Kerfuffles

The Battle Hymn of the Republic is America’s liberation song. It was written in 1861, during America’s War Between the States, which brought the end of slavery, but also brought the deaths of more young soldiers than any war in our history. This sacred song expresses the spirit that has historically motivated America to lash out against tyrants and oppressors. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was sung at the funerals of Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, and at the memorials for the victims of 9/11 in Washington, New York and London. The definitive version, linked here, is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in language from the Old Testament, the Jewish scriptures, as translated by King James in the 17th century for the English version of the Christian Bible.

    Rally ‘Round the Flag   

    Bless Those Who Serve   

    This Land Is Your Land   

    Spirit of September 11th   

    Revolutionary Patriots   

    Declaration of ‘76  

    Blogging the Revolution 

The Boss Gives Credit Where Credit Is Due

Guardian Unlimited Arts | | Bruce Springsteen, Manchester Arena
The Boss kicked over his chair and shrieked, as someone clambered up during Old Man Tucker, “the stage has been rushed during a 150-year-old folk song!”

Contrast that to NPR darling Pete Seeger who has taken credit for every American folk song that Woody Guthrie didn’t write. Can anyone imagine the Brits getting blown away by “Old Dan Tucker”? (SAMPLE) Yes, I suppose we can imagine it since they don’t even know the true name of the ancient American tune. It is featured on Bruce Springsteen’s We Shall Overcome The Seeger Sessions!

The supposedly original “Old Dan Tucker” (1843), was NOT written by Pete Seeger, but by Daniel Decatur Emmett, 1815-1904, and first sung by the Virginia Minstrels, and surely it must have been sung long before, as every whistle-stop in Virginia claimed at least one town drunk.

I come to town de udder night,
I hear de noise an saw de fight,
De watchman was a runnin roun,
crying Old Dan Tucker’s come to town,

Gran’ CHORUS
So get out de way!
get out de way!
get out de way!
Old Dan Tucker
your to late to
come to supper.

There are four pure renditions to hear in the Max Hunter Collection, sung authentically by true mountain folk.

We Shall Overcome Pete Seeger.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! Bruce Springsteen is “Born Again”! It is one great performance. He has “seen the Light”! Now it is my kind of music at the top of the charts! What is the world coming to? Here comes an opportunity to enjoy Pete Seeger’s folk music without having to stomach Pete Seeger. What a great title: We Shall Overcome The Seeger Sessions! It’ is a [DUAL DISC]. Just wait until it arrives from Amazon; there is only one disk with a CD on one side and the DVD on the other.

It is a new world indeed when Kerfuffles’ genre of music becomes de rigueur, hitting the top of the chart - # 1 in Music. I thought my neighbor had gone mad when he told me I had to listen to this new cd. Kerfuffles listening to Bruce Springsteen music? Yes, for this album, as it reminds me of the old Nitty Gritty Dirt Band productions, the type of music that is rarely available by top entertainers. It is one superb top-notch all acoustic production. Besides, the video gave me my first opportunity to ever see Bruce Springsteen. The film looks like the real deal - old time musicians hanging out, picking and playing seat-of-their-pants mountain music. If this thing was indeed highly produced, then more credit to the film makers, as it is made to look like the videographer just happened by the old farmhouse and peeked inside to see the goings-on. Praise the Lord for good music and praise the liberal artists when they come down on the right side of anything.

Listen, Listen - Listen to the traditional century old inspirations for which Pete Seeger garnered the fame and the dough. With Springsteen indeed “We Shall Overcome” the Seeger obsessions. Good on ya, Bruce.
Erie Canal - low bridge, everybody down, 15 miles and a mule!
Oh Shenandoah, about the Missouri River, not the Shenandoah.
Buffalo Gals
Jesse James stole from the rich to give to the poor.
Pay Me My Money Down - You owe me, you owe me. Pay me my money down.
John Henry, an American Luddite, has been sung about since the 1800s, yet Seeger somehow gleaned credit for the song.
Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep - Pharaoh’s army of school buses got “drownded” by Katrina.
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times? - There was a time when everything was cheap.

Ruffles and Flourishes to music aficionado Pat Cleary of NAM Blog.