Members skmarshall Posted March 18, 2018 Members Share Posted March 18, 2018 Am I the only one here who can’t function as a normal human being today because the effin’ UNICORN SONG is stuck in my head?! If any of you has access to a time machine, please go back to 1962 and tell Shel Silverstein a song about the cover of the Rolling Stone would be a much better way to go... s.k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 18, 2018 Members Share Posted March 18, 2018 Here, take this and have a nap. A *real* and wonderful Irish song from 1879, somewhat after the famine and resulting diaspora. [video=youtube;EIlp0AuBewQ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skmarshall Posted March 18, 2018 Author Members Share Posted March 18, 2018 Ouch! Glad I didn't have to play THAT 4 times in 48 hours! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 18, 2018 Members Share Posted March 18, 2018 not fluff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 19, 2018 Members Share Posted March 19, 2018 Thing is, very few musicians take the time to try to understand Irish music. Why would they? For one night a year. When expectations of authenticity are really about as low as they can get. It's the same thing as when somebody asks for "country" and you play Folsom Prison and then move on. You need to be good at what you really do and those ain't it. And you go back to playing what you understand and like -- which may be a broad swath of music, but not those. I remember when "The Unicorn" came out. Watched the "Irish Rovers Show" on TV, even. Mostly at my grandparent's place. Well… "The Unicorn" is not an Irish song. It's a children's song written by an American. But by association with the Rovers, it becomes Irish-for-the-day. If you'll indulge me, here's another -- and much happier and more popular -- *real* Irish song. [video=youtube;_rQi7TS9MS0] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mr3lions Posted March 19, 2018 Members Share Posted March 19, 2018 My first gig in about 7 years as I just recently decided to get back into it. Called 1 week before for a summer patio gig and he said they had decided last minute to add some brunch music in order to make it a full day of entertainment. Decided to fill up my regular set with The Night Paddy Murphy Died, Galway Girl, A few U2 songs, Dirty old town, a few older Rod Stewart song (I know hardly celtic), Whiskey in the jar, and a few others... Oh yes i played an abbriabbreviated version of the Unicorn song. Had a friend who jokingly held the audience eransom once. 2 tip jars 1 was tips to play unicorn, 1 was tips not too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 19, 2018 Moderators Share Posted March 19, 2018 Written by Shel Silverstein, who was also a frequent contributor to Playboy. He also wrote 'Sylvia's Mother Said' [Dr. Hook hit] and 'A Boy Named Sue', Johnny Cash's humorous crossover hit...as well as the children's book 'Where the Wild Things Are'...among others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 19, 2018 Members Share Posted March 19, 2018 Not "Where the Wild Things Are," That was Sendak. But yeah, fabulously prolific. Not, however, Irish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrHarryReems Posted March 20, 2018 Members Share Posted March 20, 2018 I play in a Celtic band. I look forward to St. Patrick's day. It's the one time a year where we get to be the hot chick. The band just finished playing 5 shows in 2 days. We sold a pile of CD's and merch. It was grueling, hectic, and I slid into home plate at the end of my voice. Loved every minute of it, and can't wait until next year! Oh, and we have never played the Unicorn song even once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 20, 2018 Members Share Posted March 20, 2018 Oh, and we have never played the Unicorn song even once. That's because you're a *real* Celtic band, not a popup. I hope you made TONS of money. Do you play St. Andrew's day, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted March 20, 2018 Members Share Posted March 20, 2018 I mostly had Danny Boy going thru my head the next day which isn't so bad. I do 5 or 6 jigs, a few standard ballads and The Rovers including The Unicorn. It's a job going over these songs that I don't play all year long, but it pays well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 We have resisted the Unicorn song so far, but we will probably comply next year. We play Irish Eyes, Danny Boy, Irish Rose, McNamara, Irish Washerwoman, 4 Leaf Clover, Harrigan, and a few more; many of which are not Irish songs, but American songs about Irish people or with an Irish subject. That's what the people want to sing-along to. But the Unicorn Song? It's a song about Noah's Ark that is set in Mesopotamia, present day Iraq, very, very, very far away from Ireland, where nobody spoke Gaelic or English, or was even aware that the Emerald Isle even existed. It's about as Irish as they pyramids of Giza. The only connection is that it was sung by an Irish Band. If that is the case, why not do "Moon Dance"? Van Morrison is Irish, so are The Cranberries so how about "Linger" - or anything by U2? OK my minor rant is over. Reluctantly I'll learn the Unicorn for next year. The work will be learning it and making a backing track that will probably take a few days to do and only be useful one week per year. Playing it might just be fun, especially if we make a little shtick with it. We just got done with 4 Patty Parties (I