The Last Nail is the title of my latest new Andy Roberts song, it's a folk song ballad sea shanty whatever that laments the closing of a boatyard inspired by the story of St Monan's in Fife, Scotland where I spent some time recently. Hers is the video of the first live performance of The Last Nail at Havering Folk Club on Wednesday March 17th, St Patrick's Day as it happens. These are the Lyrics to The Last Nail:Above the stone walled harbour, or down the winding hillThat's where they built the boatyard, and the structure stands there still.Not much boat building happens now, just repairs and fitting outbut when the wind rattles the boatmasts, you can hear the old boatbulders shout: Will you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Our grandfathers put up the boatyard, to build the fishing fleet, more than fifty boats in the harbour, and shops all down the main streetthen the steam age brought in the drifters, boat builders became engineersNow the wind blows straight through the boatyard, there'll be no more boat building hereWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.With a keen eye for staying in business, they switched over to build leisure craft And the weekend yachtsmen snapped them up, no expense spared fore or aftThen wooden hulls went out of fashion, the order book emptied last yearSo the bankers foreclosed on the boatyard,and there'll be no more boatbuilding hereWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Now the Vikings invented the clinker for both strength and shallow seasand the herring boats followed the coastline, until the canning ships found the keyThere's a regatta here every August, and the whole village turns out againBut the Sea Queen's no real competition, and it's guaranteed to rainWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Above the stone walled harbour, or down the winding hillthat's where they built the boatyard, and the skeleton stands there still.No more boat building happens now, not even fitting outbut when the wind rattles the boatmasts, you can still hear the old boys shout:Will you pass the last nail over, we'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
The Last Nail
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/last-nail.html
16 Hours, 58 Minutes ago | Comments »
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I posted to youtube.com
Norwegian Wood - Havering folk club - Andy Roberts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj4J0WLshcQ&feature=youtube_gdata
March 18 2010, 2:39pm | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
Listening to the 12 string Guitar
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/listening-to-12-string-guitar.html
last week it was the turn of Simon Oliver to have a member's featured evening at Havering Folk Club, and he borrowed my vintage Guild 12 string guitar for a few numbers which gave me the chance to sit in the audience and hear what it sounds like, unamplified, in the medieval pub room upstairs at the Golden Lion, Romford. Sounded pretty good to me, Well done Simon. I played "The Nutmeg Tree"
March 8 2010, 3:49am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
Playing the Saz at Havering Folk Club HFC
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/02/playing-saz-at-havering-folk-club-hfc.html
Last week I finally got around to taking my SAZ along to Havering Folk Club. It had been lying around sadly out of tune for months and then I managed to wrestle it back on form and tried out a few tunes on the Tuesday Night Show. There's a long story about how I bought the SAZ in Turkey and brought it back, the story used to live on a wiki of its own but now should be available on a blog post somewhere, I'll dig it out and link to it later. Anyway, in order to take the fragile instrument out on a journey I had to first give it a bit of s clean up with furniture polish and stuff, then figure out a way to make it fit in a guitar bag. The Saz is a long necked lute and a bout two inches longer all told than a 12 string guitar, but with a tear drop shaped bowl instead of a guitar body. I found that I could just get it into my biggest guitar case, the one I bought for the 12 string, sideways on and with a bit of strain on the zip. On arriving at Havering Folk Club, upstairs in The Golden Lion pub, Romford, I was pleased to find teh Saz was still in tune and signed up for a floor spot. I played a tune which I call "Istankoy" and then another which segues into a version of Buddy Holly's Rave On. Istankoy is in fact the Turkish name for the island known as Kos in Greek.IstankoyRave On
February 24 2010, 6:01am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
The House Is An Allegory For The Mind
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/02/house-is-allegory-for-mind.html
Here's a song called "The House Is An Allegory For The Mind" which is explained in the video to some extent. This was Wednesday 10th February, an open night at Havering Folk Club, and the second song is Down Drinking at the Bar by Loudon Wainwright.There was even a spot left in the second half so I played Leadbelly's Goodnight Irene
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February 14 2010, 12:00pm | Comments »
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I posted to youtube.com
Cajun Music Cajun Food - Memphis Tennessee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8nNjcK5nUs&feature=youtube_gdata
January 30 2010, 11:44am | Comments »
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I posted to andyroberts.me
Andy Roberts YouTube
http://andyroberts.me/andy-roberts-music/andy-roberts-youtube
In 2009 I added over 100 videos to the Andy Roberts Music youTube account, in fact the number is 108. These are the six which are currently leading the table of most views, although it should be noted that each video was uploaded at different times during the year.
