Anderson's Coast (John Warner)

John Warner is a folk historian and songwriter whose stock-in-trade is poignant and well-researched songs about Ausralian social history and heritage. Here are John's own comments about his song, Anderson's Coast:

Anderson's Coast is one of a collection I wrote to be used at Coal Creek historical village, Korumburra, Victoria.

I was looking at a number of stories about the development of that part of Gippsland.

I was reading about the expedition conducted by Count Strzlecki, who was close to starvation and living on raw koala brought down from the trees by an aboriginal guide, Charlie Tarra. The four or so men of the expedition found a group of convicts from Van Diemen's land living in a deserted stockade. These convicts fed the explorers, and guided them to Anderson, a local squatter who laid claim to about 40 miles of the Gippsland coast. There is still a small settlement called Anderson and Anderson's inlet. Anderson reported the arrival of the explorers and looked after them. It is believed the convicts were pardoned for their assistance to the explorers

I walked on one of those beaches when I was about 13 years old, on a cold, windy day with Bass strait looking as desolate as I had ever seen it, and that memory came forcibly back to me when I considered those marooned convicts, unable to travel further in any direction and eking out a miserable survival on feral cattle and bush tucker.

The thought of one of them sitting on that very beach, looking out southward and chewing over hopeless memories precipitated the song.

Anderson's Coast and a number of my other songs are on "Pithead In The Fern" which is a celebration in song of the development and history of the region I lived in during the 1960's.

Here it is, sung by Dave Ellis at the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wan Chai. here are the lyrics.

Angel (Sarah McLachlan)

This song, first recorded for Sarah McLachlan's album Surfacing (1997) is about Jonathan Melvoin, touring keyboard player with the smashing Pumpkins, who ovedosed on heroin and died in 1996.

Released as a single in 1999, it reached the Top 40 in December 1998 and peaked at Number 4 in February, 1999. The song has often been used to highlight emotional scenes on television shows and movies, including City of Angels and also as a song of comfort and healing following the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999 and the attack on the World Trade Centre in September 11, 2001.

The above information (and a lot more) can be found in Wikipedia.

Here it is sung by Sarah McLachlan, and here is a cover by Pat Thomson at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai.

The Army's Appeal to Mothers (Glen Tomasetti)

Glen Tomasetti was one of my favourite Australian folksingers during the sixties. This song was released as a single during the Vietnam war on the other side of a song called The Ballad of William White, which she wrote about a teacher who was jailed as a conscientious objector to the war. I remember my uncle, generally regarded by the family as too left-wing, gave it to me as a Christmas present, much to my parents' displeasure.

Although specifically written as an anti-Vietnam War song, as with most such songs, the message is equally applicable to more recent events.

Here is my video of the song, and here are the lyrics.

As Tears Go By (Jagger / Richards)

This is believed to be the first original song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Before then The Rolling Stones had performed mainly covers of blues standards. They first named it As Time Goes By, but that title was already taken, so Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham changed the "Time" to "Tears". He then gave it to 17-year-old Marianne Faithfull to record as a B-side, but it did so well it was switched to an A-side and launched her career as a pop star. A year later, in 1965, the Stones recorded their own version as the B-side to "19th Nervous Breakdown." The song has also been covered by Nancy Sinatra.

Here is my rendition, and here are the words.

Big River Blues (The Delmore Brothers)

Alton Delmore (1908 - 1964) and Rabon Delmore (1916 - 1952), were pioneers of country music and stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s. They mixed gospel-style harmonies with traditional folk and blues guitar styles to help create country genre.

In 1925, when he was 13, Alton wrote his first song Bound For the Shore, co-written with his mother. The brothers went on to write over a thousand songs, including the popular Big River Blues in 1933.

You can read an excellent history of the Delmore Brothers here, and hear their performance of the song here.

The song was later sung as "Deep River Blues" and recorded by various musicians, including Doc Watson, Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke.

And you can hear Rod Foo performing the song at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wan Chai.

Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell)

This song, one of Joni Mitchell's most popular, was written in March, 1967, and first appeared on her album, "Clouds" (1969). It was inspired by a passage in Saul Bellow's novel, Henderson the Rain King.

The first recording of the song was by Judy Collins in 1968, a version which reached Number 8 on the U.S. pop singles charts and won a 1968 Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance.

Several other artists have covered the song, including Dave Van Ronk, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Roger Whittaker, Fairport Convention, Mary Hopkins, Pete Seeger, Skeeter Davis, Clannad, Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell, Engelbert Humperdink, Doris Day, David Holness, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hole, Tina Arena and Dolly Parton.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Bristlecone Pine (Hugh Prestwood)

Hugh Prestwood is an award-winning singer and writer of country music noted for his poetic lyrics. He was discovered by Judy Collins when she recorded his song "Hard Time for Lovers" in 1978, and went on to write a number of songs that became hits for singers such as Randy Travis, Colin Raye and Shenandoah.

this beautiful song about North America's oldest known living tree was brought to my attention by "beardedone85", who suggested I try singing it.

After recording this song I was quite surprised to see that fellow singer "threelegsoman" put up an excellent rendition of this song just after I had recorded it. But a great song like this deserves to have more people singing it, so I'm happy to add my attempt here. Here are the lyrics.

The Broad Majestic Shannon (Shane McGowan)

This ballad was included on The Pogues' 1987 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God, which reached number 3 in the UK album charts.

The title may have been taken from a line in the song Come to the Bower: "You can ride on the tide o'er the broad, majestic Shannon."

Here is my attempt at the song, and here are the lyrics.

