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Visual Songs
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Visual Songs |
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Subject: Visual Songs From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Jan 02 - 11:49 AM One of the things that first drew me to traditional folk music was how visual many of the songs are. Unlike the June/spoon songs, I could SEE what the song was describing. As a songwriter, I have had songs come to me in a dream, many, many times. I know that other songwriters who are steeped in the tradition have had the same experience. That makes sense to me, as I see songs(some folks see dead people, I see songs.) As an example, one night I feel asleep reading one of my favorite books, Giants In The Earth, about a Norwegian settlement on the prairie. I woke from a dream the next morning. In the dream, I was watching two Prairie Schooners moving across the prairie and coming to a stop alongside a river. It was late in the day, and they decided that it was a good place to set up camp for the night. Once they got the oxen bedded down, the menfolks went for a walk along the riverbed, silhouetted against a beautiful prairie sunset. One of the men, said, "This is as good a place as any for a town." I woke up, rolled over and grabbed a pen and pad from the nightstand and just wrote it down:
"Stop by the river just to camp there for the night
from Ships on the Prairie
So, what songs do you like to see best? My first choice would be The Jam on Gerry's Rock. I spent a week in a logging camp in Canada many years ago, (taking a mapping course) and whenever I hear that song, I see the camp, the river and a log jam (which us college kids stoopidly went out and jumped around on, never realizing the danger we would be in, if the jam broke." Or, maybe my favorite would be The Spring of '66. |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: GUEST,Mad4Mud at work Date: 24 Jan 02 - 02:41 PM I think one of my favorite visuals is from Silly Wizard's "The Fisherman's Song": "By the storm-torn shoreline a woman is standing, The spray strung like jewels in her hair. And the sea tore the rocks near that desolate landing, As though it had known she stood there. For she had come down to condemn that wild ocean, For the murderous lost of her man. His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning, And it's feared she's gone down with all hands." Sad but beautifully written. |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: nutty Date: 24 Jan 02 - 02:59 PM Many Graeme Miles songs draw pictures in my head ...... I think this is why his songs have stood the test of time and are still popular The opening verse of the Lairdsfield Disaster (Sad February) is probably my favourite ...... Cold February and all is not well There's few will sleep easy this night Down at the dockside, grim silent men standing Under the pale yellow light There's scarcely a murmer and laughter there's none Of whispering there's barely a sound For their thoughts are away, out there in the bay Where it's said that the Lairdsfield is down |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Jan 02 - 03:33 PM I got sea spray all over me reading that verse,Nutty. Guess I'd better look further for Graeme Miles. You're right, it is a powerful, atmospheric opening verse. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: swirlygirl Date: 24 Jan 02 - 03:39 PM I suppose it all depends on what you mean by visual. I visualise just about every song I hear... All Tori Amos songs are good for visualising (am I selling her enough yet?!!!)
"Thought I knew myself so well And I have perfect visualisation of depths of despair from that song... I think I visualise situations more than places... :) xxx |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: breezy Date: 24 Jan 02 - 07:29 PM thought you meant songs with actions not imagination.Visual is seeing with your eyes.Bye An old Austrian went |
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Subject: RE: Visual Songs From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Jan 02 - 08:33 PM Sorry, probably not the most accurate thread title. But then, I am not talking about physicological seeing here. Seems to me in the Little Prince he said that the only way to see is with your heart. Just a different kind of seeing.. Jerry |
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