Brennan On The Moor is the Irish Pub Song Of The Day this time around. This is a fun song, especially if you have three or four people to help you out in singing the refrain!

Have fun with it and remember to sing the song, play the song, love the song, do the song and then repeat, repeat, repeat!

Brennan On The Moor MP3

Brennan On The Moor (PDF)

BRENNAN ON THE MOOR

‘Tis [G]of a brave young highwayman, this story I will tell

His name was Willie Brennan and in [C]Ireland he did [G]dwell

It was on the Kilwood Mountain that he [C]commenced his wild [G]career

And [C]many a wealthy nobleman [G]before him shook with [D7]fear.

It was [G]Brennan on the moor, [Bm]Brennan on the moor.

Bold,[C] brave and [G]undaunted, was young [D7]Brennan on the [G]moor.

One day upon the highway as young Willie he went down,
He met the mayor of Cashiell, a mile outside of town.
The mayor he knew his features, and he said, “Young man”, said he
Your name is Willie Brennan, you must come along with me.

Now Brennan’s wife had gone to town, provisions for to buy;
And when she saw her Willie, she commenced to weep and cry.
He said, “Hand to me that tenpenny”, as soon as Willie spoke,
She handed him a blunderbuss from underneath her cloak.

Now with this loaded blunderbuss, the truth I will unfold
He made the mayor to tremble, and he robbed him of his gold.
One hundred pounds was offered for his apprehension there
So he, with horse and saddle to the mountains did repair.

Now Brennan being an outlaw, upon the mountains high.
With cavalry and infantry to take him they did try.
He laughed at them with scorn until at last ’twas said:
By a false-hearted woman, he was cruelly betrayed.

They took Brennan to the crossroads and there he hung and died
And still they say that in the night that some can see him ride
They see him with his blunderbuss all in the midnight still
And all along the King’s Highway rides Willie Brennan still

I got caught up in a small project and I don’t have time to record any videos. I did have enough time to re-mix this video that was requested last month.

John Hardy is a great song and it’s a blast to play on frailing banjo! Take your time, have fun with it and remember that it’s fun!

John Hardy MP3

John Hardy (PDF)

JOHN HARDY

John [C]Hardy was a [G]desperate little man,

he [C]carried two razors every [G]day.

He [C]went down to that [G]West Virginia line,

and you [D7]should have seen John Hardy getting away, Lord, Lord.

You should have seen John Hardy getting [G]away

John Hardy, he got to the East Stone Bridge,
he thought that he would be free.
And up stepped a man and took him by the arm,
saying, “Johnny, walk along with me !”

He sent for his poppy and his mommy, too,
to come to go his bail.
But money wont go a murdering case,
and they locked John Hardy back in jail.

John Hardy, he had a pretty little girl,
the dress that she wore was blue,
as she came skipping through the old jail hall,
saying, “Poppy, I’ve been true to you!”

John Hardy, he had another little girl,
the dress that she wore was red.
She followed John Hardy to the hanging ground,
saying Poppy, “I would rather be dead !”

I’ve been to the East, and I’ve been to the West ,
I’ve been this wide world around,
I’ve been to the river and I’ve been baptized,
and now I’m on my hanging ground.

John Hardy walked out on his scaffold high,
with his loving little wife by his side.
And the last word she heard poor John-o say,
“I’ll meet you in that sweet bye and bye. “

The Folk Song Of The Week this time around is Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down. The funniest part of the video is really not that evident unless I point it out. I had exactly 15 minutes to get this video done before I had to give a lesson over Skype. I was near the finish and I see that the camera that is recording my right hand is about to run out of battery power. I got it done, but just barely and you can see the look on my face as I try to figure out if I am going to make it!!

Have fun with the song and remember it’s only frailing banjo, everything about it should be fun!

Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down MP3

Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (PDF)

DON’T LET YOUR DEAL GO DOWN

Now, I’ve [D]been all around this [G]whole wide world,

I’ve [C]been down to Memphis, [F]Tennessee;

And it’s [D]any old place I [G]hang my hat

[C]Is home, sweet home to [F]me.

Chorus:

Don’t let your deal go down (x3)
‘Fore my last gold dollar is gone.

Now, I left my little girl crying,
Standing in the door;
She throwed her arms around my neck,
Saying, “Honey, don’t you go.”

