Seasons of the Ukulele

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

SOTU 740 "THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM"

LimousinLil

Greetings, Dearest Seasonistas! 'Twas not my intent to make an introductory video, but I got a bit carried away. I think all is explained; although I DID forget to mention normal start and finish times, new recordings only and the fact that you can bring as many songs as you like … although, we seem to be a bit self-limiting at the moment. Oh, and if this is your first time here, then you may bring any song you like! (Actually, I forgot to mention quite a lot!) It isn't my intention to offend anyone with my choice of theme … but there IS an elephant in the room. I will struggle to put up the Playlist once the entries start to come in.

PLAYLIST:

potmo

LimousinLil Ever since I was a toddler, I have always been a stickler for details (although i am the opposite of detail oriented. I will let you decide whether or not to stew in the apparent contradiction). So, in spite of you giving us more than ample topics to write about, I am wondering if songs about elephants require the main topic of the song to be about an elephant, or is it significant enough if an elephant is named or is say part of Noahs ark or something? I am not even thinkinf of a single song in this category anyway heheh but mr google and my friend claude might help with that...
To be clear. I love this topic! There are going to be some great songs this season! Thank you! And Val, what I do is just stop watching any news, when things get too overwhelming. I feel no guilt about paying attention to people that aren't in my line of sight. There's 8 billion people on the planet and I am not going to let myself be tormented every second by things that are beyond my control. I feel no social or moral obligation to pay attention to the details. Just my personal way of coping, but this season oughta be a litttle cathartic.

Nearsighted-Lemon-McKay

LimousinLil Great idea. I only have 14 songs in my protest setlist, this should help me expand that number (never know now days when you are going to need a bunch of protest songs)

LimousinLil

potmo Unfortunately, David, I find it impossible to switch off from the news … only wish I could at the moment! In so far as elephants are concerned, the mere mention of the word elephant in the lyrics is sufficient … and the same applies to the word orange. Madness is, well … madness! Oh, and now I think of it, any songs by the group "Madness" would also be acceptable.

LimousinLil

Nearsighted-Lemon-McKay I checked in Wikipedia, Kevin, and there seems to be a fine collection of protest songs, subdivided into countries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Protest_songshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Protest_songs Now is the time to add to your repertoire.

UkeCan1

This was a celebration song when I wrote it, that feels more of a protest song now that the selfsame body alluded to here now seems intent on reversing the celebrated event.

Written the day of the event, for Season 175, boats, hence all the boat song allusions and boat metaphors.

The bridge qualifies it for a twofer.

"Same Boat", an original

dr_mitch

Thanks Val - good to have a protest song season! There are plenty of Bob Dylan songs which can be considered protest songs - here's one (and one of his best-known songs in general). For me, it still has power.

Renaissance-Man

LimousinLil

I really enjoyed your opening video. YouTube suggested this video to me last week. It's about the orange plague. I'll try to come up with a song of my own in the coming days.

LimousinLil

Renaissance-Man Ah, I've seen this lot … is it the something "Grannies"? Thanks for posting! (And, oh yes, on behalf of the whole World, please DO resign!!!) I look forward to your contribution later in the week, R-M!

CanadaJim

When I See An Elephant Fly - Oliver Wallace & Ned Washington

Thanks Val. Here's an old elephant song that I've taught many classes of kids over the years.

Nearsighted-Lemon-McKay

There are protest songs and there are PROTEST songs. I think this one falls into the latter category… Country Joe McDonald's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag". I updated it slightly to match these mad times.

UkeCan1

This confluence of themes and local current events made this '80s pop hit by Aussie icon John Farnham my must-do Monday twofer.*

In January, in response to the Bondi Beach Hanukkah market massacre, the federal government instituted a new hate speech law. In early March, the Queensland state government topped it, outlawing a particular phrase that has been used in many different ways by all sides of the Israel-Palestine conundrum.

This weekend, protestors here in Brisbane staged a flash mob, dancing to Farnham's "Two Strong Hearts", a very danceable love song that includes, in its much repeated refrain, both "together", and a phrase very close to the banned phrase.

It's entirely possible I'm committing a crime by posting this song. It's all very bizarre.

*Because it is Monday here (though possibly not where you are), and within the twofer period

CanadaJim

PARKETTE - Bob Snider

I love this Bob Snider song and think it qualifies as a protest song. What do you think Val?

Joko

LimousinLil

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Protest_songs

A little typo in your link there.

Bystander

LimousinLil

Good morning (& etc.), One and All, from a sunny France … well, my bit of France is sunny! And big thanks to Wendy, Paul, Jim, Kevin and Graham for starting off the proceedings with aplomb! (And thanks to Cody for introducing us to the "Raging Grannies" … who I would feel qualified to join if I were anywhere in the area.) Jim's "Parkette" is a fine example of a protest song which is not pertinent to our current and appalling situation … a protest song can be about ANYTHING that you feel warrants it. Please keep the songs coming today.

LimousinLil

Joko Je ne comprends pas!

Nearsighted-Lemon-McKay

I almost recorded this song a few times in the past months for various Seasons, I'm glad I held off until this one, as it fits much better than those other categories. It is the classic tale of a legendary railroad engineer… with lyrics reworked by Joe Hill and popularized by Pete Seeger… Casey Jones (The Union Scab)

YorkSteve

Thanks for the timely theme Val!

This is a Phil Ochs song from the 60s. Ten years ago I added a couple of verses to bring it up to date (Falklands war & Iraq), so it's time to add another verse regarding the current problem.

LimousinLil

OOPS! Sorry, I've just realised that, having exhausted every available brain cell to put up the Playlist, I had it set to "private" … I think all is good now! And thank you, Kevin and Steve for your very fitting songs, which have just been added to said - now exceedingly public - list!