One More Cup of Coffee – Bob Dylan – Andy Roberts Music 3,592 views 2 months ago
Andy Roberts – Highway Blues – Havering Folk Club 732 views 11 months ago
San Francisco – Andy Roberts song by Maxime le Forestier 662 views 4 months ago
Andy Roberts Dead Skunk Havering Folk Club 531 views 10 months ago
Cajun Music Cajun Food 482 views 9 months ago
The Wreckers Prayer – Andy 438 views 10 months ago
Technorati Tags: Andy Roberts, Andy Roberts Music, Bob Dylan, dead skunk, Havering Folk Club, highway blues, music, One More Cup Of Coffee, san francisco, Youtube
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January 9 2010, 9:49am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.wordpress.com
One More Cup Of Coffee – Bob Dylan (Andy Roberts Music)
Andy Roberts Music One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) from my favourite Bob Dylan album, Desire here covered by Andy Roberts music at Havering Folk Club on Wednesday 14th October 2009
Lyrics to One More Cup of Coffee by Bob Dylan, interpretation by Andy Roberts Your breath is sweet Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky. Your back is straight, your hair is smooth On the pillow where you lie. But I don’t sense affection No gratitude or love Your loyalty is not to me But to the stars above. One more cup of coffee for the road, One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go To the valley below. Your daddy he’s an outlaw And a wanderer by trade He’ll teach you how to pick and choose And how to throw the blade. He oversees his kingdom So no stranger does intrude His voice it trembles as he calls out For another plate of food. One more cup of coffee for the road, One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go To the valley below. Your sister sees the future Like your mama and yourself. You never learned to read or write There’s no books upon your shelf. And your pleasure knows no limits Your voice is like a meadowlark Your beauty is like the ocean Mysterious and dark. One more cup of coffee for the road, One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go To the valley below. From Bob Dylan’s album “Desire” released January 5, 1976 http://andyroberts.me
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January 8 2010, 4:18pm | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
Andy Roberts sings Close Your Eyes by James Taylor
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/12/andy-roberts-sings-close-your-eyes-by.html
Andy Roberts sings Close Your Eyes by James Taylor at Havering Folk Club. Video by Linda for Andy Roberts Music channel on youTube.
December 5 2009, 4:11am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
Winter in Andalucia
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/12/winter-in-andalucia.html
Here's another version of my Spanish Christmas song called "Winter in Andalucia" which comes out at seven minutes long this time. It is a bit sad because we won;t be going this year, but at least that means we'll be able to a Christmas dinner at home for a change.
December 4 2009, 2:44pm | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
Back at Havering Folk Club
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/12/back-at-havering-folk-club.html
Having two weeks off sick I was back at Havering Folk Club on Wednesday 2nd December and I've booked my Christmas dinner too. From the newsletters, I know its been busy of late but this week seemed about normal and I enjoyed listening to some of the regulars again.For my own spot, I played Winter in Andalucia and then a short James Taylor song called "You can close your Eyes"
December 4 2009, 2:38pm | Comments »
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I posted to youtube.com
Andy Roberts sings Close Your Eyes by James Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcQOwjvPvlk&feature=youtube_gdata
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December 4 2009, 6:11am | Comments »
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I posted to andyroberts.me
One More Cup Of Coffee – Andy Roberts live
http://andyroberts.me/andy-roberts/one-more-cup-of-coffee-andy-roberts-live
This is the song from Bob Dylan’s Desire Album – One More Cup of Coffee ( Valley Below) here performed by Andy Roberts live at Havering Folk Club
Technorati Tags: Andy Roberts, Bob Dylan, Havering Folk Club, One More Cup Of Coffee
October 25 2009, 5:15pm | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
One More Cup of Coffee ( Valley Below ) Bob Dylan cover by Andy Roberts
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-more-cup-of-coffee-valley-below-bob.html
One More Cup of Coffee ( Valley Below ) Bob Dylan cover by Andy RobertsAnother of my favourite Bob Dylan Songs - One More Cup of Coffee from the Desire album, here performed at Havering Folk Club by Andy Roberts on the same night as When the waters rise, posted earlier
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October 17 2009, 4:04am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
When The Waters Rise - Blog Action Day
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/10/when-waters-rise-blog-action-day.html
October 15th is Blog Action Day so I performed my song "When The Waters Rise - blog action day" last night at Havering Folk Club When the waters riseWhen the waters rise, when the waters rise,It's started to rain, could go on foreverThe puddles grow then join together | As the waters riseWith energy a change of currentThe trickle soon becomes a torrent And the waters rise We'll have to move abandon camp, where once was desert now is damp And the waters riseThe balance kept by plants and sea has pushed beyond the boundary Now the gas surrounds us like a cloak a million years gone up in smoke The climate's changed, the world's in motion, Then the ice caps melt and join the ocean And the waters riseIn the short term we can head for the hills,In the longer run we'll all grow gills and the waters riseThe weather warnings made no mark,Now there's no time left to build the Ark As the waters rise..Here's another version of the same song recorded at the previous Tuesday Evening 7.00pm Live Webcast