Now, I’ve been all around this whole wide world,
Done most everything;
I’ve played cards with the King and the Queen,
The ace, the eight, or the trey.

Now, where did you get them high-top shoes,
Dress you wear so fine?
I got my shoes from a railroad man,
And my dress from a driver in the mine.

Who’s gonna shoe your pretty white feet;
Who’s gonna glove your hand;
Who’s gonna kiss your lily white cheeks;
Who’s gonna be your man?

Now, Papa may shoe my pretty white feet;
Mama can glove my hand;
She can kiss my lily white cheeks
Till you come back again.

The Irish Pub Song Of The Day this time around is McAlpine’s Fusiliers. It’s a great song and you can have a lot of fun with it.

Don’t be too put off by playing in the key of D. Once you get 2 or 3 under your belt, you be having fun!

McAlpine’s Fusiliers MP3

McAlpine’s Fusiliers (PDF)

MCALPINE’S FUSILIERS

As [D]down the Glen came [G]McAlpine’s men with their [D]shovels [A]slung [D]behind them.

It was in the pub that they [G]drank [A]their [G]sub or down in the [D]spike you’ll [G]find them.

We sweated blood and we [G]washed [A]down [G]mud with quarts and [D]pints of [G]beer.

But [D]now we’re on the [G]road again with [D]McAlpines [A]Fusili[D]ers.

I stripped to the skin with Darky Finn down upon the Isle of Grain,
With Horseface Toole I learned the rule, no money if you stop for rain.
For McAlpine’s god is a well filled hod with your shoulders cut to bits and seared
And woe to he who looks for tea with McAlpines Fusiliers.

I remember the day that the Bear O’Shea fell into a concrete stair,
What Horseface said, when he saw him dead, well it wasn’t what the rich call prayers.
“I’m a navvy short,” was his one retort that reached unto my ears,
When the going is rough, well you must be tough, with McAlpine’s Fusiliers.

I’ve worked till the sweat near had me beat with Russian, Czech and Pole,
At shuttering jams up in the Hydro Dams, or underneath the Thames in a hole,
I grafted hard and I got me cards and many a ganger’s fist across me ears.
If you pride your life, don’t join, by Christ, with McAlpine’s Fusiliers

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I had my first encounter with an external ear infection this week and I have to say that it is not pleasant. I would rather have the much more common inner ear infection. It’s a very strange condition and I’m on three different kinds of antibiotics and steroids. My poor old ear swelled up to twice it’s size and it bruised every time I moved my ear.

I saw that Mandy and Tim over at BanjoBandits.com had made the song of the month, New River Train. Since I couldn’t record any videos, I thought I would re-mix my old New River Train video with the simple melody tabbed out. You can either play it the way in the video with the slide on the 2nd string or like the tab and just play the notes on the 1st string.

I hope to be back soon and I’ll keep you posted.

New River Train MP3

New River Train (PDF)

New River Train

Chorus:
I’m [G]riding on that new river train
Riding on that new river [D]train
[G]Same old train that [C]brought me here
Gonna [G]take me [D]away [G]again

Darling, you can’t love one
Darling, you can’t love one
You can’t love one and have any fun
Darling, you can’t love one

Chorus

Darling, you can’t love two
Darling, you can’t love two
You can’t love two and still be true
Darling, you can’t love two

Chorus

This time the Folk Song Of The Week is Army Life. This was requested and I have to say that it brought back memories of my childhood and Desert Storm. Both of them were good memories, but now I realize that I only keep in touch with one of my buddies from my military days. I think I am going to have to search some of the others out and see how life has treated them.

Have fun with this song and add your favorite lyrics to it because there are plenty out there.

Army Life MP3

Army Life (PDF)

ARMY LIFE

The [G]coffee that they give you, they [D7]said was mighty fine

Good for cuts and bruises and [G]tastes like iodine ooh

[C]I don’t want no more of [G]army life

Gee bud, I [D7]want to go [G]home

The chicken that they give you, they said was mighty fine
One rolled off the table and started marking time ooh

The biscuits that they give you, they said was mighty fine
One jumped off the table, boys, and it knocked down a pal of mine ooh

The women in the PX, they said were mighty fine
Most are over 90 and the rest are under 9 ooh

The money that they give you, they said was mighty fine
Ask for fifty dollars, boy, and they’ll take back forty-nine ooh

I’m back after the longest break from making these videos that I have ever taken. I have never been so busy in my entire life. It was fun having some projects to work on, but I’m glad that everything has slowed down enough for me to get back to my first love.

