Sports: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease

Roy Harper: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease

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Roy Harper is best known for providing the lead vocals on Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" and for being name-checked on the Led Zeppelin track "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper". Of his own recordings, "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" is perhaps his most well known.

The mix of acoustic guitar and brass band is not a combination you hear too often, but here it works fabulously, adding a healthy dose of atmosphere. I don't know a thing about cricket, but it hardly matters. The boozy recollections and sense of loss come clearly through.

Sports: Tessie

Dropkick Murphys: Tessie

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In 2004 DKM released Tessie. They made a prediction that year too. "We recorded this song in June 2004 and after giving it to the Red Sox told anyone that would listen that this song would guarantee a World Series victory."

The lyrics of this song give the history of how Tessie became the anthem of the Royal Rooters. During the 1903 World Series, the Royal Rooters led by Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, taunted the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Americans were down 1-3 in the series and the Rooters knew their team needed a rally. So, the Royal Rooters began to change the lyrics to any song that they could think of. But it was Tessie that helped win the day. Interestly, the Royal Rooters stopped singing Tessie after Boston won the World Series in 1918, which began Boston's 86 year drought and the rest is history. Nuf said.

Autumn and Harvest: Harvest Festival

XTC: Harvest Festival

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Andy Partridge is second only to Ray Davies for his ability to turn the details of ordinary British life into beautiful song. In "Harvest Festival" (from the last great XTC album, Apple Venus Volume 1), the narrator takes comfort in gaze: "The longing look you gave me / That longing look / More than enough to keep me fed all year". He doesn't get the girl in the end, but somehow that's OK.

Autumn and Harvest: Lost in Autumn

The Sea and Cake: Lost in Autumn

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There's nothing particularly autumnal in the lyrics of this song; in fact, it's hard to tell if the "Autumn" of the song's title is a season, a girl, or something else entirely. But then, post-rock/post-jazz combo The Sea and Cake isn't known for their lyricism. Instead, this laid-back late-night song from the band's early, pre-electronic era conjures up the slow, languid fall of a leaf on the wind, and anticipates the stillness of bare winter to come.

Autumn and Harvest : September Gurls

Big Star : September Gurls

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I'm surprised nobody posted this song yet, thanks to the cult status of Big Star. Their music, although 30 years old, sounds so modern that the band is particularly praised now in the 2000s while it went practically unnoticed when it came out
These are the laws of rock history.
Whatever, the music of Big Star (here, of Alex Chilton, since Chris Bell had left the band)is full of power, great pop music both fierce and delicate, with that drop of venom that charecterized the post-hippie era, and which is still palpable in indie rock.

Autumn and Harvest: John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic: John Barleycorn Must Die

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Before I begin, I would like to thank my fellow Star Makers for their help gathering the songs for this post. I could never have done it without you.

I am old enough to have heard Traffic’s classic John Barleycorn Must Die when it first came out, and young enough to have been a child at the time. My oldest brother brought it home, and made sure I heard it. I made two incorrect assumptions at the time. I thought Traffic wrote the song. And I heard a fair amount of psychedelic music at the time; I assumed that the lyrics told the strange tale of a man who kept being treated in cruel and unusual ways, but I never guessed that there was any deeper meaning. I knew that I loved the sound of the song, and that was enough.

But now I am older, and I understand more. John Barleycorn Must Die is a traditional English song. There is a record of a version from the 1300s, and it is likely older than that. Over time, many variants have arisen, with changes to both the melody and the words. The song became widely known throughout the British Isles. Scottish poet Robert Burns even wrote a version.

And the story is deeper than I knew. John Barleycorn is the personification of the grain, and the song tells the story of the grain from planting to harvest and beyond. The song usually begins with Barleycorn’s first death; he is buried, and dirt is heaped upon him. This, of course, is the planting of the grain. In midsummer, he grows a “long long beard” and “becomes a man”. The song goes on to describe threshing and harvesting. Barleycorn is bailed and taken to the barn. And then the grain is parceled out. Some is taken to the miller to make flour for bread. And some is saved and brewed in a vat to make ale. And some is planted, so that the whole cycle can begin again.

It is likely that versions of John Barleycorn were sung in pre-Christian times, to accompany harvest rituals. Some of these rituals survive to this day in modified form, most famously the sacrifice of the wicker man. These rituals tell the story of the death and rebirth of the god of the grain.

The lyrics used by Traffic start with three men who came from the west. This reminds me of the three wise men who came from the East in the Nativity story. The first Christians who came to the British Isles often looked for parallels between native myths and the Story of Christ, in order to help the natives accept Christianity. So these three men from the west may be an example of this. John Barleycorn shares with the Christ Story the theme of death and rebirth.

Jethro Tull: John Barleycorn

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Jethro Tull’s version of the song is just called John Barleycorn, but it is otherwise a straightforward cover of the Traffic version, sharing the same melody and lyrics. But Jethro Tull has created an arrangement that is wholly original, and shows off the classic Jethro Tull sound. Ian Anderson’s trademark flute sound arrives midway through the song.

