Crazy by Patsy Cline.

Your Cheatin Heart by Hank Williams Sr.

Wildwood Flower by the Carter Family.

Luchenbach Texas by Waylon Jennings. My kids think this song is one of the funniest they’ve ever heard. Willie Nelson used to have a Fourth of July picnic at Luchenbach every July. I don’t think he does it anymore.

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson

King of the Road by Roger Miller

Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson.

The Gambler by Kenny Rogers.

Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton

The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich.

Kiss an Angel Good Morning by Charlie Pride.

Galveston by Glen Campbell. Because I like Glen, and because we live near Galveston.

Gentle on my Mind by Glen Campbell.

Will the Circle Be Unbroken by The Carter Family.

Happiest Girl in the Whole USA by Donna Fargo.

Happy Man by B.J. Thomas. I used to love to listen to B.J. in his pre-Christian phase and in his Christian incarnation. Raindrops anyone?

You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone. Is this one really country?

Through the Years by Kenny Rogers. I once saw Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in concert at Johnson Space Center. They were filming a TV special, and all the NASA employees got free tickets. It was outdoors by the big rockets, and we sat on a blanket and listened to Kenny and Dolly (I think) and others. Ahhh, memories.

I probably don’t need suggestions. I doubt if all of those songs will fit on one CD. Nevertheless, feel free to admit your guilty secrets if you’re a country music fan, and tell me your favorites.

Mike Huckabee Loves Music and Art

Nov5

I warned you that I’d be featuring Mike Huckabee for President posts on this blog on Mondays until further notice. Today I want to show you that Mike Huckabee is a Republican who cares about education, and especially music and art education. I think this passion for the arts, along with traditional Republican values of moral leadership and fiscal repsonsibility, puts Mr. Huckabee in a position to appeal to a broad cross-section of voters who care about values, money, and education and who believe in the federal government’s role in restraining government and greed while at the same time encouraging the creativity and hard work of citizens to make our nation not just rich in stuff but also in vision and imagination.

If you care about music, art, and literature, you should really be supporting Mike Huckabee for president.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born November 4th

Nov4

Augustus Montague Toplady, b. 1740. Toplady’s most famous hymn is Rock of Ages, Cleft For Me, but this one, A Debtor To Mercy Alone, is one we sing in my church:

A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on, my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began, the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen, and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now, nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo, or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains, in marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure, as sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in Heav’n.

Toplady was a great opponent of the Wesleys, especially John Wesley, and he wrote many pamphlets and sermons in opposition to what he termed John Wesley’s “pernicious doctrines,” namely Arminianism. As Toplady was dying at age thirty-eight, he heard of rumors to the effect that he was sorry for the things he had said of John Wesley and wanted to apologize and beg Wesley’s forgiveness. Toplady got up almost literally from his deathbed in order to dispell those rumors and reaffirm his belief in Calvinism and his opposition to the Arminianism of John Wesley.

“It having been industriously circulated by some malicious and unprincipled persons that during my present long and severe illness I expressed a strong desire of seeing Mr. John Wesley before I die, and revoking some particulars relative to him which occur in my writings,- Now I do publicly and most solemnly aver That I have not nor ever had any such intention or desire; and that I most sincerely hope my last hours will be much better employed than in communing with such a man. So certain and satisfied am I of the truth of all that I have ever written, that were I now sitting up in my dying bed with a pen and ink in my hand, and all the religious and controversial writings I ever published, especially those relating to Mr. John Wesley and the Arminian controversy, whether respecting fact or doctrine, could be at once displayed to my view, I should not strike out a single line relative to him or them.”

We sing the hymn above by Toplady and this one by Charles Wesley– both at my church. Are the three of them, John, Charles, and Augustus, in heaven amused at the proximity of their two hymns–which seem to my untutored brain to have much the same theme and theology?

Arise my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

So today I’m thanking God for John Wesley, his brother Charles, and for Augustus Toplady, and I’m asking Him to have mercy on us all–Arminians, Calvinists, and Fence-Sitting Calvino-Arminians, like me.

Musical Memories Meme

Oct17

Instructions for me: Access your iPod, Media Player or music storage device of choice, set it to random, and post the opening lyrics to the first 10 songs that come around, then let the friends-list guess the songs and artists (or songwriters, if you will). Offer fabulous prizes if do-able; if not, offer virtual Hershey’s kisses or somethin’.

And the instructions for you: Guess away, and have fun. Just refrain from peeking at the comments until you’ve made your guesses, because otherwise that’s JUST NOT RIGHT. And, uh, if you’ve WRITTEN the song in question, maybe you should bypass it.

No prizes. Well, maybe I could send you one of the songs off my iTunes. Can I do that? Is it legal?

1. They say that ___________ ___________ owned one half of this whole town,
With political connections to spread his wealth around.
Born into society, a banker’s only child,
He had everything a man could want: power, grace, and style.

2. When you’re weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all
I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found . . .

3. And _____________ was her name,
A not so very ordinary girl or name.
But who’s to blame?
For a love that wouldn’t bloom
For the hearts that never played in tune.

