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About Standing by the Water
Track list:
All selections are traditional unless otherwise noted as original. (orig.)
- Standing by the Water (orig.) - sample
- Planxty Paul Flynn (orig.) / Northwoods Reel (orig.) - sample
- Cherokee Shuffle / Road to Cairo - sample
- The Invisible American (orig.) - sample
- Morgan's Polka/ The Gypsy Princess - sample
- You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe / The Flop-Eared Mule - sample
- The Cumberland Gap / Sitting on the Couch (orig.) - sample
- The Burning of The Piper's Hut/ The Haughs of Cromdale - sample
- Once More a Lumbering Go /The Kilavill Postman - sample
- The Blarney Pilgram / Warm in the Cabin (orig.) - sample
- The Farmer in the Northwoods (orig.) / Clancy's Reel - sample
- You Pretty Girls of Michigan - sample
- The South Wind / Midnight on the Water - sample
- The Smugglers of Buffalo - sample
- Lannigan's Ball / The Bell Jig - sample
- Down to Sutton's Bay (orig.)
- sample
GREG HODAPP'S ORIGINAL SONGS AND TUNES
Standing by the Water
This song was written one dark and lonely night while living in a shack in the Penokee hills of Wisconsin, pining for springtime, and company, and travel.
Chorus:
Standing by the water
standing by the bay
as the waves roll over
as the night drifts into day
Many miles have I traveled
Many more will I go
As the long road unravels
from the hills down to the shore
Though the way may be winding
Though you're tired and sore
It's just the grain for the grinding
'Till you wander no more
Cho:
As the south wind flies freely
So the north wind will blow
And the ships lie in dry dock
As the ice comes and goes
No mockingbird calls then
No bluebird to sing
But the waters wait patient
For the coming of spring
Cho:
So let a song rise in chorus
As the band softly plays
As we pass this evening
By the water and the bay
Sing you soft and sing you sweetly
sing us all to our bed
Give us song for our thirsting
Give us song for our bread
Cho:2x's
refrain
As we pass this evening
by the water and the bay
Planxty Paul Flynn
I was riding the train from Ennis, Ireland to Belfast, Northern Ireland, when I met Paul Flynn. We were just arriving at our final station and leaving the train. I had no Idea where I was going to stay that night, and he saw the instrument in my hands and noted that he too was a musician and if I wanted I could crash at his place, and we could go out and play some tunes at a local session he knew of. Well, three days, one session, and many good meals and conversations later I left Paul's house. Thanks also Paul, wherever you are!
Northwoods Reel
I made this one up while sitting on the porch at my friends place, otherwise known as the "house of the roaming butternut squash" or "HORBS" for short. There were some very pretty Norway Spruces on the other side of the street, it was a cloudy early spring day, and this tune just came out on its own. It was created with the same low D whistle I'm playing on that track.
The Invisible American
This was written in the same shack that standing by the water was written in. I was remembering a time in Cincinnati when me and my father had gone to dinner at a nice restaurant when a homeless man walked in obviously mentally disabled and confused. I was the only person in the place who would make eye contact with him, so he came and sat down at our table. I tried talking with him but he was pretty far gone, he kept saying how he had been in vietnam, and someone had stolen his jacket, all the while shuddering and crying slightly. We made a sandwich for him out of our dinner leftovers, and he left only to walk back in minutes later, never remembering that he had just been there. Sad as it is, this happens everywhere, and there is usually little or no help for people like him; as long as people continue to ignore him he simply isn't there.
He walks round the streets of town not a smile or frown
Grey hair Grey beard face turned to the ground
No coat, ratty old hat no shelter from the rain
Mind that's full of troubled thoughts and a body full of pain
No one looks him in the eye, ignores him if they can
Lost his tongue to a stroke, left his mind in Vietnam
You go down to the old downtown believe it friend of mine
Poor families and working folks have trouble on their mind
You might be a working man work hard all the day
Then find you have no hat or coat, but hair and a beard of grey
From Cinci to St. Louis it's the same were 'ere you go
The Invisible American left out in the ice and snow.
Now winter's chill is coming strong where you gonna stay
Shelter's full of lonely souls and the drunk tank's just a day
Roll on Ohio, roll on Miami, it's the overpass for the rats and the birds
and the veterans of the army
someone's son or brother, somebody's old man
if you see him on the streets please help him if you can
Now he walks round the streets of town not a smile or frown
Grey hair Grey beard face turned to the ground
No coat, ratty old hat, not shelter from the rain
Mind that's full of troubled thought and a body full of pain
No one looks him in the eye ignores him if they can
lost his tongue to a stroke, left his mind in Vietnam
someone's son or brother, somebody's old man
if you see him on the streets please help him if you can.