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October 14 2009, 8:10am | Comments »
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
The Rowan Tree Folk Song
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2009/10/rowan-tree-folk-song.html
The Rowan TreeLast Week at Havering Folk Club I tried out a new song called "The Rowan Tree" which is a song about four witchee witches I wrote when I was in Scotland recently. There really is a rowan tree in my front garden which I planted myself some years ago and it is a matter of folklore that the Rowan tree is supposed to help keep witches away. It's a suitable topic for the Halloween night session coming up later in October but I thought I'd give it an airing first, and the feedback was very encouraging. You can never tell with a new song if the initial enthusiasm is going to die away to nothing or if it's going to become a lasting part of the repertoire. There wasn't a video from the Havering Folk Club performance but we do have a recording from the previous Tuesday night session which was a lively one too. Here's The Rowan Tree video: The lyrics to the Rowan Tree have been posted both on the Andy Roberts blog and on the youTube video so there's no need to reproduce them here. Deep River BluesEarlier at the session I played my version of "Deep River Blues" and then afterwards, John from Foxen showed me the proper chords :-) I play it in C for some reason: Next week it's the turn of Smolowik to have his members featured evening at Havering Folk club so I'm looking forward to that.
October 7 2009, 2:30am | Comments »
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I posted to distributedresearch.net
Rowan Tree Folk Song
http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/10/01/rowan-tree-folk-song
The little wild rowan tree (sorbus aucuparia) in my front garden is looking great at this time of year, although half the berries are gone already thanks to hungry blackbirds. I planted it there about ten years ago, and it’s taken its time to grow upwards in the shadow of a great big sycamore, but in the last two years it has managed to get itself firmly established and is turning into a mature specimen tree. I was told that its not uncommon for people in Scotland to plant rowan trees in front of houses, partly from sentimental attachment to the wild Scottish countryside, and also to help keep the witches away. I didn’t know anything about that at the time, but it does seem to have worked.
Rowan Tree Song So I wrote my song about the rowan tree, whilst I was in Scotland as it happens, and then worked on the music and finishing off back home. Motivated by the approach of Halloween, which tends to get celebrated at Havering Folk Club, I’ve tried it out twice now, once at the regular Tuesday Evening 7.00pm webcast and once at the folk club last night, where it was encouragingly well received. There’s no video from the session last night, but the early prototype from the webcast is embedded below, followed by some form of the lyrics. Sometimes called the mountain ash, this is a native rowan tree, not a cultivar, and the berries glow a light red colour in the autumn sunlight, making for welcome food for blackbirds and thrushes, although they always leave the more difficult bunches at the end of delicate branches until last, due to the danger of falling off.
Lyrics of The Rowan Tree
Lyrics to “The Rowan Tree”, a folk song by Andy Roberts Come hear my story, it’s a tale of four witches but I could have added three more And heed my advice if you’re troubled by witches Just plant a Rowan tree outside your front door And the branches sway in the faintest of breezes the berries are red bright and fair. And I’ve not had much trouble with those witchee witches Not since I planted my Rowan tree there Well the Witch of the West was cunning and sly She had me always on the run And I never knew which way her nose was pointing Not until after she’d been there and gone. And the branch tips dance…. planted my Rowan tree there The Witch of the East was just counting the years and somehow that three became five. Then her time was up and she vanished away Now nobody knows if she’s dead or alive. And the branches sway…. planted my Rowan tree there The Witch of the South was trouble from the start Her fancy was playing with fire The anger rose up as the coals glowed white and the smoke billowed higher and higher And the branches sway…. planted my Rowan tree there The Witch of the North is not like the rest She uses her powers for good As the Rowan tree watches and nods in approval and keeps us both safe from the dark witchee wood And the branches sway…. planted my Rowan tree there So that was my story the tale of four witches I could have mentioned three more Now heed my advice if you’re troubled by witches Just plant a rowan tree outside your front door And the branch tips dance in the faintest of breezes The berries are red, bright and fair. I’ve not had much trouble with those witchee witches Not since I planted my rowan tree there.
Rowan Tree Berries
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Related posts:Mozambique at Havering Folk Club
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October 1 2009, 3:02pm | Comments »
