Thousands or More: 10/01/2006

Oaks Bottom Public House - Set list - October 25, 2006

Once again we took over the Oaks Bottom Public House, the Sellwood neighborhood pub that hosts a group of local Morris dancers, who, after their Wednesday evening practices, arrive at the pub around 9:00pm and lead the customers in drinking songs.

Glorious Ale -- Sung by Hugo G.
Down to Old Maui — sung by Charley R.
Country Roads, Take Me Home -- a request from Karen
Thousands or More — sung by Paul M.
Old Dun Cow -- Sung by David S.
Glanville's Homemade Beer -- Sung by Charley R.
Garners Gay -- Sung by John M.
Bonnie Ship the Diamond -- Sung by Phil H.
South Australia -- Sung by Paul M.
Farewell Nova Scotia -- Sung by Dick L.
Eat Bertha's Mussels -- Sung by John M.
Drink Old Portland Dry -- Sung by Hugo G.
I can Hew -- sung by Dick L.
Shallow Brown -- Sung by Elizabeth C.
Bring Us A Barrel -- sung by Hugo G.
Rolling Home -- sung by Dick L.
Parting Glass -- sung by All lead by Charley R.
Greenland Whale Fisheries — sung by Paul M. and Hugo G.
Joy of my Heart -- sung by Hugo G.
Waltzing Matilda -- Sung by Paul M.
Ring the Bell Verger -- Hugo G.

We ended later that usual -- at Midnight. See you next week!

Researching the Songs

Notice that here and there on the playlists you'll find links to other sites possessing lyrics or midi files or musical notation of the melodies.

It's delightful to me to go through the process of researching and discovering the stories and alternate lyrics of these songs. I'll hear a new song by someone, note down key words in the chorus and ask the singer what the name of the song is.

Then Google is my friend. I could spend hours and hours into the evening hours reading the history of some song.

Take "Free and Easy" for instance, I first heard Professor Dick L. sing this two years ago, with just three verses. One day after being unable to get the tune out of my head, and not remembering the words, I Googled the first line of the song, as I remembered it. "I'm a Lad that's free and easy" I came up with only one hit! Obviously needing more snippets of lyrics I changed the search to , in quotes,"Free and Easy" "country clown." Which gave me this, from the Minnesota Traditional Morris side wherefrom Dick learned the song, I believe. But the song is much older. Eventually I came up with this reference of it being a Scottish song from the 1850s, published as a broadside.

As time permits I'll include links to all of the songs we sing at our weekly pubsing.

Oaks Bottom Public House - Set list - October 18, 2006

Another fun evening at Oaks Bottom Public House, the Sellwood neighborhood pub that hosts a group of local Morris dancers, who, after their Wednesday evening practices, arrive at the pub around 9:00pm and lead the customers in drinking songs.

Here's this week's set list:

Happy Birthday Medley sung by All -- for Dave S. wife, Stacy via cell speakerphone
John Barleycorn -- sung by Dick L.
The Farmer's Boy -- sung by Hugo G.
Billy O'Shea -- Sung by Paul M.
Sportsmen Arouse -- Sung by David S.
Eat Bertha's Mussels -- Sung by John M. (after much prompting by Joel)
Noggin, Noggin Grog -- sung by Paul M.
Joy of my Heart -- sung by Hugo G.
Skye Boat Song -- Sung by Elizabeth C.
Sae Will We Yet -- sung by Hugo G.
Solonika -- Sung by Elizabeth C.
On the Goodnight-Loving Trail -- Sung by Phil H.
Bring Us A Barrel -- sung by Hugo G.
Rolling Home -- sung by Dick L.
Lilli Bullero -- Sung by Paul M.
Free and Easy -- Sung by Dick L.
Old Dun Cow -- Sung by David S.
Sam's Gone Away -- Sung by Paul M.
Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her -- Sung by John M.
Parting Glass -- sung by All

That's all from this week. We expect a rousing return next week from Charley R. who, in three weeks, had travelled from Portland, Chicago, London, Cairo and returned home last night to endure the sound of us bellowing 'Joy of my Heart' on his voicemail.

Oaks Bottom Public House - Set list - October 11, 2006

Another fun evening at Oaks Bottom Public House, the Sellwood neighborhood pub that hosts a group of local Morris dancers, who, after their Wednesday evening practices, arrive at the pub around 9:00pm and lead the customers in drinking songs.

Special note that on this evening, Oaks Bottom owner, Jim Parker, announced a brew in the planning named after Hugo. It'll be a bitter and will be named after a song-parody of 'Barrett's Privateers often sung here: Glanville's Homemade Beer.

Here's this week's set list:

Glorious Ale -- Sung by Hugo G.
Billy O'Shea -- Sung by Paul M.
Strike the Bell -- Sung by Elizabeth C.
Manure Manure -- Sung by Dick L.
Down Below -- Sung by Elizabeth (a clip)
Eat Bertha's Mussels -- Sung by John M.
Haul Boys Haul -- Sung by Phil H.
Sportsmen Arouse -- Sung by David S.
The Hare -- sung by Hugo G.
Hundred Years Ago -- sung by Hugo G.
Long Time Ago -- sung by Joel S.
Bowline -- sung by Paul M.
Botany Bay -- sung by Dick L.
Around Me Brave Boys -- sung by David S.
Greenland whale Fisheries -- sung by Paul M. & Hugo G.
Joy of my Heart -- sung by Hugo G.
I can Hew -- sung by Dick L.
Bring Us A Barrel -- sung by Hugo G.
Bully in the Alley -- sung by Hugo G.
Sae Will We Yet -- sung by Hugo G.
Thousands or More -- sung by Paul M.
Sing John Ball -- sung by Hugo G.
Leave Her Johnny -- sung by John M.
Rolling Home -- sung by Dick L.
Parting Glass -- sung by Paul M.

We wrapped it up around 11:15pm.

Oaks Bottom Public House - Set list - August 23, 2006

In Portland Ore. there’s Oaks Bottom Public House, in the Sellwood neighborhood, that hosts a group of local Morris dancers, who, after their Wednesday evening practices, arrive at the pub around 9:30pm and lead the customers in communal pub songs. Periodically in this blog I’ll list the songs.

Joey H. decided to make a rare appearance and grace us all with his bawdy songs.