The Carnival is Over (Tom Springfield)

Tom Springfield wrote this song in1965 after seeing the Carnivale in Rio on a trip to Brazil. He wrote it for the Australian group, The Seekers, who used it as the closing number for many of their concerts. At its peak, the single was selling 93,000 copies per day and is the 30th biggest selling single of all time in the UK.

The Seekers were supposed to perform this song at the end of the closing ceremony for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, but had to cancel because Judith Durham broke her hip. However, they did perform it at the conclusion of the 2000 Summer Paralympics, with Judith in a wheelchair.

The tune is from a Russian folk song Stenka Razin which wes popular in Russia in the 1890s. It is also used in a Dutch hymn Vol Vervachting Blijf Ik Uitzien.

(Information is from Wikipedia)

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Cold Missouri Waters (James Keelaghan)

This song, by Canadian singer-songwriter, James Keelaghan, is about a disastrous fire that occured in Mann Gulch, Montana in 1949.

Fourteen firefighters and a forest ranger jumped into what was thought to be an easy fire to put out. Unexpectedly, the fire surrounded them. When the crew chief, Robert Wagner Dodge, realized the danger they were in, he started an escape fire and ordered the men to lie down in the burnt area. According to Dodge, he had not heard of this technique before, and had just got a sudden inspiration that this would work, though it was well-known to the plains Indians, and had been included in nineteenth century fictional stories.

Unfortunately the message did not get to the crew. Whether they didn't hear him, didn't understand his instructions or didn't believe it would work, they chose to climb the ridge of Mann Gulf, knowing that fires spread more slowly on the ridges. Dodge later claimed that he heard someone say, "The hell with that; I'm getting out of here". All but two were killed - Dodge himself and a new recruit. He died five years later of Hodgkins disease.

Colours (Donovan)

Donovan used to be promoted as England's answer to Bob Dylan. Not quite, but he did write some good songs. Here he is singing one of my favourites.

And here is my performance.

And here is a better one by Youtuber ichingiching. If you want to see the lyrics, they are here.

Dark-Eyed Daughter (Phyl Vinnecomb)

I used to have this anti-racism song on a 7" recording with three other songs. I believe the song was written in 1965. I know little about this Australian singer/songwriter except that she is now Phyl Lobl and approaching her 70th birthday. (Thanks to Warren Fahey for this information.)

Here is my video of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Darlin' Companion (John Sebastian)

This song, by John Sebastian, was first recorded on Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful (1966), the third and final album by this folk/rock band. It was covered by Johnny Cash and June Carter on the album Johnny Cash at San Quentin (1969).

Here is my rendition.

Dead (John Flansburgh and John Linnell)

They Might Be Giants (TMBG) is an American alternative rock band, known for their unusual style. They began in 1982 as a duo consisting of John Flansburgh and John Linnell. They took their name from the 1971 film They Might Be Giants, which is in turn taken from a passage from Don Quixote when Quixote fears windmills could be evil giants.

This song is from their third studio album, Flood, their first with the Elektra label. Records. It was recorded in 1989 in New York and released in 1990.

Here is a live recording of the song by TMBG, and the track from Flood and here is a collaboration between myself and YouTube star, Alonzo Garbanzo of Chickpea Records fame.

Here are the lyrics.

Devil Woman (Marty Robbins)

Martin David Robinson (1925-1982) was one of the most successful country and western singers of his time. Devil Woman was one of my favourites - one of the songs I grew up with. It was a number one hit in 1962.

Here is my cover of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Distant Sun (Neil Finn)

Crowded House is a popular Australian band, which began life as The Mullanes, headed by New Zealander, Neil Finn. Finn has often claimed to have been influenced not only by popular groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones but also by folk artists such as John Denver and Joan Baez. He was also encouraged as a child to listen to a variety of different musical styles, including Irish folk singers and Maori music, and this influence can be heard in some of his songs.

Distant Sun (1993) was the first single released from Crowded House's fourth studio album, Together Alone.

It is sung here by Nick Benzie, at the monthly Hong Kong Folk Society session at The Canny Man.

Here are the lyrics.

Dodging the Draft (Allan Sherman)

Allan Sherman (1924-1973) was an American satirist who wrote parodies of popular songs, including folk songs. He happened to live next door to Harpo Marx, who invited him to sing his parodies at parties, one of which was attended by George Burns, who arranged for him to sign a contract with a record producer, leading to his very successful album, My Son the Folksinger (1962), followed closely by My Son, the Celebrity. These albums were designed to appeal mainly to American Jewish culture. His later albums tried to attract a broader audience, and he had a big hit with Hello, Muddah, Hello, Faddah a song about summer camp set to Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours.

This song about how to avoid military service, obviously a bit out of date these days, is from his 1966 album, Allan Sherman Live!!! (Hoping You Are the Same). It uses the tune of the song Balling the Jack.

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the lyrics.

A Drawer Full of Rings (Dave May)

Dave May sings an original song (needs to be confirmed!) at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at the Canny Man in Wanchai.

Driftwood (Francis Healy)

This is the second single from the second album of Scottish Indie band, Travis, The Man Who (1999). Fran Healy is the lead vocalist.

The title is said to have come from the advice of a friend of Healy not to leave college to focus on the band. The lyrics portray a character who has cut himself off and is like driftwood - "breaking into pieces... hollow and of no use, waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you". Healy also said he thought of the first line in the chorus after watching a Cheers episode in which somebody overhears the boss saying they were going to get rid of the "driftwood" in the company.

In Healy's words, "Driftwood is a song for the person in your life who has so much potential and, yet, doesn't use it because they're afraid of falling on their backside, you know, they're afraid of making a fool of themselves. But, yet, if they put their minds to it and just threw their plate out the window, they would actually do a lot with it and make themselves happy and other people happy."

