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Y7 Wk01 - Wishing Well (With Mp3)

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(@chris-c)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3454
Topic starter  

Hi,

What a great way to start the new songwriting year - with an assignment that focuses on the music. Not only that, I can play those chords! Or to put it another way, they are chords about which I have delusions of adequacy....

For me, the period that Vic refers to was one of great musical adventure with many styles on offer. On the one hand I was attracted by the various types of Folk, with visions of long haired young men and free spirited young women with bare feet and thin tie-dyed Indian cotton dresses.... But on the other hand there was the hair raising raunchiness of the rockers - and who could resist them?

This was also the time of my first taste of Black American music - often characterised by amazing displays of uninhibited energy, and mysteriously simple lyrics that even a sheltered schoolboy like me suspected might sometimes be referring to something other than the literal meaning of the words. Something that I still knew nothing about, but which sounded like it could be well worth exploring, if only I knew how... and where.... :?

So here's my attempt at combining the two influences. I've taken a well known simple traditional folk story and tried to imagine what might have happened if someone like Little Richard had decided to become a folk singer.... a bad folk singer at that, doing a quick rough recording through the built in mic on his computer...

These are not lyrics that are intended to make a great deal of sense, just be good fun to sing with one slightly raised eyebrow....

Click here to listen to Wishing Well

WISHING WELL

VERSE 1

(G )It's Saturday (Em) night, an' I'm (D7) goin' up the (G) hill

(G) I'm takin' my (Em) bucket, and I'm (D7) lookin' for (G) Jill

(G) Now I bel (Em)- ieve, and (G) Jack did (Em) too

(G) If you wish at the (Em) well then your (C) wish comes (G) true

(G) I might get (Em) lucky, you (G) never can (Em) tell

(G) But all I can (Em) think of is (C) well, (D7) well, (G) well...

CHORUS

(G) Pull my chain, (C) ring my bell

(G) Taking my bucket to the (D7) wishing (G) well

(G) Know what I want, ain't (Em) got no doubt

(G) Just to put it in the (Em) well, and (C) pull it (D7) back (G) out

(G) Won't get no (Em) water, (G) won't get no (Em) fish

(G) But put my bucket in and I'll (C) get (D7) my (G) wish

VERSE 2

I got to the hill and My Oh My
There stood Jill with a twinkle in her eye
She says Hey there man, I'm through with Jack
He hurt his head, and he ain't comin' back
He was only a boy, couldn't stand the pace
I'm looking for a real man to take his place

CHORUS

Pull my chain, ring my bell
Took my bucket to the wishing well
Knew what I wanted, I had no doubt
Just to put it in the well, and pull it back out
Didn't get no water, didn't get no fish
But I put my bucket in and I got my wish....

Shame about blowing the last word when I sang it... :roll: Maybe I'll try again another day.

Cheers,

Chris


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

And Chris rushes in where angels fear to tread.....

I've always found it difficult to write anything humorous - oh, I can come up with a bad pun or three, but I can't sustain it over a whole song. Seems you've cornered the market in this particular niche, Chris! I do remember one serious song - I think it was the week when the verses and choruses had to begin and end with the same line - and it was a pretty good one too, as I recall, about coming back home from the City.

Humour's definitely your strong point - the only thing I'm wondering about is, could it have used another verse? Something along the lines of getting your wish, but the consequences weren't what you wished for? Ah well, it's certainly different from anything I was expecting anyone to come with this week!

I can't pitcher anyone else coming up with something like this - ewer going to make everyone else's efforts pail in comparison! (Sorry - bad pun attack!)

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

...Must resist impulse to say "well done, Chris"...

This is fun! It's got what Americans now think of as an "old timey music" feel to it. Very cool.

My only suggestion is to think about ending the second verse with an echo of the first, mainly 'cause I thought the ending of the first was fantastic. Maybe something like:

I got to the hill and My Oh My
There stood Jill with a twinkle in her eye
She says Hey there man, I'm through with Jack
He hurt his head, and he ain't comin' back
He was only a boy, you know a girl can tell
And I need a real man to well, well, well

or something like that.

Great start to Year 7, sir! Looking forward to a lot more from you.

Peace


   
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(@chris-c)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3454
Topic starter  

Hi,

Thanks very much for both sets of comments. :) I'll try and come up with another verse before the week gets away from me again. It's definitely way too short currently, and it was all very rushed. But I was determined to get something – anything – to the mp3 stage for a change. I did begin by attempting a rock-n-roll version, and got as far as making a start on a drum track before realising that if I went that way I'd never get it all done in the week, so whipped out the old acoustic and did a quick-n-easy version instead.

Thanks to David for the idea of keeping the “well, well, well” thing going. Definitely in keeping with that style of thing. I'll make that change and also try and come up with another verse. Tomorrow I'm off helping a friend plant out some new vines so, in between crawling around scratching in the dirt and then later helping sample some of his finished product, I think it might be later in the week.

Cheers,

Chris


   
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(@katreich)
Prominent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 686
 

Nice job Chris! Nice to see you back sticking your neck out with the rest of us. Nice twist on the nursery rhyme as well.
I also agree that you need another verse to wrap it up. maybe something along the lines of

If you find yourself at a wishing well
toss in your bucket, you never can tell
You might get water,
you might get a fish
You might find a woman to grant your wish!

Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.

www.soundclick.com/kathyreichert


   
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(@nicktorres)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 5381
 

That song is a lot of fun. It does throw me back to the sixties. I wanna marry a lighthouse keeper, Oh lord won't you buy me....or Big yellow taxi. I can see the crowd joining in the choruses. A great campfire song.

I really like the words, the sound and the singing. I'd integrate what you can of David's and Kathy's suggestions and you're done.


   
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 KR2
(@kr2)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 2717
 

That sounded exactly as I thought it would! No kidding.
I'm flabbergasted.
I'm just not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

But I look forward to your songs . . . they bring a smile . . .
and as Ricochet says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine" . . .
you are dispensing good medicine, dude.
Keep it up.

It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.


   
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(@barnabus-rox)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2957
 

Thats awesome Chris ...

Where is a little lead just to polish it off ?

Love it mate

Trev..

Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am


   
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(@chris-c)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3454
Topic starter  

Where is a little lead just to polish it off ?

Love it mate

Trev..

Thanks Trev. Good to hear from you again mate. :)

My playing is still pretty rough, but on Thursday I took it along to a friend who is a pro player and he liked it too, so I'll finish the lyrics and we're going to add a bit more to the arrangement it and record it again. He listened to it a couple of times and then replayed the rhythm guitar part WAY better than I did while I sang along on a different track. Just a completely different quality league altogether. Could be something to doing with him having nearly 40 years more experience than me..... so I'm not expecting to be able to match his talent any time soon... (maybe I need to do one of those "Play like the pros in 10 days courses... :roll: )

I'm now going to try and learn to play it at least a bit more like way he did, and also use his track for singing practice. It was a real buzz to be at his studio standing in front of a mixing desk and big screen with a mic in my hand thinking "Don't blow it too badly... at least sing a couple of notes on the right beat at the right pitch...." and to have him blast through it with some real zing! :mrgreen: Hugely enjoyable...

Hope things are going well for you on the other side of the continent.

Cheers,

Chris


   
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(@barnabus-rox)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2957
 

Guys like us don't have to play like those experienced guys Chris , jeeez we can make mistakes and be dam proud that we attempted it ;)

Always a pleasure reading and hearing your work

Trev... :note1:

Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am


   
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