Seasons of the Ukulele

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

Season 738 - Things With Wheels

kolibri

Dear Seasonistas, welcome to the Season 738!

This week's theme is things with wheels: cars, bikes, trains, spinning wheels, wheels of fortune, observation wheels...

The song does not need to mention the word "wheel", as long as it mentions a machine or a thing that has wheel(s). Like watches and clocks that have balance wheels, or boats and planes that have steering wheels.

If you are new to the Seasons, you can post any song you'd like to.

The usual rules apply.

Please mention in the video that it is for Season 738. Original songs, collaborations and instrumentals are all very welcome. Multiple versions of the same song are fine.

Season 738 starts at 00:00 Hawaii time on Sunday 5th April and ends at 23:59 Hawaii time Sunday 5th April.

Song limit: 1 song per day or 8 songs per Season.

PLAYLIST

DelGriff

That’s a wheely good theme, Ylle! 🤪

johnpoole

DelGriff I see you’ve complimented Ylle. In a round about way😝

UkeCan1

I can't wait till we get rolling. I'm eager to get this show on the road.

UkeCan1

Well, "Fast Car" that I did yesterday would have been a perfect twofer - I never know when to do a Saturday song and when to save it for Sunday! Anyway, here's another instead - "The Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man … about anticipating a delivery, an experience we can still all relate to.

It mentions both "birthday" and "March" right up front, and of course the wagon comes on wheels!

joo

Thanks for hosting, Ylle!

I thought of this children song my little nephew Gylan loved when he started talking. He would ask me to sing it to him over and over again. I mean, like ALL DAY LONG. I also thought of some of the footage I took of all the cars travelling on Tasman Bridge in Hobart. So, I put the song and the bridge footage together.

The last time my health band/watch told me to "Get Up and Move" was when I was on a long-distance flight.

AlanDP

"Wheel of Fortune" from 1952.

AlanDP

Taking the sopranino challenge on this song that I'm very familiar with because I've performed it in public several times, although not with the sopranino. Here's some info on it:

Rex Griffin is kind of a forgotten influence on country music. He was born in Gadsden, Alabama in 1912 and his real first name was Alsie. He began as another singer/songwriter who was heavily influenced by the style of Jimmie Rodgers, including the yodeling. His recording career lasted from 1935 to 1946. As his career went on, Griffin began developing his own sound and cut back on the yodeling. Griffin himself was another major influence on artists like Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Asleep at the Wheel, and even the Beatles, who covered his song "Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby," although they mistakenly credited it to Carl Perkins, who had previously covered it. Griffin had a problem with alcoholism and was also afflicted by diabetes, and later in his life he had to quit touring because of his health problems, but he continued songwriting. This song was first recorded in 1940 by Hank Penny and His Radio Cowboys and has since been covered by numerous country & western swing artists and groups. Toward the end of his life, Griffin was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent the last few months of his life in a hospital in New Orleans before he died in 1958. The Beatles cover of "Everybody's Tryin'" was recorded six years later. "Little Red Wagon" has become a western swing standard and I don't remember the first time I heard it.

CanadaJim

YOU DON'T WANNA GET YOU ONE OF THOSE - Mark Knopfler

Thanks for a great theme Ylle.

johnpoole

Thanks for the generous theme Ylle. " Mystery Train" first written and recorded by Junior Parker in 1953. Hit for Elvis. Covered by many , including me 🙂

potmo

"Politician" Cream

Step into my big black car

Good to see you again sir! Thank you for hosting. A twofer due to Eric Clapton, born March 30

UkeCan1

@potmo David's Cream song reminded me that for many years my "ukulele superpower" was playing "White Room" on the ukulele. I would make a big show of being a cute little person with a cute little instrument and talk about how there are certain songs every uke player must learn, like "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" and "Over the Rainbow" by that big Hawaiian guy. People would roll their eyes, look bored, some would start to walk away. Then I'd launch into the iconic opening chords of this song … and one by one, the light would dawn, and faces would change … and those who know it would play along, and an amazing jam would ensue. It was so fun!

It's about time I brought that back.

And it's a twofer, because it's about trains.

Threebird

Thanks for hosting this Season & the theme! I'll go with 'Love Is A Stranger' by the Eurythmics, the opening line is "Love is a stranger in an open car".

This was the song that introduced me to the Eurythmics when I saw the video on MuchMusic in the early 80's - I was hooked after the scene in the video when Annie Lennox rips off her wig - it made for a dramatic introduction to the band.

I've tried to learn the song a few times over the years, but since it just rides on 2 chords (C & F) most of the song I couldn't find a way to play it that I liked. A few Seasons back, @Potmo submitted a version which got me inspired to try again, which led me to find Martha Wainwright's stellar rendition. My version is nothing like her's, but it sent me in the right direction to come up with something.

dr_mitch

This one barely qualifies, by mention of the car keys in verse 3, but here it is - Cat's in the Cradle.

kolibri

Thank you, dear Seasonistas! The first songs have been added to the playlist and currently the cars are leading. But we also have a couple of trains and wagons, a bus, a watch and a wheel of fortune. The Season 738 is rolling nicely on. 🛞 🚌 🚗

kolibri

A traditional Estonian song about an old lady and a spinning wheel, "Eidekene ketrab".

Nearsighted-Lemon-McKay

Here is one of my favorite songs… and it has a really big wheel in it. Palisades Park.

YorkSteve

Nice theme Ylle! Here's a wheel within a wheel.

CeeJay

For Season 738 A tune about the things that are the things that are on the things that we are singing/playing about that the things that are ...on the things that .....we...........You know I think I'll leave it at that .

Here it is .

Warts and all. Wheels.

By the String Alongs.

Performed by The Always Plays It Wrong .

Renaissance-Man

Hey, hey there friends, old and new. Here's a fresh song for you. Hey, hey mama rock me.