The song is a request and as always, I am happy to oblige.

Have fun with Black Velvet Band and remember that the frailing banjo strum is “strike, bush-thumb, brush-thumb.”

Black Velvet Band MP3

Black Velvet Band (PDF)

BLACK VELVET BAND

In a [G]neat little [C]town they call [G]Belfast, apprenticed to [C]trade I was [D7]bound,

And [G]many an hour’s sweet [Em]happiness, have I [C]spent in that [D7]neat little [G]town.

A sad [C]misfortune came [G]over me, which caused me to [C]stray from the [D7]land,

Far [G]away from me friends and [Em]relations, [C]betrayed by the [D7]black velvet [G]band.

Her eyes they [C]shone like [G]diamonds, you’d think she was [C]queen of the [D7]land,

And her [G]hair hung over her [Em]shoulders, tied [C]up with a [D7]black velvet [G]band.

As I went strolling down Broadway not meaning to go very far
When I met with a fickle some damsel she was selling her trades at the bar
When a watch she took from her pocket and placed it right into my hand
And the law came in put me in prison, bad luck to her black velvet band.

Chorus

Next morning before judge and the jury, for trial I had to appear
The judge he says “Young fellow the case against you is quite clear.
And seven long years is your sentence, you’re going to Van Damien’s land
Far away from your friends and relations, Betrayed by the black velvet band.”

Chorus

So come all you jolly young fellows, a warning take by me,
When you are out on the liquor, me lads, beware of the pretty colleens.
They’ll feed you with strong drink, me lads,’till you are unable to stand,
And the very first thing that you know me lads, you’ve landed in Van Diemen’s Land.

Folks,

I am really sorry to have been out for so long. I’ve been working on a lot of projects that don’t involve music and they have eaten up all the free time that I have. Today was the first time I’ve picked up a banjo to just play for three weeks except for giving lessons. I really miss just sitting around and playing and figuring out what songs to do for the video lessons.

I should be back next week since everything should wrap up this week. I’ve been having fun, but I miss the music. I’ve been trying to keep up with everyone’s uploads on YouTube and everything happening over at BanjoBandits, but it’s been hard finding the time.

The one thing I would like to share are the videos that Mandy did for beginners to clawhammer banjo. She did a very good job of breaking everything down and it has that knee to knee quality that I like.

I’ll see you all next week or if I’m lucky I’ll try to make a video this week.

I was able to move a couple of lessons around so I could get at least one video workshop up this week. I am still going through the requests for the Folk Song Of The Week and taking the songs in the order they came in. This time around it’s Wabash Cannonball. It’s a fun song and one we do at our monthly jams. Have fun with it and remember that having fun is 99% of learning to play frailing / clawhammer banjo.

Wabash Cannonball MP3

Wabash Cannonball (PDF)

WABASH CANNONBALL

From the [G]great Atlantic ocean to the wide Pacific [C]shore

From the [D7]green New Hampshire mountains to the southland’s cajun [G]lore

She’s mighty tall and handsome and loved by one and [C]all

[D7]She’s the combination called the Wabash Cannon[G]ball

Chorus:

Oh listen to the jingle the rumble and the [C]roar

As she [D7]glides along the woodlands through the hills and by the [G]shore

Hear the mighty rush of the engine, hear that lonesome hobo’s [C]call

We’re [D7]traveling through the jungles on the Wabash Cannon[G]ball

Your eastern states are dandies so the people always say
From New York to St. Louis and Chicago by the way
Through the hills of Minnesota where the rippling waters fall
No changes can be taken on the Wabash Cannonball

Chorus

Here’s to Daddy Klaxton may his name forever stand
And alwyas be remembered through the courts of Alabam’
His earthly race is over, the curtains ’round him fall
We’ll carry him on to Glory on the Wabash Cannonball

Chorus

She pulled in to the station one cold December day
As she rolled up to the platform you could hear all the people say
There’s a gal from Tennessee; she’s long and she’s tall
She came down from Birmingham on the Wabash Cannonball

Chorus