As for the line "pillars turn to butter," Healy's original idea was "caterpillars turn to butterflies", but it didn't fit, so he cut it down to to the present line.

It is sung here by Nick Benzie, at the monthly Hong Kong Folk Society session at The Canny Man. Here are the lyrics.

El Paso (Marty Robbins)

This country and western ballad is Marty Robbins' best-known song. It was first released on the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959), and as a single a month later. It became a major hit, reaching Number One on both the country and pop music charts, and winning the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961.

At four minutes and forty-five seconds, very long for a single of the time, the record company did not think radio stations would play such a long song, so they released two versions, one of them cut down closer to the three-minute mark. The full version was much more popular.

The Grateful Dead did a very popular cover of El Paso.

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Emily (Stephen Fretwell)

Stephen Fretwell (born 1981) is an English singer-songwriter, who was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan. He claims he learnt the guitar by trying out Dylan's songs on an old discarded guitar belonging to his grandfather.

This song, from his debut album Magpie (2004), was released as a single and reached the top 10.

It is sung here by Nick Benzie at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man. here are the lyrics.

Fixin' To Die Rag (Joe McDonald)

Country Joe and the Fish was a folk rock band famous for their opposition to the Vietnam War. The name comes from left-wing politics, "Country Joe" being a popular name for Joseph Stalin in the 1940s, while Barry Melton, the lead guitarist, was known as "The Fish", a reference to Mao Tse Tung's assertion that the true revolutionary must "swim among the people as a fish."

This song, written in 1967, the year the band was formed, was their biggest hit, but it didn't really take off until Country Joe's solo acoustic performance of it at the famous Woodstock Festival in 1969.

Here is my video of the song, and here are the lyrics.

The Folksinger’s Lament (David Diamond)

British folksinger, David Diamond, writes humorous songs, usually parodies. This song uses the tune The Limerick Rake.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Four Strong Winds (Ian Tyson)

Ian Tyson wrote this song in the early 1960s. It was first recorded by The Brothers Four in October 1963. It was later recorded by Ian and Sylvia on an album of the same name released in 1964. It is about the life of transient farm workers, forced to move where work can be found, and the sometimes temporary nature of human relationships.

This folk classic has been recorded by many artists including Neil Young (1978), Hank Snow, The Seekers, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, The Searchers, John Denver (1964), Bobby Bare (1964), The Kingston Trio, Trini Lopez, Chad and Jeremy, Joan Baez, and Johnny Cash.

In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose it as the greatest Canadian song of all time.

Here it is sung by Ian and Sylvia, with Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot and Murray McLaughlin at a reunion concert.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Friend of the Devil (The Grateful Dead)

This song is the second track of the Grateful Dead's album American Beauty (1970). Written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson, with lyrics by Robert Hunter, it tells of an outlaw, on the run from the police, who is helped by the Devil in his escape, but ends up trying to escape from the Devil as well. It is deliberately left unclear whether he is being chased by the police or the servants of Satan. ("I was trailed by twenty hounds", could refer to either police dogs or hellhounds.)
This song is one of the most frequently covered Grateful Dead song. Artists who have covered it include Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Counting Crows (2003), Elvis Costello and Lyle Lovett.

Many American Christian groups, from the 1960s to 1990s campaigned against what they saw as Satanic influences in Rock Bands, and frequently used this song as an example, as it seems to sympathise with a man who has made a deal with the Devil.

This song is sung by Nick Benzie at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai. Here are the lyrics.

From a Jack to a King (Ned Miller)

Country and Western singer, Ned Miller, first released this song in 1957, with little success. He persuaded his label to re-release it five years later, and this time it did well in both country and pop charts in the U.S. and also reached No. 2 in the UK singles charts, being the sixth most-played single of 1963 in the UK. Ned stopped recording by the 1970s as he never achieved the same level of success again.

In December 1988, country music singer, Ricky Van Shelton had a No. 1 hit with his own version of the song. Other artists who have covered it include Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Jim Reeves, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Snow, Pat Boone and Slim Whitman.

Here is my attempt at the song, and here are the lyrics.

From Galway to Graceland (Richard Thompson)

The classic song about an Irish fan of Elvis Presley, from the album Watching the Dark, though it was written earlier.

This song is on my first CD: Axis of Evil and Other True Stories.

Here is a video of me singing the song. And here are the lyrics.

Gold Watch Blues (Mick Softley)

Michael Softley, born 1941, in South Woodford, Essex is a British singer/songwriter and guitarist who was quite prominent during the folk revival in Britain. He set up his own folk club, released three albums and has worked with Donovan Leitch and Maddy Prior. This is one of two of Softley's songs that Donovan covered in his early years.

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the words.

The Great Compromise (John Prine)

This song was included on Prine's album Diamonds In The Rough (1972). It is about the disillusionment of the country during the Vietnam War.

Prine said of this song, "The idea I had in mind was that America was this girl you used to take to drive-in movies. And then when you went to get some popcorn, she turned around and screwed some guy in a foreign sports car. I really love America. I just don't know how to get there anymore." [Liner notes to Great Days (1993)]

Here it is sung by Sampson Chan at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai.

Here are the lyrics.

Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)

Stephen Collins Foster was born in 1826 in Lawrenceville, east of Pittsburgh, the ninth child of the family. He was a great pioneer of American music. HIs aim was to write music that would be widely understood by the common people. He wanted to transform the black-face minstrel songs, extremely popular at that time, by making them more tasteful and compassionate rather than mocking the slaves as these songs tended to do.

His first big hit was Oh, Susanna, but he made little money out of it as it was widely pirated by music publishers. Some of his other popular songs, all written in the 1850s, were Old Folks at Home, My Old Kentucky Home, and Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair.

