三章音乐中这一个凉爽夏天晚上您坐在篝火旁只懒洋地说话唱歌music in your own back yard5自己后院.pdfVIP

Chapter3

MusicinYourOwnBackYard

It’sacoolsummereveningandyou’reseatedaroundthecampfire,just

talkinglazilyandsingingsongs.Oneofthegirlshasbroughtherguitarand

she’sstrummingitsoftly.Thenshestartstosing.

You’vebeenoutonthelakeonacanoetripallday,andhitsomerough

weather.Oneofthecanoestippedanditwasahardpullrightingitand

gettingtoshore.Youstillshiveralittlefromthewettingyougot.

Thesingertakesawell-knowntune—“Oh,Susannah,”or“PopGoesthe

Weasel”—andstartsmakingupwords,tellingoftheafternoon’sadventure,

strummingtheaccompanimentonherguitar.Shechangesthetuneslightlyto

fitthenewwords.Soonallofyougettheidea.It’sfun,andyouhelpwith

newversesandjoininonthechorus.

It’sjustapleasantwayofpassingtheevening,thewayofthecowpuncher

ontheWesternplains,oftheKentuckymountaineersgatheredaroundthe

smokyoillamp.Andwhenyousingasongaboutyourownlives,youare

doingthesamethingtheydo—youaremakingfolkmusic.

America,withitscolorfulbackground—cuttingtrailsacrossvast,quiet

wilderness,breakingnewsoil,buildingnewcities—isrichinfolkmusic.It

hascomestraightfromtheheartsofpeople,fromtheirlonelinessandhunger

andcold,fromtherhythmsoftheirdailyjobs,fromtheirlovemakingand

theirdancing,andoftenjustfromthejoyofbeingaliveandstrongand

healthy.

Sincethebeginningoftheworld,peoplehavetoldtheirfeelingsinsong.

Andthey’restilldoingit.Doingitmostlyinlonelyspotswherethereareno

radiosandphonographs,nomoviesandconcerts,wherepeoplehaveto

entertainthemselves.

DowninTexas,whereIcomefrom,there’sastorytoldaboutDavy

Ct,thegreathunterandscoutoftheSouthwest,whichshowshow

muchthefrontierfolkneededsong.

Davywasr