Seasons of the Ukulele

A weekly song challenge for ukulele players - all welcome. Find out more here

Season 718 - Oh floody hell....

DelGriff

Hi Chris - thanks for hosting! :-)

Here’s a song I wrote a few years back, and it’s one of my favourite originals - so much so that I’ve recorded several versions of it since then. And this is the latest incarnation, specially for this Season. Baritone uke with synth bass, cello and piano, homemade drum track, and some vocal harmonies for the choruses.

It describes being temporarily carried away to paradise on a metaphorical breeze of good fortune.

Breeze ‘25 - an original song by me (SOTU 718)

dr_mitch

Here's a classic blues song from Tampa Red. It's definitely metaphorical rather than literal flooding, being swept away by emotion and the life choices of someone close. It fits for me - and I wanted to play it!

LimousinLil

:Hello, Chris … and thanks for hosting! I don't think that I've ever been so late for a Season, but I've had a cold. I thought I had a cold a few weeks ago, but this one is a COLD … and it's been snowing for two days!!! I know this song about showers doesn't really qualify - I mean, it's hardly a deluge that's likely to sweep you away - but it's all I could manage at the last minute and with half a voice; so, please think kindly of me! (What I REALLY wanted to do was Mitch Murray's "Down Came the Rain" (a song I'm sure you know), but I couldn't find any chords and I'm too musically challenged to work them out for myself. ) Anyway ….

Joko

Take Two!

Bystander

AlanDP

I think this song will qualify for this week's theme. A song about a man who is swept away by passion and an alcoholic beverage in the form of--allegedly--a single mint julep. Besides songs about the moon, I also keep an eye out for songs about alcoholic drinks, especially if a specific cocktail is named. I don't know why, I hardly ever drink alcohol myself.

dr_mitch

Time for a one take wonder (though I did have to tune the 8 string first, which took longer than it should have done) with a song that definitely feels like water is sweeping you away.

potmo

DelGriff No beatbox?

Xamar

Mr Spaceman

The Byrds

Well somebody drowned in my song for 717 (Waist Deep in the Big Muddy) so I didn’t want to have drowning two weeks in a row (can you get a retroactive two-fer?)

So I hope riding off with spacefolk counts as being swept away. I added a final verse to make the song relevant to life in the US of A on Planet Earth today. These days being kidnapped by aliens is looking increasingly attractive to me 🙃🙃

DelGriff

potmo No beatbox?

My microphone still hasn’t dried out from last time! 😆

chris667

Hello folks. Sorry I have not caught up with things. There has been a little family emergency and I had to rush away for a bit.

Back now. Will wrap the season tomorrow.

OnlyUkeThatMatters

The Oregon town of Vanport got swept away by a flood in 1948.

I looked up 'Vanport flood song' hoping to find a local folk song about the event. Then I learned that, late in his life, Woody Guthrie penned a tune called "Vanport's Flood." Guthrie never recorded it, though sheet music got published in the early 60s.

If you're curious, you can learn more about both the flood and Guthrie's song from this article. And here's a rough take on the song…

potmo

Ok this may be a bit of a stretch since the castles are slipping, melting or falling into the sea, but I went ahead and took some artistic license and made a minor lyrical change. That and I am using the "Play what you want" caveat.

potmo

https://seasonistaforum.flarum.cloud/t/seasons-of-the-ukulele

OK so the dude that produced Repo Man was very cynical about love, especially for such a young man, but then he saw her face and got SWEPT UP OFF HIS FEET! Oh and also falling back on "Do what you want".
Thanks for hosting and I hope your family situation is resolved without too much pain.

CanadaJim

**Back-water Blues - Bessie Smith 1927

-Written in response to the flood that struck Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day 1926. The Cumberland River, which flows through the city, rose 56 feet (17 m) above its normal level.**

Thanks a lot Chris!

DesertPavement

Our narrator is so swept up with emotion by another that there is no end to the wild stuff they might do. Thanks for hosting Chris, and remember everyone celebrating that American Holiday of Gluttony later this week - Hot fruit is disgusting 😀

UkeCan1

This struck me as the obvious twofer choice.

"Undun" by the Guess Who

MsBean

I picked a hymn this week, not my usual kind of fare. However, when we're talking about powerful emotions that sweep one away, religious ecstasy more than fits the bill.

I know that I'm Sweeping Through The Gates, Washed In The Blood Of The Lamb would have illustrated the theme better, but I am really allergic to these extreme religious lyrics. https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/042/055

I seriously watered it down. Beautiful River is optimistic and simple enough to remain in my comfort zone.

https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/132/034

Thanks for hosting, Chris!

chris667

Well, that's a wrap. And how many songs!

Thank you all for your understanding with the delay. I had to go to visit my dad at very short notice. He's fine, but a long way from help.

I wanted to do a big video reveal and random song choice, but it seems a bit pointless now. So I will choose one of you at random.

@MsBean - congratulations. You are the lucky winner of one set of now-unobtainable Hilo ukulele strings. Happy strumming!

dr_mitch

chris667 thanks for hosting! A fun week.

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