Hard Times Come Again No More was published in 1855. It was a comment on recent events in his own life, including his (temporary) separation from his wife, Jane, and the death of his closest friend as well as both his parents. He was also getting heavily into debt, taking advances from publishers and then finding he was unable to supply the songs he had promised them.

He died in 1864, one of his most popular songs, Beautiful Dreamer, being published posthumously.

Hard Times was given a new lease of life recently when recorded by Bob Dylan. It has also been recorded by Mary Black, Nanci Griffith and, of course, Dan Samples.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

I Don't Want Your Millions, Mister (Jim Garland)

This song is sung to the tune of East Virginia or Greenback Dollar.

An extract from Woody Guthrie's Leadbelly Is A Hard Name, American Folksong (1947):

Jim Garland was here in Leadbelly's house, and Jim's wife and their three children. Jim's children were sick lots of the time, and his wife took down with the fogs of TB. Then Jim got down with it, and for a long time he walked and fought it.... Jim got up the strength to play his guitar here, and he tried to tell us with his songs and ballads the stories of the ones that went down fighting. Half a song would be a clear story..., and the other half of the song would be Jim's slogans, his sermons, his plea, his newspaper editorial, his whole appeal for you to come over onto the union side and fight. Jim made up several pieces, I never knew the exact number, I never tried to find out, I never tried to call a verse good or bad, I never had the energy to say that one of his lines needed to be rewritten, another line rubbed out, another one skipped, another one added. I found something bigger and better than all of this is the war that Jim Garland was fighting.

Here is Jim Garland singing the song on Pete Seeger's television show, the Almanac Singers, forerunners of The Weavers and Pete Seeger singing it at age 89. And, of course, another good performance from Lew Dite, YouTube's king of skiffle.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

If I were a Carpenter (Tim Hardin)

The lyrics are here.

I'll Be Coming Home Next Year (Foo Fighters)

Foo Fighters is an alternative rock band formed by Dave Grohl in 1995. This song is from their third album Nothing Left to Lose (1999). It was also released as a single.

Here is the song sung by the Foo Fighters. And here is Nick Benzie performing the song at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Socierty at The Canny Man.

I'm Gonna Be (Five Hundred Miles) (The Proclaimers)

The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid. This song from the 1988 album Sunshine on Leith is one of their best known songs. It has become a major Scottish anthem, played at Scottish national football matches and other traditional Scottish events across the world.

Here it is sung by Daniel Thomas, member of the band TimeSpan, which was performing at The Caribbean Gardens when we were in Melbourne for Easter.

In Tall Buildings (John Hartford)

Here are the lyrics.

In the Ghetto (Scott Davis)

Scott Davis was a country music singer-songwriter, who had a big success early in his career with his song In the Ghetto, which was recorded by Elvis Presley and released in 1969 as a 45 rpm single with Any Day Now as the B side. It was an unusual song for Elvis as he usually steered clear of anything with a social message, to maintain an image of being politically neutral. However he liked this song very much, and it was his first big hit for about three years.

Among those who have covered it are Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cranberries, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Frank Flynn and Natalie Merchant. Lisa Marie Presley recorded it in 2007 as a duet with her late father.

Here is Elvis Presley in a live performance.

Here is my attempt at the song. And here are the lyrics.

In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus) (Rick Evans)

This was the only big hit for the duo, Zager and Evans, from Lincoln, Nebraska. Written by Rick Evans in 1964 and originally released on a small local record label in 1967, it was picked up two years later by a radio station in Odessa, Texas, which gave it a lot of air play. RCA Records took an interest and gave it nationwide distribution, resulting in it reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July, where it remained for six weeks.

The theme of man's dehumanising and ultimate destruction by his own technologies struck a popular chord in the 1960s, but some feel that such subjects are more suited to folk music than pop. Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell, authors of The Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time (1991), placed the song at number six on their list of the 50 worst rock-and-roll singles. I must admit I have always liked the song, though I do think Malvina Reynolds dealt with such ideas better.

Here is my performance and here are the lyrics.

I Saw Her Standing There (Paul McCartney and John Lennon)

This was the first track of The Beatles' album, Please Please Me (1964). It was also the B-side of the single I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Originally titled Seventeen the song was based on McCartney's original idea. He thought of it while driving home from a concert The Beatles did in Southport, Merseyside and later completed it at his home in September 1962 with Lennon, while they were playing truant from school. They wrote the lyrics in a Liverpool Institute exercise book. McCartney later admitted that he had originally followed "She was just seventeen", by the line "Beauty queen". John, he claimed, screamed with laughter, and said "You're joking about that line, aren't you?" This became a common event in their songwriting, and later song collaborations put John Lennon's name first.

It is sung here by Alistair Watson at a session of The Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai - preceded by the children's song The Wheels On the Bus!

I Still Call Australia Home (Peter Allen)

Written in 1980, this song expresses the expatriate's love for his native country. Peter Allen is an Australian, but has lived in the USA for most of his career.

Some Australians regard this song as excessively sentimental and more typical of American culture rather than the traditional Australian attitude of "No worries. mate. She'll be right!" To others it is a beautiful and moving song about love of one's country.

It has been taken up by QANTAS, Australia's international airline, for use in their commercials, where it is sung by the QANTAS Choir, which actually comprises the National Boys Choir of Australia and the Australian Girls Choir. (They changed "Rio" to "Rome" though, as QANTAS doesn't fly to Rio!) It is also often sung by Welsh Male Voice Choirs, including the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir, of which I am proud to be a member.

(The above information is adapted from Wikipedia.)

Here is my rendition accompanied by my son on the keyboard, a vintage Roland D20. Here are the lyrics.