Sittin' on the Couch
This tune was created while jamming with my friend and wonderful guitarist Kaia Deschane. It's played in dropped D or "C" tuning on the banjo, cappo-ed to the second fret. It was made up while we were sitting on the couch, of course.
Warm in the Cabin
This was made up during a negative 20 to negative 30 late winter night. It's nights like that, that make you thankful for the shelter you have, no matter how humble the structure might be.
The Farmer in the Northwoods
This was written when I was living at my friend Greg Wiess' house, just before I bought my land, and the prospect of building a house, and attempting to farm. This seemed a bit daunting, especially up here in the not-to-warm, clay-covered northwoods. I guess I'm giving it a try anyways.
you may talk about your prairie sod
down in Baraboo
but what's a poor farmer in the northwoods to do
The frost may come in August
Snow may fall in june,
Oh summer is three months of poor sledding it's true
you may try and till the ochre clay
keep you plow in line
but the red earth and hardpan boys is all that you will find
Oh bake my bread fondly
Bake my bread well
and I'll move to California if the northwoods don't go well
Oh hand me down my banjo
and I'll pick it nice and long
Oh this time tomorrow might be too cold for this song
One more drink and I will leave you
But take this advice from me
Put your nets in the lake, and plant your crops in the prairie.
Down to Sutton's Bay
This song was inspired while working as educator and deckhand on the schooship "Inland Seas" on Sutton's Bay in Lake Michigan, not far from Traverse City. The "Inland Seas" is a traditionally gaff-rigged schooner, over 70 feet in length. The song was made one night after sitting out on deck watching the full moon and singing with the cook, Laura Cavender. I'd been traveling continuously for more than four months at that point and was getting a bit tired of it.
five weeks on the inland seas
"Down to Sutton's Bay"
Waiting in the evening gray
"Down to Sutton's Bay"
Tomorrow we will go once more
Out along sweetwater shore
For many years I've had to roam
No port has long been called my home
The oceans on each coast I've seen
But sweetwater home has ever been
September is a fickle time
The last sweet breaths of summer fine
The heron flies the heron sings
Tells us all of unknown things
The autumn Moon lies cold and clear
And all I know is that I am here
Five weeks on the inland seas
Waiting in the evening gray.
TRADITIONAL SONGS
The Cherokee Shuffle / The Road to Cairo
Two of my favorite tunes, Great for playing at the local community folk dances.
Morgan's Polka / The Gypsy Princess
Another tune I learned from Robert and Jennifer Morgan. The last tune hereis another one I picked up off of Arcady's CD. Thanks guys!
You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe / The Flop-Eared Mule
These two tunes are a doosey to play, lots of air, lots of sucking and blowing, lots of knee-destroying stompage. In other words plenty of fun.
The Burning of the Piper's Hut / The Haughs of Cromdale
The first tune here is especially relevant. I suppose I can really relate to whoever made it up. My own hut (wigwam) having burned down recently. As for the march, I honestly forget where I picked that up. It seems like I've heard it at some of the jam sessions in Duluth, Minnesota. And its not really a march I guess, more like a polka-ish reel.
Once More a Lumbering Go /Killavil Postman
I learned the first selection here from Robert and Jennifer Morgan, two wonderful musicians from Detroit. It's a great old logging song, originally from New York. I changed the names of a few rivers and towns to suit Wisconsin a bit better. That's how the folk process goes, I guess. The next tune I learned from a recording of a Canadian band called Arcady, great stuff.
You Pretty Girls of Michigan
Here's one of my favorite Great Lakes sea songs. Mostly because it doesn't just catalogue a voyage as many of them do, but really lays it on the line as to how hard the life on the lakes can be. I've had the chance to get about three months worth of experience on a couple tall ships and believe me the song isn't too far from the truth. This one also mentions Duluth, you
know I like to keep it local.
The South Wind / Midnight on the Water
Two of my most favorite waltzes. Lots of dances, lots of memories there.
The Smugglers of Buffalo
A melancholy sort of song, but you'd be sad too if you got jailed for smuggling liquor from Canada into the U.S. across lake Erie and couldn't see your girlfriend for a long time. I know I wouldn't be too happy about it.
Lannigan's Ball / The Bell Jig
If you get the chance look up the words for the first jig here, they're pretty humorous. The second jig here is from a tape I lost, can't remember the true name of it, can't remember the name of the band. Good thing its traditional.
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