call it our annual Patty Melt), and along with our regular jobs we haven't had a day off in over a week until today (yea!!!). We're already booked for 3 of them next year, and we'll probably get more. Here in Florida, I give people a price break if they have it before or after the holiday, a lot of senior citizen communities jump at the chance to save some money, and we get to play dates around the big-one that are usually not bookable. It's a win-win. The number of Patty Parties we play usually depends on the day of the week that the 17th falls on. Every year I get out my green tie, make sure I still have Washerwoman memorized on the flute, and take McNamara's band to the green sea of people in front of us. And we'll love every minute of it. Personally, I prefer the Valentines day parties, the women look better in red than green, and we get to play a bunch of love/lust songs that are good all year instead of just one day. But I'm glad we have both. They come in the high tourist season, when the snowbirds nest in their condominiums and senior communities, and the gigs flow like wine. In April they will come up to the stage, give us big hugs and tell us they will see us next year, and the busy-busy-busy season will settle down to just steady weekends. We make 3/4 of our annual income between Halloween and Easter - it's the way it is for the hospitality industry in south Florida. Insights, incites and a minor rant by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 We play Irish Eyes, Danny Boy, Irish Rose, McNamara, Irish Washerwoman, 4 Leaf Clover, Harrigan, and a few more; many of which are not Irish songs, but American songs about Irish people or with an Irish subject. That's what the people want to sing-along to. … The only connection is that it was sung by an Irish Band. If that is the case, why not do "Moon Dance"? Van Morrison is Irish, so are The Cranberries so how about "Linger" - or anything by U2? Let's see, Harrigan: George M. Cohan (American) Irish Eyes: American (Wiki: It was first published in 1912, at a time when songs in tribute to a romanticized Ireland were very numerous and popular both in Britain and the United States. During the First World War the famous tenor John McCormack recorded the song.) Danny Boy: tune Irish, lyrics English Irish Rose: don't know McNamara's Band: Irish (and about a real band -- I play this song, think it's great) Irish Washerwoman: Irish (this was the only tune my father could play on the fiddle) Four Leaf Clover: American and thematically nothing to do with Ireland except a shamrock/clover confound Seems you're batting about 500, Notes, which isn't bad compared to Bing Crosby. If St. George's day was celebrated, I imagine we'd all be singing songs from Mary Poppins. My ex-singing-partner considered Brigadoon to be the quintessence of Scottish song. And so it goes. I'm all for singing Van, Cranberries, Eric Burdon, U2 etc. on SPD. Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skmarshall Posted March 22, 2018 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 Pogo97I'm with you on McNamara's Band. Those are some well-written lyrics, that make me smile every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 Pogo97 I'm with you on McNamara's Band. Those are some well-written lyrics, that make me smile every time. Which reminds me of this song -- another peculiar-band song -- which I've almost-learned for years. Went looking and found a rather young Julie Andrews singing it. Not Irish, but a treat. [video=youtube;2_FCnK2h7vk] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 This was a number one in the UK some years ago for the DJ Terry Wogan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted March 22, 2018 Members Share Posted March 22, 2018 Interesting. When you wrote "DJ" I was thinking it was hip hop or something. Man, he sure can't sing, but he talks fine and you gotta like a brass band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted March 23, 2018 Members Share Posted March 23, 2018 I seem to remember it was a charity song and you are right The Brighouse and Rastrick brass band really bring it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted March 28, 2018 Members Share Posted March 28, 2018 Harrigan - American but an Irish/American subject ("Proud of all the Irish blood that's in me"). Cohan was a good pop song writer and capitalized in the holiday as Torme and Berlin did Christmas 4 Leaf Clover is an Irish/American icon Yes I know Danny Boy was sung to an English tune, but so was the Star Spangled Banner - but Danny is adopted by the Irish The point I was trying to make was not that they are all Irish songs, but that they are either Irish or about Irish themes. Unicorn is about present day Iraq and Hebrews - written by an American and not intended to be an Irish song as Harrigan was. It has less of a connection to Ireland than Moon Dance does. How did it get to be a St.Pat song? The world is a weird place. But all this is more of an observation than a complaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted March 28, 2018 Members Share Posted March 28, 2018 Pogo97 I'm with you on McNamara's Band. Those are some well-written lyrics, that make me smile every time. And if we play this one last in the evening, I end up with a McNamara earworm on the way home. Not bad, I'd prefer that to Harrigan And yes, it's well crafted. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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