It's On (Don Henderson)

A song about conflict by one of Australia's most respected songwriters, Don Henderson, written in 1963. It was often sung at anti-Vietnam War rallies.

Gary Shearston sang it in the 1960s and recorded it together with a Kath Walker song, Must We Native Old Australians, in our Own Land Rank as Aliens. It was also recorded by Trevor Lucas in 1966 on his album, Overlander.

Don Henderson died in 1991.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

I Will Remember You (Sarah McLachlan)

This song was actually written by Sarah McLachlan, Seamus Egan and Dave Merenda. It first appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 movie The Brothers McMullen. It became a hit when McLachlan released a live version of the song from her 1999 album Mirrorball and also earned her a Grammy Award the same year.

It is sung here by Pat Thomson at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai. Here are the words.

Jake the Peg (Rolf Harris & Frank Roosen)

Rolf Harris wrote this song in 1965 with Frank Roosen, a Dutchman in Vancouver, Canada.
It was voted the fourth best Australian single of all time in a 2004 poll.

I remember seeing Rolf Harris perform this song may times using an artificial leg as a prop. He wore a long coat that came down to the knees, and it was not easy to tell which was hte fake leg. He kept both hands in his pockets, one of which operated the third leg. As he sang he walked around the stage putting his middle foot forward, then his two side feet, and sometimes standing on the middle leg and sticking out both the others.

Here is Rolf Harris performing the song in 1969.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark (Dolly Parton)

This rather morbid tear-jerker ballad has long been a favourite with Dolly Parton's fans. It was included on the 1968 duet album she did with Porter Waggoner - "Just the Two of Us".

The story is about a little girl who is afraid of the dark and runs to her parents' bedroom every night so she doesn't have to sleep alone. When her parents take her to a cemetery, she begs them not to bury her when she dies because of her fear of darkness.

Here are Dolly and Porter performing it in 1973.

Here is my performance of the song and the lyrics are here.

John O'Dreams (Bill Caddick)

This song is often wrongly considered a traditional Irish song. It was written by English singer/songwriter Bill Caddick, using a melody from Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, "The Pathetique", which he probably took from a Russian or Italian folksong.

John O'Dreams is similar to the sandman, who supposedly puts people off to sleep, and the song suggests we are all equal when we sleep, no matter what our status in waking life. There is also a suggestion that sleep is a metaphor for death, which also makes us all equal.
Caddick himself has said that he first heard the term "John O'Dreams" used in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", when Hamlet says "Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing; no, not for a king, upon whose property and most dear life, a damn'd defeat was made." (Act 2, Sc. 2)

It has been recorded by many artists since Bill Caddick, including The Clancy Brothers, The Dublin City Ramblers, Gordon Bok, Christy Moore and Jean Redpath.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Kirsteen (Gordon Bok)

Gordon Bok, born 1939, is a singer-songwriter from Camden, Maine. This song was popularised by Scottish group, McCalmans, who included it on their 1969 album, "Singers Three".

Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (Lee Hays)

This love song was written and sung by The Weavers. Lee Hays seems to have done most of the work but all of them contributed in some way. It was apparently based on a song by Leadbelly. The song was also recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, Jimmie Rodgers and Frankie Vaughan.

There are some classic performances of this song on YouTube, for example Peter, Paul and Mary, with Andy Williams and Theodore Bikel with Judy Collins.

You can hear my rendition of the song performed with a friend from Brunei. And here are the lyrics.

Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream (Ed McCurdy)

This gentle anti-war song was written by Ed McCurdy in about 1950. It has been covered by Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Donovan, Simon and Garfunkel, Arlo Guthrie, The Corries and John Denver among others.

Here is my video of the song and here are the lyrics.

Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver, Kenneth Browder)

John Denver wrote this song with Kenneth Browder in 1967 while waiting at a Washington airport. It was originally called "Oh Babe I Hate To Go", but his producer, Milt Okun, persuaded him to change the title.

It was first recorded by the Chad Mitchell Trio (of which John Denver was a member) and by other artists the same year, including Peter, Paul and Mary on "Album 1700." When they released it as a single in 1969 it became their only Number 1 hit. It has since been recorded by several artists, including Frank Sinatra, Jefferson Starship, Janis Joplin, Trisha Noble and Chantal Kreviazuk.

There are hundreds of videos of this song on YouTube, so my rendition is just another drop in the ocean. Anyway, here are the lyrics.

Let It Be (Paul McCartney)

This song was the last single released by The Beatles while they were still together. Released in March 1970 as a single, it was the title track of their album Let It Be, and was a number one hit in the USA and several other countries. Although credited to Lennon/McCartney it was written by Paul McCartney. Lennon didn't particularly like the song.

The inspiration for the song came from a dream McCartney had about his mother, who died of cancer when he was fourteen. He said his mother told him, in response to the tensions threatening to tear the group apart, "It will be all right, just let it be."

It has been covered by many artists, including Aretha Franklin (even before the Beatles own recording was released), Gladys Knight and The Pips, Ike & Tina Turner, John Denver, Joan Baez (1971), Leo Sayer, Ray Charles and Eric Burdon.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Let It Be Me (Becaud, Curtis and Delance)

This was originally a French song, but was sung with English lyrics by Jill Corey in 1957. There have been several recordings since. Some notable ones are by The Everly Brothers (1960), Chet Atkins (1961), The Lettermen (1962), Andy Williams (1964), Nancy Sinatra (1966), Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry (1969), Tom Jones (1969), Elvis Presley (1970), Bob Dylan (1970), Nina Simone (1974), Kenny Rogers and Dollie West (1979) and Willie Nelson (1982).

