American folk classics – An Occasional Story or Magazine

Take Five: The Bumbastories Fifth Penta-Centennial May Magazine

Welcome to the merry month of May! Spring has arrived. Everyone loves the spring. As a certified iconoclast who thinks about these kinds of things, I’m still not really sure why it is that people like the Spring so much. But clearly they do. I suppose it’s the weather. And there’s there’s all that sentimental malarkey about new beginnings, rebirth, and other fuzzy notions that make people feel optimistic. Anyhow, it’s a pretty universal thing, this affection for the spring season. And people especially favor the month of May. “And why shouldn’t they?” you ask. “It’s a free country!”

Point granted. But I think we can all agree that May is a lovely name – as are April and June for that matter. Spring months all! It’s simply an indication of people’s positive feelings for the season of Spring that the spring months are so often used to name people. After all, no one calls their children February, at least not very often as far as I know. January and December are also low on the popularity list. No, it’s the spring that we like.

As I was saying, the name May, a variation on Maria, is simply a pretty one, and pops up….well… like May flowers wherever you look. There’s the great Mae West (she spelled it with an e, she did). Hurray for Mae West, who asked “Is that a pickle in yer pocket, or are yer glad ta see me?” And then there’s the talented writer and comedienne Elaine May, the psychologist Rollo May, and the geological formation of Cape May, North Carolina. There’s May Britt, Mai Zetterling, Seven Days in May, and

Chuck Berry’s Maybelline. Not to mention, the may fly, mayhem, and the May Pole ceremonies.

Then there’s the Pilgrims’ ship the Mayflower, and Mayflower Day. Then there’s May 1, May Day. Workers of the World, when are you ever going to Unite?? On a sad note we must here mention that Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid, the hero of my childhood and still the best baseball player I ever saw, passed away last year at age 92 or 93. Appropriately there’s an wonderful posthumous documentary that’s out on the Giant great titled Say Hey, Willie Mays. Willie Mays’ birthday was in May.

………OK, now we’ll have a discussion of the number five. I’ve already talked about the number five a number of times. See the Numbers Game Category in the Bumbastories header. Five is the most interesting and intriguing of the numbers – at least to me. Its symmetry is the most subtle. The five is the framework, the nuts and bolts, of the DNA molecule. The five underlies Euclid’s Golden Proportion, nay, our sense of beauty. We can’t help but like five-fold symmetry. It’s in our genes.

So here’s to the number 5!

Musical interlude: A song that uses the word five: Five Hundred Miles to be exact. Maybank and Bumba finished a fifth of it (well, we sure were finished after that fifth) to get through this sappy, but popular folk classic. Sing along if you must.

A bit more bout the five…

There’s the five pointed star, the Pentagon, the gimme five handslap, 5 card stud, Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, the circle of fifths in music, the fifth of liquor in the bottle, and Five Corners in the Bronx. And don’t forget, that Cinqo de Mayo is the fifth day of the fifth month, so, while we’re at it, let’s raise a glass to Cinqo de Mayo.

Take Five: The Bumbastories Penta-Centennial May Magazine

Point granted. But I think we can all agree that May is a lovely name – as are April and June for that matter. Spring months all! It’s curious, too, that they’re all feminine names, which may or may not be a politically correct thing to point out. All the same, it’s an indication of people’s positive feelings for the season of Spring that the spring months are so often used to name people. After all, no one calls their children February (male, female, or otherwise), at least not very often as far as I know. January and December are also low on the popularity list. No, it’s the spring that we like.

As I was saying, the name May, a variation on Maria, is a quite a pretty one, and pops up….well… like May flowers wherever you look. There’s the great Mae West (she spelled it with an e, she did). Hurray for Mae West, who asked “Is that a pickle in yer pocket, or are yer glad ta see me?” And then there’s the talented writer and comedienne Elaine May, the psychologist Rollo May, and the geological formation of Cape May, North Carolina. There’s May Britt, Mai Zetterling, Seven Days in May, and

Chuck Berry’s Maybelline. Not to mention, the may fly, mayhem, and the May Pole ceremonies.

Then there’s the Pilgrims’ ship the Mayflower, Mayflower Day, and May 1, May Day, (Workers of the World Unite!). And then of course, there’s Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid. And guess what? Willie Mays’ birthday is in May. Happy Birthday, Willie! I think that’s number 91 for the Giant great. All the best to you, Willie!

….Which leads us to another discussion of the number five. I’ve already talked about the number five a number of times. See the Numbers Game Category in the Bumbastories header. Five is the most interesting and intriguing of the numbers – at least to me. Its symmetry is the most subtle. The five is the framework, the nuts and bolts, of the DNA molecule. The five underlies Euclid’s Golden Proportion, nay, our sense of beauty. We can’t help but like five-fold symmetry. It’s in our genes.

So here’s to the number 5!

A bit more bout the five…

Some Music

As we wade through these pandemic times, it’s important that we continue with music. I think music is important. Music feels so important to me that I think, perhaps mistakenly, that it must be important to everyone.

