I am really sorry that I’ve been silent since last week. I was dared or perhaps the word is challenged to start a couple of new projects and I figured that these two weeks would be the best time to get started.

For once, these are banjo related and I’m having fun with them. As soon as they are near completion, I’ll let everyone in on the fun.

Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Kelly

I was glad to get this request since it’s a song that every banjo player should play at least once in their lives. Oh, Susanna is a great song on frailing banjo, so here goes the Folk Song Of The Week.

Remember, have fun no matter what!

Oh, Susanna MP3

Oh, Susanna (PDF)

OH SUSANNA!

Oh I [G]come from Alabama with a banjo on my [D7]knee,

I’m [G]going to Louisiana, my true love [D7]for to [G]see

It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was [D7]dry

The [G]sun so hot I froze to death; Susanna, [D7]don’t you [G]cry.

CHORUS:

[C]Oh, Susanna, [G]don’t you cry for [D7]me

For I [G]come from Alabama with my banjo [D7]on my [G]knee.

I had a dream the other night when everything was still,

I thought I saw Susanna coming up the hill,

The buckwheat cake was in her mouth, the tear was in her eye,

I said I’m coming from Dixieland, Susanna don’t you cry.

I soon will be in New Orleans

And then I’ll look around

And when I find my gal Susanne,

I’ll fall upon the ground.

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.

Well folks, I had some many orders that PayPal thought that I was spamming them. The shopping cart is up and running again and we are ready to go. Since the shopping cart was down most of the day, I have decided to extend the Cyber Monday Banjo Sale for the rest of the week!

It’s time for the Cyber Monday Frailing Banjo Sale.

You can order the Cyber Monday Frailing Banjo Package which includes the print versions of Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and the Frailing Banjo Lessons DVD’s: 1, 2 and 3 for $39.99.

Or you can order Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and/or Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 from Lulu.com at 30% off!

Just use coupon code CYBERTUESDAY at checkout to receive your 30% off discount

Check out Lulu.com or my author’s spotlight to order now!

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

It’s time for the Cyber Monday Frailing Banjo Sale.

You can order the Cyber Monday Frailing Banjo Package which includes the print versions of Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and the Frailing Banjo Lessons DVD’s: 1, 2 and 3 for $39.99.

Or you can order Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 and/or Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Vol 1 from Lulu.com at 30% off!

Just use coupon code CYBERMONDAY305 at checkout to receive your 25% off discount

Check out Lulu.com or my author’s spotlight to order now!

Ok folks, it’s that time of year! It’s time for the Black Friday sale. Go to Lulu.com right now and you can order Irish Pub Songs For The 5-String Banjo Volume 1 and/or Folk Songs For The 5-String Banjo Volume 1 at 25% off!

Just use coupon code BUYMYBOOK305 at checkout to receive your 25% off discount

Check out Lulu.com or my author’s spotlight to order now!

Saturday night, the gang was supposed to go to the Jug Band Competition in Chicago to just sit around and enjoy the music. We decided to all go together and meet up at Eric Bushman’s place. The problem was that we met too early, started drinking Eric’s Trader Joe Vintage Ale, pulled out our instruments and a few from his stash of a 100 instruments.

Needless to say we all got a bit drunk and I decided that since I was planning on recording the Jug Bands, I might as well record us since we were in no shape to go anywhere.

We had a lot of fun, but the hangover on Sunday is the ONLY reason I didn’t get any videos done this week. I have to say that it wasl one of the best nights of fun we have had in a while. If the video wasn’t edited, you would see one song, a lot of drinking and story telling and then another song.

Next time I have to remember to play first, then start drinking!