Tim van Eyken: Barleycorn

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Tim van Eyken has proved himself to pure traditionalists in the English folk scene. He even played with Waterson: Carthy, the ultimate traditional English folk group. But here, he gives Barleycorn, as he calls it, a folk rock treatment. He uses a different melody and slightly different lyrics than Traffic and Tull. His three men at the beginning come not from the west but from Kent.

Steeleye Span: John Barleycorn

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Steeleye Span gives us yet another variant on the song. Again, we have a different melody, and some variations in the lyrics. And Steeleye Span adds a refrain of “Fa la la la, it’s a lovely day” etc. This sounds like it may have originally belonged to another song entirely. There are numerous examples of this in English folk music.

Autumn and Harvest: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where the Time Goes

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When the mornings get cooler and the leaves start changing colors, I can't help but get a little melancholy. I don't know if it's the ghost of school years past or the regrets of another summer of unfulfilled plans drawn to a close. Either way, autumn is all about contemplating the passage of time. And even though Sandy Denny keeps claiming not to notice the passing of time in her signature tune, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," she captures that melancholy mood perfectly. The Judy Collins cover might be more well known, but I prefer the version Sandy did while she was with Fairport Convention in 1969. Somehow, knowing she died well before her time gives her version added resonance.

Autumn and Harvest: Autumn Almanac

The Kinks: Autumn Almanac

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"Tea and toasted, buttered currant buns, can't compensate for lack of sun"... probably not for most folks, but football sure helps a lot of us, especially because it's also on Sunday,Monday and sometimes Thursday!

Autumn and Harvest: September Song

Jeff Lynne: September Song

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I distinctly remember when I got my first music-playing device. It was Christmas 1979, and my parents gave me a Panasonic cassette recorder--one of those old-school, mono machines that laid flat (very similar to this one).

Before I got to that present however, I opened up a smaller one. A cassette! When I first opened it, part of the cover was obscured, and all I saw was the word "Orchestra" and what at first glance appeared to be a black-and-white photo of men in tuxedos, and my initial thought was, "Yuck! a classical recording!". I soon figured out it was indeed a rock album--Electric Light Orchestra's On the Third Day. (My parents must have noticed me listening to my older brother's ELO cassettes.) Say what you will about ELO, that album was my first love, predating (and leading directly to) my long-standing Beatles fixation.

This is all a rather long-winded way of introducing this song, which is not actually an ELO track, but a song from ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne's one-and-only solo album, Armchair Theatre, from 1990. It's not a particularly great album, but thanks to Christmas 1979, I have a soft spot for Mr. Lynne. And on this toe-tapping, slightly wonky cover of "September Song," he hits all the right nostalgic notes, while avoiding the over-sentimentality that creeps in on slower versions of the song.

Autumn and Harvest: Pastures of Plenty

Solas: Pastures of Plenty

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Woody Guthrie wrote several songs which relate to the harvest, in that they tell of the plight of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. Pastures of Plenty is one of the best. The title is ironic; Guthrie tells of fields in California with bountiful harvests, but the workers partake of only a very small part of them.

It is not surprising that this song would resonate with Irish musicians. Ireland is, after all, a place with its own history of agricultural misfortune. And sure enough, Solas delivers an amazing high energy version of this Woody Guthrie classic. Like many folk groups in the British Isles, Solas features an ever changing lineup. The lead singer here is Karan Casey, who has since moved on to a successful career as a solo artist.

Autumn and Harvest: Fall Stories

Girlyman: Fall Stories

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September's still Summer, but the nights are like Fall.
Tell me your Fall Stories,
Every time you broke your heart...

It's an easy pun to turn the falling leaves of autumn into an image of falling from grace and love, but that doesn't mean it can't be done well. All it takes is a sense of humor, a cha-cha beat, a twangy mando-guitar combo, and a set of perfect harmonies that hook the listener in. And with that stellar package stamped all over their 2003 debut album Remember Who I Am, folk trio Girlyman set the tone for a bright future on the folk circuit.

Autumn and Harvest: Blue Harvest Blues

Mississippi John Hurt: Blue Harvest Blues

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What do you do when harvest time catches you unprepared? Not a good thing with winter just around the bend. You may become a weary traveler. Mississippi John Hurt will fill you in. From 1928, perhaps sometime in the fall, Blue Harvest Blues.

Autumn and Harvest: When Fall Comes to New England

Cheryl Wheeler: When Fall Comes to New England

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Living in South Florida, it's difficult for me to comprehend fall or New England... yet Cheryl Wheeler's descriptive lyrics and plaintive voice instantly evoke the seasonal equinox and the geographic landscape, introducing me to the snap in the air, the swirl of the leaves and the smoke in the chimneys - bring on the flannel!

