John Hartford Song of the Week 11/3

For this week's song of the week, I have chosen In Tall Buildings, from John's great album, Nobody Knows What You Do. I feel this song is fitting as we approach election day tomorrow. This song is about giving up things and growing up, not necessarily by choice.

"Someday my baby when I am man, and others have taught me the best that they can. Sell me a suit, and cut off my hair, and send me to work in tall buildings."

A theme I've found that runs through a lot of Hartford's songs, is the compromise of doing things not because you want to, but because you have to. This song is a perfect example of that theme.

In Tall Buildings

John Hartford Song of the Week 10/20

This week's song of the week comes from Hartford's second album, Earthwords & Music. The song is called, Naked In Spite Of Myself. The song kicks off with a driving banjo line and is followed by a full on bluegrass rock band intro. The drums and bass really kick this tune up a notch as Hartford launches into his lyrics about love lost and scorn.

"This tongue of yours so razor sharp, has cut deep within..."

Not sure what it is, but this song still sounds fresh and new, but was written over 40 years ago. That's something I've found with a lot of Hartford's music. Such timeless lyrics and fresh driving music.

Naked In Spite Of Myself

John Hartford song of the week 10/13 MP3

Here is the MP3 of Morning Bugle I promised yesterday. Let me know what you think of the song. It's one of my favorites.

Morning Bugle

John Hartford song of the week 10/13

I'm going to start this weekly feature where I profile a song from my favorite musician, John Hartford. Hartford was an Americana musician who is best known for the song Gentle On My Mind that was made famous by Glen Campbell, and has been covered by over 300 different musicians.

More information about the life and times of John Hartford may be found at these sites.
http://johnhartford.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hartford


The first song I will be profiling is the namesake of this blog, Morning Bugle, from the 1972 album of the same name. This album was released one year after Aereo-Plain, which is probably Hartford's best known album. Morning Bugle finds Hartford teaming up again with Norman Blake on guitar and mandolin, and Dave Holland on bass. This album was recorded live in the studio with no over-dubbing, so you get the loose feel that the players are really enjoying themselves.

The song Morning Bugle comes in about halfway through the set and at only 2:22 in length it's done before you know it. Like a lot of Hartford's tunes the lyrics conger up a great sense of lounging around in a whimisical fashion just taking in all life has to offer. Below find the lyrics and I will post an mp3 of the song when I get home tonight.

Here I am, too wasted for the evening ride down to mother Mary’s other place.

Can I hang out here beside your fireside? Listen to the rain fall, fallin on the earth ball.

You know I tried, my dear, to be like everybody else, but my body and my mind had other plans

So here I am, laid out by your fireside, listenin to the rainfall, fallin on the earth ball

Oh say, please don’t go away. I haven’t got much I can call to

If you’re not here, then somewhere on the south south side

Some scene I’ll make myself fun to keep on laughing

I’ll get by with a little bit o luck again.

Gonna get me a place down here for Thanksgiving dinner, don’t you know?

Gonna get me a lid and keep back out of sight.

It keeps me mellow, gets me way down low,

Playin in the morning sun, singin with a silver tongue.

Gonna dig me a hole, right here in all of them patchwork quilts

Keep my banjo by my side, right there in bed.

Pretend I’m in a rowboat down by the railroad pond,

Playin in the morning sun, playin with a silver tongue

Oh me, what do I see, not much left in the cupboard

Half past three and time to make the survey again

The street’s up, the street’s gone up, the town below got flooded

We’ll get by with a little bit o luck again