Here it is sung by The Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir at Tony and Gidget Wong's Twentieth Wedding Anniversary party at The Bankers Club.

Let's All Make Believe (Noel Gallagher)

This Oasis song, on the B-Side of Go Let it Out is considered by many to be one of the best Oasis B-sides. The lyrics are thought to relate to the cracks that were starting to form in the group at that time. It has been included in several lists as a 'hidden gems'. Q magazine placed it at number one on its list of '500 best lost tracks' (2006) and said in the description 'If Standing on the Shoulder of Giants had contained this track, it would have probably got another star'.

It is sung here by Nick Benzie at a session of The Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai. The lyrics are here.

Little Band of Gold (James Gilreath)

James William Gilreath (commonly written as James or Jimmy Gilreath) was born in Una Community, Clay County, near Prairie. Mississippi. In the early 1960s he was a member of a local band called "The Nite-Liters", playing both guitar and piano. His biggest hit was "Little Band of Gold" (1963).

It was one of the pop songs that appealed to me as a teenager. Not sure why, as I was already getting more interested in folk music, but I went to the trouble of writing out the words and trying to sing it, so I was obviously impressed with it at the time.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics
.

Lucille (Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum)

Apparently this song was inspired by Hal Bynum's determination to resist temptation toward the end of his failing marriage, when he was being pursued by a friend of his wife. He was in his yard tying up tomato plants and worrying that he was going to be left alone in Nashville with this predatory female as his wife and children were about to visit his mother-in-law in New Jersey. He was thinking, "You picked a fine time to leave me," and added Lucille to the line to give it some alliteration. Looking around the garden, he added the next line - "With four hungry children and a crop in the field." He worked further on the song with Roger Bowling, and it became a big hit for Kenny Rogers in 1977.

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Married With Children (Noel Gallagher)

This song was the final track of the Oasis debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994). The version on the album is the original demo, recorded in co-producer Mark Coyle's bedroom at his house in Manchester in 1993. The song went straight to number one in the UK Album Charts and the album was the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK when released. It also sold over one million copies in the states and went on to sell over 11 million copies worldwide.

Like most Oasis songs it deals with everyday life and appears to be about Noel's concerns with his current girlfriend, who apparently criticised his constant playing and composing - "Your music's *****; it keeps me up all night" - and his desire to escape from the boredom of ordinary family life.

Here is the original track from Definitely Maybe.

It is sung here by Nick Benzie at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man.

Mercedes Benz (Janis Joplin)

Janis Joplin wrote this song. also known as The Politician, together with the poet Michael McClure and Bob Neuwirth, as a critical social commentary on how people relate happiness to money and material possessions. It was recorded in one take on October 1, 1970, three days before she died.

It appeared on her posthumous album Pearl (1971).

"Dialing for Dollars", was a segment on many local TV shows which required one to be watching the show in order to win prizes.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

My Old Man's a Dustman (Lonnie Donegan)

See "Songs From England." It's not really by Lonnie Donegan!

North to Alaska (Johnny Horton)

Johnny Horton (1925-1960) was famous for his folk-style ballads. "North to Alaska" was written as the title song of the 1960 movie, a comedy Western, directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Stewart Granger. The song was a big hit, topping the Billboard Magazine's Country Singles Chart and reaching Number 4 on the Pop Singles chart.

It is sung here by John Walsh at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Music Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai. John dedicated this song to Sarah Pailin, who at that time looked like a possible future American Vice President.

On a Monday Morning (Cyril Tawney)

Cyril Tawney (1930-2005) was an English singer-songwriter, specialising in the traditional songs of the West of
England and songs of the sea. He was a full-time professional folksinger for 45 years, a record in Britain. You
can see his website here.

One of his best-known songs is "Sally Free and Easy" though this one is also quite popular. Here it is sung by
Dave Ellis at a session of The Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai. Here are the words.

One Toke Over the Line (Brewer and Shipley)

Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley were a folk rock duo of the late 1960s through 1970s known for their intricate guitar work, vocal harmonies and socially conscious lyrics, which reflected the political concerns of their generation, especially the Vietnam War, and the struggles for personal and political freedom. This song, from their 1970 album Tarkio, though released earlier as a single, was their biggest hit. They claim to have written it as a joke while preparing backstage for a performance.

On hearing this song, President Richard Nixon labeled Brewer & Shipley public miscreants. They retaliated by referring to Nixon by name in their song, Oh Mommy, (also on Tarkio).

The funniest thing is that the song was performed on The Lawrence Welk Show, a very conservative, family-oriented television program, by a duo known as "Gail and Dale," after which Welk described the song, with a straight face, as a "modern spiritual!"

Michael Brewer commented: "The Vice President of the United States, Spiro Agnew, named us personally as subversive to American youth, but at exactly the same time Lawrence Welk performed the crazy thing and introduced it as a gospel song. That shows how absurd it really is. Of course, we got more publicity than we could have paid for." It's all here on this video of the song.

Anyway, it's one of the songs I enjoyed in my early twenties and here is my rendition of it.

(Information adapted from Wikipedia).

Paddy and the Barrel (Pat Cooksey)

See The Sick Note below.

The Preacher and the Slave (Joe Hill)

Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, also known as Joseph Hillström, and best known as Joe Hill (1879 or 1882 - 1915) was a Swedish American songwriter and labour activist. He was a member of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), also known as the Wobblies. The general feeling of the left was that religion was a means of keeping the workers in their place, by promising rewards in Heaven so they would not be so inclined to fight for a fair share of the wealth in this world.

Joe Hill was executed by firing squad after being found guilty of murder in a trial that many believe to be a miscarriage of justice. The story is that he had an iron-clad alibi as he was in bed with a married woman at the time of the murder, but was not prepared to ruin her reputation.