I”ve been playing guitar on and off all my life. For the past couple of years I had been playing with Maybank every week. Pre pandemic I even had been going to music classes at the local college. To little avail I must say. However, I think I gained a lot from learning some elementary music theory. I still can’t read music garshdarnit. Luckily, you don’t have to be Mozart to play country music.

As for this everyday another story blog, it used to be, I could fill this blog up with music that I made. I always thought using YouTube’s was like cheating. Also, I thought, and still think, that it’s a good thing to introduce people to country music and some of these old songs.

Anyhow, playing music sure is fun. Ah, the good ol’ days. It was easy to put something out on the blog back then: I would record my weekly jams with Maybank, then pick out songs any that came out fairly clean, and then post ’em. Kept me playing. It’s important to keep practicing. It’s important to keep trying to get better. It’s also important not to lose your callouses. So, I need to keep playing. Here are two songs I always play: Key to the Highway and Banks of the Ohio.

Key to the Highway might seem an inappropriate song to be singing these days. Despite all my romantic notions and travel aspirations, my ramblings nowadays are limited to the daily perambulations around the streets of Los Angeles and one, maybe two, short trips or vacations a year. And given covid restrictions (which can only be expected to continue indefinitely) I should be singing Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. But it’s still Key to the Highway for me “Get my breakfast in New York City. Get my dinner in Caroline”…….

And here’s Banks of the Ohio, a traditional American folksong that tells a lot of story.

banks of the ohio

I asked my love to take a walk, just a walk, just a ways with me. Down beside where the water flows. Down by the banks of the Ohio.

Only say that you’ll be mine. In our home we’ll happy be. Down beside where the waters flow. Down by the banks of the Ohio.

I took her by her lily white hand. I led her down that bank of sand. I pushed her in where she would drown. I watched her as she floated down……………So only say that you’ll be mine. In our home we’ll happy be….

I started home ‘tween twelve and one. I cried “My God, what have I done?” I’ve killed the only woman I loved. Because she would not be my bride…. So only say that you’ll be mine….

Very next day at half past four the Sheriff walked right through the door. He said, “Son, don’t try to run. You’re gonna pay for this deed you’ve done” …

So only say that you’ll be mine. In our home we’ll happy be. Down beside where the water flows. Down by the banks of the Ohio.

Take Five: The Bumbastories Penta-Centennial May Magazine

Welcome to the merry month of May! Spring has arrived. As an iconoclast who thinks about these kind of things, I’m still not really sure why it is that people like the Spring so much. But clearly they do. It’s a pretty universal thing, this affection for the spring season. And people especially like the month of May. “And why shouldn’t they?” you ask. May is a lovely name – as are April and June for that matter. Spring months all. It’s curious, too, that they’re all feminine names, which may or may not be a politically correct thing to point out. All the same, it’s an indication of people’s positive feelings for the season of Spring that the spring months are so often used to name people (girls). No one calls their children February (male, female, or otherwise), at least not very often as far as I know. January and December are also low on the popularity list. No, it’s the spring that we like.

Chuck Berry’s Maybelline. Not to mention, the may fly, mayhem, and the May Pole ceremonies (which I never understood, but mention just for good measure)

So here’s to the number 5!

A bit more bout the five…

I’m Worried Now…. But I Won’t Be Worried Long

I know I’ve posted this song before, but it should be no great secret that Bumba, the editor of this wanna-be magazine, is one lazy son of a you know what. The Bumbastories Magazine staff – all of them imaginary alter-egos for Bumba by the way – are also a sorry collection of empty coconuts. So what we’re trying to get to is that every now and again on this blog you get a repost. At least the music part is a repost. You see, I was looking through my old posts. The title of this one caught my eye and anyhow, Worried Man’s
Blues is a great song. And these are worrying times. Very worrying.

I remain stupified by last night’s Presidential Debate. What a disgrace. We saw the orange guy, the President, just go up in flames. He is finished, caput, dead in the water, signed sealed and delivered and ready for the trash man. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I think that finally we will Dump Trump. That’s right. So, keep up the fight, and for the time being, just make sure that you and everyone you know votes. We will make our voices heard and perhaps begin a better era. But that better era means that we must continue to always fight for justice and peace. What? You think all the Trumpists and white supremecists and crazy people are going to just go away? Hard economic times will continue to face us. More people are going to die from this virus. The virus is still with us and will be with us for another year at least. The fight to maintain American democracy will go on. Hopefully, this election will herald the beginning of a true reform process. Make sure people vote.

Here’s a Worried Man Blues, recorded, as I was saying, something like a year ago by me and Maybank. Sing along.

Worried Man Blues is a traditional American song, over a hundred years old. Woody Guthrie recorded it. Likewise most the other great country players and singers. I think I heard it first from Jack Elliot.