Autumn and Harvest: Autumn Leaves

Cannonball Adderley: Autumn Leaves

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Not really sure if we´re allowed to post jazz here at the Star Maker Machine, but I guess I just have to take the risk. ´Cause to me, Autumn Leaves provides the perfect soundtrack to the melancholy season that will soon be upon us. Featuring Miles Davis on trumpet and Art Blakey on drums amongst others, this is somethin´ else indeed. April In Paris in reverse, it easily conjures up images of a myriad of red and gold leaves drifting by your window.

Autumn Leaves started life as a French song called Les Feuilles Mortes, first aired by Yves Montand in a ´46 Marcel Carné flick called Les Portes De La Nuit. Johnny Mercer translated it into English. He had to change the title first thing, as it was common knowledge the American public would never go for a pop song called Dead Leaves...

Poverty: Hole in the Bucket

Michael Franti and Spearhead: Hole in the Bucket

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With and without the sparse-but-funky backing soul of Spearhead, Michael Franti has staked his later career on proactive, politically sensitive songs which cry out to the listener to reconsider his or her relationship to society. Here, in their 1994 debut outing, he uses a chance encounter with a homeless street beggar to muse on the responsibility of the passerby: should we drop the quarter in the cup, and address poverty in passing, even if we have concerns about the recipient's ability to make appropriate choices about the use of that money to better themselves, instead of spending it on canned pork products and wine? Franti says yes. I agree.

Poverty : Pauvre Martin

Georges Brassens : Pauvre Martin

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Great poet and folk songwriter Georges Brassens tells the life of Poor Martin (the most common name in France), an agricultural worker, and his resignation to his life and death :

Without letting be seen on his face, neither a resentful or bitter look
He turned over other's fields
Always shoveling, always shoveling

And when death called upon him, to work his final field,
he dug his own grave, quickly, hiding himself,
(...) And then laid down without a word, not to disturb anybody.

This song is part of his second album from 1954. You can find a video with English translation here.

Poverty: This Ain't Living

G. Love and Special Sauce: This Ain't Living

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I can envision G. Love and co-writer/co-vocalist Jasper driving around Philly listening to Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" when the line "this ain't livin'" jumped out at them, and a new song was born.

Whether it's early-'70s Detroit, mid-'90s Philadelphia, or present-day Your Town, the faces change, but the stories stay the same. This ain't living.

Poverty: John Martin

Ben Weaver: John Martin

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This one paints a heck of a picture in my head.. it has a kind of sick sepia colored feel to it. But this is just a great song, a narrative ala Tom Waits. This is the experience of one John Martin, and a ragged young man with an honest face he encounters while in Detroit on business for his wife. John learns first hand how it feels to be ragged and poor. From his 2004 album, Stories Under Nails, this is John Martin by Ben Weaver.

Guest post by Bert

Poverty: Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out

Eric Clapton: Nobody Loves You When You‘re Down and Out

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My first thought when I saw the announcement of this week’s theme was, “I’ve got to post some blues this week.” Here’s a classic, made famous by the great Bessie Smith.

I have always thought of this song as a Depression era tune. Indeed, Bessie Smith recorded it on the cusp of the stock market crash in 1929, and it was one of her most popular numbers during the Depression. But Nobody Loves You When You’re Down and Out was written by Jimmy Cox in 1922 or -23. When you think about the words, this makes sense. Here we have a former millionaire who has fallen to the depths of poverty, but he still believes that he is one lucky break from returning to his former stature. This kind of thinking belongs to boom years, not to an era of desperation. During the Depression, a lyric that had originally seemed realistic became a last ditch attempt at hope.

When Eric Clapton chooses to be a blues musician, he is one of my favorites. Here, he eloquently conveys the emotion of the original song. And he does this in an acoustic setting, even though he is justly known for his skill on electric guitar.

Poverty: Coal Miner's Daughter

Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter

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Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" paints an honest picture of the type of poverty that existed in many Appalachian coal mining communities in the early part of the 1900's.

We are all familiar with the stereotypes of Eastern Kentuckians living in places with no roads or electricity or running water. We've all heard stories of children who grow up in the mountains with no shoes, no education, and no food. These are stereotypes that, as a native of Eastern Kentucky (I was born and raised in the same small town as Loretta), I have spent a good deal of my life trying to disprove. I certainly didn't grow up that way, my parents didn't grow up that way, and I know few people who did.

Well... Loretta Lynn did. Her father worked in the coal mines in the small community of Van Lear, KY. He worked long, back breaking hours for very little pay. It was an environment that made it very difficult to provide for a for his wife and eight children. Loretta sings of drawing water from a well, selling a hog to buy shoes, and even going without shoes in the summertime. It was a life of poverty to be sure.

What I take away from this song, however, is how Loretta's family chose to view their situation. From a material standpoint, they had nothing. But from their perspective, they were rich because they had each other. As Loretta says, "We were poor, but we had love." It speaks to another stereotype of the people of Appalachia... a strong bond and connection to family. As cliched as it sounds, Loretta Lynn didn't have much growing up, but she never felt deprived due to the love of her family. That's why she's proud, and not ashamed, to be a coal miner's daughter.

Loretta talked about the song, and her life in an interview with NPR back in 2000.