Joe Hill wrote this song in 1911 as a parody of the hymn "In the Sweet By and By." Many such songs were written as parodies of the hymns sung by the Salvation Army, this being the best known and, indeed, probably the best of them.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Prodigal Son (Roy Acuff)

Roy Claxton Acuff (1903 – 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music," he is often credited with modernising country music and making it internationally successful. Acuff began his music career in the 1930s, and became known as the singer and fiddler for his group, The Smoky Mountain Boys. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and was one of the Opry's key figures and promoters for nearly forty years.

Many of his songs show a strong religiour influence, including The Great Speckled Bird and this one, The Prodigal Son.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Redneck Love Gone Bad (Shannon Lawson and Bobby Taylor)

This amusing country and western song is sung by the writer, Shannon Lawson and also by Diamond Rio.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Roses Are Red (Al Byron, Paul Evans)

Until Paul Evans wrote the music for this song in 1962, he was known only for two novelty hits - Seven Little Girls and Happy-Go-Lucky Me. He tells the story of how he was at a recording session doing some demonstration recordings for some new songs, when Al Byron came into the session and said he wanted to show Paul the lyrics to a song he had written. Paul told the musicians to take a break, joking that he was going to write a hit song. He sat down at the piano and wrote the melody in 3 minutes. Unable to believe he could write a good song in three minutes, he spent the next few weeks trying to make improvements in the melody, but found he could not add anything - the lyrics and melody were recorded unchanged, and became Evans' most successful song.

The song didn't really go anywhere until it was discovered by Bobby Vinton, and turned out to be the song that saved his career. Apparently Epic Records wanted to drop him after two unsuccessful albums, but he pointed out that his contract allowed for two more songs to be recorded and released. While the executives left the room to discuss the situation with their lawyers, he listened to some rejected demo records and came across this song which immediately struck him as a potential hit. When the executives returned, Vinton persuaded them to let him do this one final song - the discarded Roses Are Red. It subsequently reached the top of the US charts and earned him a new contract.

The song was also recorded by Jim Reeves.

Here is my rendition of the song. The lyrics are here.

Silver Threads and Golden Needles (Jack Rhodes & Dick Reynolds)

Born in East Texas in 1907, Jack Rhodes didn't get involved with professional music until he was almost 40, after a life-changing accident. In the late '40s he formed a bluegrass band, Jack Rhodes' Ramblers, which at times included his stepbrother, Leon Payne. In about 1953, he stopped performing with the band to run a hotel in Mineola, about 90 miles from Dallas, where he built a demo studio and worked with various local acts. He also focused more on writing rockabilly songs.

This song, co-written with Dick Reynolds, was first recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956, and was a big hit for UK pop group, The Springfields, in 1962. It was also recorded by Janis Joplin, Crystal Gayle, The Grateful Dead (1966), Dolly Parton, Sandy Denny and Linda Ronstadt (1969).

And here is me singing it. You can see the lyrics here.

Six Days On the Road (Carl Montgomery / Earl Green)

This song was first made famous by country music singer, Dave Dudley (1963). It is generally considered the first really successful American truck driver song.

It has been covered by Steve Earle (1987) (for the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles), Sawyer Brown (in a cleaned-up version) (1997), Boxcar Willie, George Thorogood and Taj Mahal (1969).

Here it is played by members of the Hong Kong Folk Society, led by Karin (fiddle) and Robin (guitar) at a session at the Canny Man in Wanchai.

Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)

Ron Hynes (born 1950) is a popular folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland. This song, written in 1976, is his best-known song, and is popular not only in Canada, but also internationally. It has been covered by a number of artists, including Ryan's Fancy, Jean Redpath, Great Big Sea, Liam Clancy and Christy Moore.

Here is Ron Hynes singing the song in concert, and here is my rendition. The lyrics are here.

Streets of London (Ralph McTell)

Ralph McTell's best-selling song was included on his album Spiral Staircase (1969), and was released as a single in 1974. It was inspired by his experiences busking and hitchhiking around Europe. The actual events are based on encounters with homeless, elderly and other forgotten members of society in the city of Paris, but he thought "London" sounded better in the song. He had already written it before recording his first album, but decided not to include it as he thought it too depressing.

The song has been covered by many artists, including Cliff Richard, Joan Baez, Roger Whittaker, Gordon Lightfoot and Sinead O'Connor.

Here is my performance assisted by Dylan Perry on guitar. The lyrics are here.

Things (Bobby Darin)

Bobby Darin, born Walden Robert Cassotto, (1936– 1973) was a popular big-band performer and rock and roll idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Like many first-generation Americans at that time, he changed his Italian name to one that sounded more "American." He had already been known as "Bobby" as a child, but supposedly chose "Darin" because he had seen a faulty neon sign at a Chinese restaurant which said "DARIN DUCK" rather than "MANDARIN DUCK," and he liked the look of Darin. However he later changed his story, saying he picked the name randomly from the telephone book.

In 1962, Darin also began to write and sing country music, one of his biggest hits being "Things" It was sung by fellow Italian Dean Martin in a TV special with Nancy Sinatra, called "Movin' With Nancy" (1967). It has also been recorded by Anne Murray and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Valerie Wilkins (Clive Harvey)

This song was popularised by Roaring Jelly. It was recorded on their second LP "In the Roar" (1981).

It always goes down well when Dave Ellis sings it at the Hong Kong Folk Society. Unfortunately we missed the opening when we filmed this as he tends to start singing without warning, so I've put the first few lines at the start of the video.

Here is another good video of the song and here are the lyrics.