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song

Gimme Five: The Bumbastories Cinqo de Mayo Bi-Centennial May Magazine

The Bumbastories Semi-Quaternary May Magazine

Welcome to the merry month of May! Yes, it’s Spring. Everybody likes Spring, and especially they like the month of May. May is a lovely name, as are April and June for that matter. Spring months all. Female names all. Curious about its being female, and curious too that no one calls their child February, at least not very often as far as I know. January and December are also low on the popularity list. It’s the spring that we like.

Now, the name May, a variation on Maria, is a quite a pretty one, and pops up….well… like May flowers wherever you look. There’s the great Mae West (she spelled it with an e, she did). Hurray for Mae West, who said “Is that a pickle in yer pocket, or are yer glad ta see me?” And then there’s the writer and comedienne Elaine May, the psychologist Rollo May, and the geological formation Cape May, North Carolina. There’s May Britt, Mai Zetterling, Seven Days in May, and Chuck Berry’s Maybelline. “Oh Maybelline, why can’t cha be true?” Not to mention, the may fly, mayhem, and the May Pole ceremonies (which I never understood, but mention just for good measure, or is it just because I may?)

Then there’s the Pilgrims’ ship the Mayflower, Mayflower Day, and May 1, May Day, (Workers of the World Unite!). And then of course, there’s Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid. And guess what? Willie Mays’ birthday is in May. Happy Birthday, Willie! I think that’s number 86 or 87 for the Giant great. All the best to you, Willie.

There’s the five pointed star, the Pentagon, the gimme five handslap, 5 card stud, the circle of fifths in music, the fifth of liquor in the bottle, and Five Corners in the Bronx. And don’t forget, that Cinqo de Mayo is the fifth day of the fifth month, so, while we’re at it, let’s raise a glass to Cinqo de Mayo.

May, being the fifth month leads us to another discussion of the number five. I’ve already talked about the number five a number of times. See the Numbers Game Category in the Bumbastories header. Five is the most interesting and intriguing of the numbers – at least to me. Its symmetry is the most subtle. It is the framework, the nuts and bolts, of the DNA molecule. The five underlies the Golden Proportion, our sense of beauty. We can’t help but like five-fold symmetry. It’s in our genes.

So here’s to the number 5!

I’m Worried Now…. But I Won’t Be Worried Long

Hey, Democrats. Cheer up. We are going to beat Trump in his government shutdown/emergency powers maneuvers. His comfort in the mantle of the tyrant is indeed worrying. But reason will prevail this time and the government will re-open. Congress will eventually convene to investigate Russian interference in the elections, the president’s clear obstruction of justice, his possible collision with the Russians and the other various false information websites that were employed to influence the election. It’s going to be very interesting. Not to mention the release sometime in the current millenium of Robert Mueller’s report.

So don’t worry too much. It might just turn out OK. Hopefully, it will be the start of a true reform process. Be ready to roll with that blue wave.

Here’s a Worried Man Blues, recorded just last night, by me and Maybank. Sing along.

Gimme Five: The Bumbastories Semi-Quaternary May Magazine

The Bumbastories Semi-Quaternary May Magazine

Welcome to the merry month of May! Yes, it’s Spring. Everybody likes Spring and the month of May. May is a lovely name, as are April and June for that matter. Spring months all. Female names all. Curious about its being female, and curious too that no one calls their child February, at least not very often as far as I know. January and December are also low on the popularity list. It’s the spring that we like.

Now, the name May, a variation on Maria, is a quite a pretty one, and pops up like…well… May flowers wherever you look. There’s the great Mae West (she spelled it with an e, she did). Hurray for Mae West, who said “Is that a pickle in yer pocket, or are yer glad ta see me?” And then there’s the writer and comedienne Elaine May, the psychologist Rollo May, and the geological formation Cape May, North Carolina. There’s May Britt, Mai Zetterling, Seven Days in May, and Chuck Berry’s Maybelline. “Oh Maybelline, why can’t cha be true?” Not to mention, the may fly, mayhem, and the May Pole ceremonies (which I never understood, but mention just for good measure)

So here’s to the number 5!

Musical interlude: A song that uses the word five: Five Hundred Miles to be exact. Maybank and Bumba finished a fifth of it (well, we sure were finished after that fifth) to get through this sappy, but popular folk classic. Sing along if you must.

Hey it’s May! Gimme Five!

Long Black Veil

“Ten years ago on a cold dark night”… Bumba and Maybank give this song, Long Black Veil, – written in 1959 by Danny Dill and M.J. Wilkins expressly to sound like a traditional folk ballad and to become an instant folk classic, which it did – well we give it another go. Click to hear it and join in on the choruses.

John Henry

It’s been a while since we sung this song. John Henry tells a great story, nay, it’s an epic, nay, a saga of heroism. (A couple more neighs and we’ll be back in the barn, which would be a stable position for sure, but (ok, we’ll skip the hey) let’s move on. Pete Seeger said that John Henry was one of his favorites to sing. Me too.