4. I’m the cat that got the cream
Haven’t got a girl but I can dream
Haven’t got a girl but I can wish
So I’ll take me down to Mainstreet
And that’s where I select my imaginary dish.

5. Go ahead drive the nails in My hands,
Laugh at Me where you stand.
Go ahead, and say it isn’t Me,
The day will come when you will see . . .

6. I ran away from you
And left you crying
And though I’m back to stay
You think I’m lying
But I’ve changed
My ways.

7. _____________________________________
Where it’s warm and secure,
Are sorry you bought the one way ticket
When you thought you were sure.
You wanted to live in the land of promise
But now it’s getting so hard.

8. When I die there won’t be much to salvage from my earnings
I never had a lot of land or houses to my name
I’ve never been a corporate prince on Madison and New York
I never held a diamond in my hand.

9. Hey, girl whatcha doin down there
dancing alone every nite while I live right above you
I can hear your music playin’
I can feel your body swayin’
one floor below me you don’t even know me:
I love you.

10. Well, _______________ with their soft lights,
Your eyes that promise sweet nights,
Bring to my soul a longing, a thirst for love divine.
In dreams I seem to hold you, to find you and enfold you,
Our lips meet and our hearts, too, with a thrill so sublime.

I had to skip several songs on my iTunes that don’t have lyrics, music from LOTR and several Big Band hits and jazz numbers. Anyway, the first one to guess all ten wins . . . the satisfaction of having eclectic, weird, and mostly-seventies musical tastes.

1904: Music

Oct8

George M. Cohan published Give My Regards to Broadway and Yankee Doodle Boy both in 1904. My students had never even heard of Cohan, and one of them had never even heard of any of his songs. Not the two above. Not You’re a Grand Old Flag. Not Over There. Someone has neglected these urchins’ musical education.

Go here for an NPR profile of Cohan and his music.

My family watched the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy with James Cagney as George M. Cohan. Cagney won an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the song and dance man, and I thought it was delightful film.

1902: Twentieth Century Music

Oct1

I am studying twentieth century history with a couple of the urchins this year, and I thought it would be fun, and perhaps instructive, to listen to some popular tunes as we study through the century. We started in 1900, but the first songs I introduced were both published in 1902. 1902 was, of course, pre-recorded music and pre-radio for all practical purposes. Music back then was sold, not on CD or tape or even LP record, but as sheet music. Yes, this idea of not being able to purchase a recording of the latest musical composition, but rather having to buy the music and produce your own rendition or go to a concert hall somewhere to listen, was a new concept for the urchins.

At any rate, a couple of popular songs published in 1902 were:

In the Good Old Summertime lyrics by Ren Shields and music by George Evans. George “Honey Boy” Evans was originally from Wales, but he joined a minstrel show when he was a young performer of about twenty years of age. After that, he performed in blackface for much of his singing career, just ike Al Jolson. (We watched the movie The Jolson Story, and the urchins and I agreed that it was interesting, but much too long.) To get back to Honey Boy, he and Mr. Shields were fooling around one day when George mentioned the “good old summertime” and out of that chance remark came a hit song —or what passed for a hit in 1902. It was published, sung on Broadway, and people played it on their pianos and sang about the good old summertime for many years thereafter. Still do sometimes, I suppose.
Information from Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America by Frank Cullen, Florence Hackman, Donald P. McNeilly.

In the good old summertime,
In the good old summertime,
Strolling thru’ a shady lane
With your baby mine.
You hold her hand and she holds yours,
And that’s a very good sign
That she’s your tootsie wootsie
In the good, old summertime.

Tootsie wootsie????? The urchins got a kick out of that one. (Complete lyrics and music.)

The Entertainer by Scott Joplin. Wow, I didn’t know that Scott Joplin was from Texas! He was born in East Texas and grew up in Texarkana, of all places. When he published The Entertainer in 1902, he had already had a success with his Maple Leaf Rag. Of course, I know The Entertainer from the movie The Sting, and my urchins know it only because Eldest Daughter played it for recital once a upon a time. (Isn’t it amazing how memorable those recital pieces become after having been practiced ad infinitum.) Mr. Joplin’s music is one of the earliest examples of “ragtime”, a musical genre that became all the rage in the first decade of the twentieth century. Ragtime is “music characterixed by a syncopated melodic line and regularly accented accompaniment, evolved by black American musicinas in the 1890’s and played especially on the piano.” You can listen to a really quick tempo version of The Entertainer here.

Can you tell that I’m not an expert on music, classical, popular, or otherwise? But I’m having fun. Those of you who are music people, how would you describe a piece of music played fast?

Keith Green, b.1953, d. July 28, 1982

Jul28

Also on this date in 1982 singer, songwriter, and man of God, Keith Green died in a plane crash which also killed his two of his chldren, pilot Don Burmeister, missionaries John and DeDe Smalley and their six children.

Now there are plans to re-release many of Keith Green’s songs in a sound-enhanced version and to release much music that has never before been available.