Wasn't That a Time? (Lee Hayes, Walter Lowenfels)

When Pete Seeger was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, he was specifically asked about this song. These are his comments:

The Committee asked me, "Did you ever sing a song called 'Wasn't That a Time' at such and such a place? I sang that song from time to time, and I still do. It was written by Lee Hays and Walter Lowenfels in 1948. It had a verse for Valley Forge, a verse for Gettysburg, a verse for World War II, and it had a verse for the McCarthy days, the Cold War. But it ended on an optimistic note. Lee Hays said, "...our faith cries out. Isn't this a time, a time to free the soul of man." When the Committee asked me about that song, I said, "Well, that's a good song, and I know it. I'll sing it for you". No. We don't want to hear it. We want to know did you sing it on such and such a place and date?" I said, "I would be glad to sing any song I ever sang. But as to where I've sung them, I think that's no business of this Committee. I've got a right to sing these songs. I've got a right to sing them anywhere." A year later I was cited for contempt of Congress because I had refused to answer the Committee's questions. I'm only sorry I hadn't done what [Paul] Robeson did. He stood up and shouted at them: "This whole hearing is a disgrace. You are the un-Americans."

I first heard this song sung by The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hayes, Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert). There is an excellent documentary movie about The Weavers which uses this song as its title.

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Welcome Back (John Sebastian)

This is the theme song of the 1970s American situation comedy series, Welcome Back, Kotter. It was written and performed by John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.

The name of the show was actually changed from its original title, Kotter, to match the lyrics of the theme song as Sebastian couldn't find suitable rhymes for "Kotter" so gave the song a more general theme.

It is sung here by Roland D'eau at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Lockhart Road, Wanchai.

We Live in Two Different Worlds (Fred Rose)

Composer Fred Rose (1897 - 1954) wrote some of the most popular country music songs. He was a mentor for many country singer-songwriters, including Hank Williams. He began his recording career in the 1920s for Brunswick Records, and formed a duo called The Tune Peddlers with singer/whistler Elmo Tanner in Chicago, landing a regular radio spot on WKYW and later hosting his own program, Fred Rose's Song Show. After writing some songs for Gene Autry, he teamed up with Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff in 1942 to form Acuff-Rose Publishing, Nashville's first music publishing firm and the first to focus on country songs. He returned to songwriting in 1945 with several hits, including Pins and Needles, No One Will Ever Know, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Roly Poly, It's a Sin, Texarkana Baby, Waltz of the Wind, and this song We Live in Two Different Worlds.

When Hank Williams signed to MGM in 1947, Rose became his manager and producer, co-writing several classics including A Mansion on the Hill, Crazy Heart, Settin' the Woods on Fire, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, and Take These Chains From My Heart. He and Acuff also wrote several crossover hits such as You Belong to Me, Tennessee Waltz, Your Cheatin' Heart, Slow Poke, and Hey Good Lookin'.

He was posthumously honored as one of the first three inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the other two being Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers.

The song has been recorded by many artists including Roy Acuff, Slim Whitman, Hank Locklin, Tex Ritter, Carl Smith, Don Gibson, Hank Williams and Engelbert Humperdink.

Here is my rendition, and here are the lyrics.

Which Side Are You On? (Florence Reece)

Florence Reese (April 12, 1900 – August 3, 1986) was an American social activist, poet and writer of songs. The daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for this song, which was written in 1931 during a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in which her husband, Sam Reece, was an organizer. In an attempt to intimidate the Reece family, deputies hired by the mining company illegally entered and searched the Reece family home. Sam Reece had been warned in advance and escaped, but Florence and their children were terrorized in his place. That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to Which Side Are You On? on a calendar that hung in the kitchen of her home, and set it to the tune of a traditional Baptist hymn, Lay the Lily Low. Florence recorded the song and it can be heard on the CD Coal Mining Women. She also made an appearance in the documentary film, Harlan County, USA, singing the song to the striking miners.

Pete Seeger learned the song in 1940 and recorded it with The Almanac Singers, and later with The Weavers.
It has been recorded by Billy Bragg (1987) - with different lyrics, Dropkick Murphys (2001) and Natalie Merchant (2003).

Here is my rendition of the song, and here are the lyrics.

Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)

This song is from Isaak's third studio album, Heart Shaped World. Though it was released as a single in 1989, it didn't become a hit until it was featured in David Lynch's movie, Wild At Heart, thanks to Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who was obsessed with David Lynch films and began playing the song. This led to it becoming a nationwide top ten hit in January 1991, the only hit song of Isaak's career in the U.S.

It is sung here by Pat Thompson at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at the Canny Man in Wanchai.

You're My Best Friend (Wayland Holyfield)

This American country song was written by Wayland Holyfield, and most famously recorded by Don Williams.

The song is about unwavering faithfulness and loyalty in a relationship. The recording by Williams was his second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in June 1975 and has become one of his signature songs.

It is sung here by Alistair Watson at a session of the Hong Kong Folk Society at The Canny Man in Wanchai.

You're Not Irish (Robbie O'Connell)

Robbie O'Connell was born in Waterford, Ireland and grew up in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, where his parents had a small hotel. He began to play guitar and sing at age thirteen. Before attending University College Dublin, he spent a year touring the folk clubs in England. In 1977, he went to the USA, where he joined the Clancy Brothers with whom he recorded 3 albums. He released his first solo album, Close to the Bone in 1982.

This song may very well be based on his own experiences when he first went to America and started touring as an Irish singer. As a true Irishmen he would not be used to singing a lot of the songs American think of as Irish songs - such as Danny Boy, Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra and Molly Malone.

Here is Robbie's own recording of the song, and here is my rendition. The lyrics can be seen here.