That was 25 years ago. Now Green’s work is about to be rediscovered.
EMI/Sparrow Records is painstakingly going through recordings saved by his wife, Melody. An iTunes release with music never before heard by the public is planned for August. More material will be released next year, said Bryan Ward, director of artist development with EMI Christian Music Group.
The July 28, 1982, accident doused one of the brightest lights in the Jesus Movement, a youthful Christian counterculture. The bushy-haired evangelist with a distinctive tenor voice was posthumously inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

I’ve written about Keith Green before here and here. I miss his prophetic and musical voice.

Poetry and Fine Art Friday: Home Sweet Home

Jun8

What do these subjects have in common? Frankenstein. Cherokee Indians. Tunisia. Operatic arias.

Tomorrow is the birthday of John Howard Payne (b. June 9, 1791). He was an interesting guy. He was born in New York City and became an actor when he was sixteen years old. He was popular and good-looking and invited to perform in Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore in various roles. He went to London, failed in the theatrical business, and was imprisoned for debt. He wrote several plays, and the only one that had any success was an opera called Clari, the Maid of Milan that was produced at Covent Garden in 1823. For the opera, Payne wrote a song called Home Sweet Home. The song became quite popular, but Payne received little or no money for it. While he was living in England, Mr. Payne developed quite a crush on Mary Shelley whose husband Percy died in 1822 in a boating accident. Mary wasn’t interested in John Howard, preferring to cling to the memory of her erratic and unfaithful, but talented and romantic, late husband. John Howard Payne returned to the United States after nearly twenty years in Europe and went to live with the Cherokee Indians. He lived with Cherokee Chief John Ross and collected myths and traditions of the Cherokees and wrote magazine articles. In 1842, he somehow got himself appointed by President John Tyler as U.S. Consul to Tunis, Tunisia. (?) He died in Tunis ten years later in 1852.

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

Mid pleasures and palaces
Though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble,
There’s no place like home.
A charm from the skies
Seems to hallow us there,
Which seek thro’ the world,
Is ne’er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet sweet home,
There’s no place like home,
There’s no place like home.

I gaze on the moon
As I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother
Now thinks of her child;
As she looks on that moon
From our own cottage door,
Thro’ the woodbine whose fragrance
Shall cheer me no more.
Home, home, sweet sweet home,
There’s no place like home,
There’s no place like home.

An exile from home,
Splendor dazzles in vain,
Oh, give me my lowly
Thatched cottage again;
The birds singing gaily,
That came at my call:
Give me them and that
Peace of mind, dearer than all.
Home, home, sweet sweet home,
There’s no place like home,
There’s no place like home.

Payne wrote in a letter to C.E. Clark (approximately 1850): “Surely there is something strange in the fact that it should have been my lot to cause so many people in the world to boast of the delights of home, when I never had a home of my own, and never expect to have one now—especially since those here at Washington who possess the power seem so reluctant to allow me the means of earning one!”

Poetry Friday round-up is at HipWriterMama today.

Resurrection Tunes

Apr2

In my iTunes under the title “Resurrection”:

Messiah, HWV 56, PART 2: Lift up your heads (chorus: A tempo ordinario) 3:15 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Benjamin Luxon, Cambridge King’s College Choir, James Bowman, Robert Tear & Sir David Willcocks

Messiah, HWV 56, PART 2: Hallelujah (chorus: Allegro) 4:25 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Benjamin Luxon, Cambridge King’s College Choir, James Bowman, Robert Tear & Sir David Willcocks

Messiah, HWV 56, PART 3: I know that my Redeemer liveth (soprano air: Larghetto) 5:56 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Benjamin Luxon, Cambridge King’s College Choir, James Bowman, Robert Tear & Sir David Willcocks

We Delight 3:23 Caedmon’s Call In the Company of Angels – A Call to Worship

The Danse 5:15 Caedmon’s Call In the Company of Angels – A Call to Worship

Rise Again 4:25 Dallas Holm

He’s Alive 4:53 Don Francisco

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 3:44 Glad: Glad Collector’s Series

Trumpet Concerto in E flat major: Allegro 5:05 Franz Joseph Haydn/Ludwig Güttler (trumpet), Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum, Max Pommer (cond)

Pachelbel Canon – Baroque Favorites (Handel, Telemann, Bach, Vivaldi)

Easter Song 3:59 Keith Green The Ministry Years 1977-1979

Song Of The Lamb 4:41 Sovereign Grace: No Greater Love

I Will Glory In My Redeemer 4:50 Sovereign Grace: No Greater Love

An eclectic mix, don’t you think? What should I add?

Advent December 14: The Keith Green Story

Dec14

I haven’t done much, if any, exploring on you.tube, but I just found out that you can watch the documentary video The Keith Green Story there. Here’s a link to part 1; it’s in seven parts.

If you don’t know who Keith Green was, he was hippie flower child musician turned Christian who sang some powerful music back in the seventies. For the most part his career only lasted that one decade, but he was quite influential in the development of Christian music and in many people’s lives. Whether you’ve heard of Keith Green or you haven’t, I think you’ll find the video inspiring.