A collection of parables and stories about animals from Angel Pam's childhood, growing up on a farm in Ohio, as well as a few fantastical creatures. A rich tapestry of folk, pop, gospel, rock, country, and Celtic music. Ages 0-100+

11 MP3 Songs in this album (68:19) !
Related styles: Kids/Family: General Children's Music, Kids/Family: Sing-Along/Interactive, Mood: Fun

People who are interested in Emmylou Harris Karen Carpenter The Langley School Project should consider this download.


Details:
Unicorn Crossing
Words and Music by Pamela West
Pamela West â Words & Music, vocals, flute, Korg synth, tambourine, acoustic guitar

When I was young, my sister and I loved unicorns and as a gift once received a book with very realistic pictures throughout. Many years later, in a time of grief and sorrow, I was travelling on a magical country roadside deep in the Catskill Mountains and out of the corner of a tear-blurred eye, I saw a glimpse of a beautiful beast that looked exactly like those Iâd seen in the book. Three weeks later I was travelling the same road when I saw one nearby farm with a Unicorn coat of arms out front, and then Unicorn crossing signs (hand drawn horns with sharpies), both before and after the exact spot where I had seen the mystical vision. It just goes to prove that sometimes you have to believe in things in order to see them. Have faith, have hope, Be the eternal optimist.


When I was young, I believed in one-horned
magical unicorns.
I drew them on papers, Iâd paint them on walls,
Those mystical unicorns.
Then one day I saw them in inside of a book,
Pictures taken by a man who swore,
If your heart was kind, sweet, and pure,
You might see a unicorn.

They had long flowing tails and thick golden manes,
Adorned with honeysuckle vines.
They looked wise and gentle with one spiral horn,
Covered in butterflies.

I believed, I believed, that one day Iâd see.
Do you believe? Do you believe in magical unicorns?

As I had grown older, I was driving one day,
Through the village of Meridale,
When out of the corner of my wandering eye,
I saw my unicorn.

She was outside a paddock as free as could be,
Talking to some captive cows.
Though my heart was pure, I could not believe,
Had I really seen a unicorn?

She had a long flowing tail and a thick golden mane,
Adorned with honeysuckle vines.
She looked wise and gentle with one spiral horn,
Covered in butterflies.

I believe, I believe, that I have seen.
Do you believe? Do you believe in magical unicorns?

My secret I shared with only one person,
A six year old that I knew.
I thought only a child could believe my story
Of this mystical unicorn.

Then one day we went driving through Meridale,
And were amazed at what we saw.
Both coming and going on the road where I had seen her
Were street signs for that unicorn.

Oh, I believe, I believe, in magical unicorns.
Children, do you believe? Do you believe in magical unicorns.
Say, âI believe! I believe!â in magical unicorns.
Do you believe? Do you believe in magical unicorns?

Amphibian Amore (Frog Love)
Words & Music by Pamela West
Pamela West: bassoons, acoustic guitar, keyboard bass; Childrenâs Chorus

Every line of this song is a true story. I dedicate it to my sister Laurie and my nieces Leah and Hannah. This song features my bassoon Einstein in three part harmonies, dedicated to my awesome bassoon teachers--Jerry Carasea, Mike Sciarini & Georgie Peeples. The story is the tale of the Lodi Sweet Corn Festival frog race from 1980 and the obsession my family has for our cute, but slimy amphibian friends.

C: Frogs, I sure like frogs
Sure theyâre slimy and green...I know what you mean.

But let me tell you a tale of my family
And our famous affection for Amphibian Greens
Ya know what I mean, Jelly bean?

C: So frogs, we all like frogs
It runs in my family like a strange mutant gene.

You see, my sister and me we had some allergies
To kittens, puppies, bunnies and cute furry things
So weâd spend summer days in the pond, huntinâ for frogs

C: Lots of frogs...big and small
Weâd like to catch them all...those slippery frogs

When I was 10 and she was 8
The Lodi Sweet Corn Festival was holding a race
We had to get some frogs...we werenât messinâ around

C: Frogs...we had to catch some frogs
Some big-legged racing frogs, âcuz we sure like frogs

We ran through the cornfields, forest glades
To a spot where some WILD ones could win the race
And we spent the hot-muggy day, looking for frogs

C: Frogs, we so like frogs
Sure theyâre loud at night...but with us thatâs allright

I finally caught one before we had to go
Sis began to cry, so I gave her mine
And the angels saw this act of kindness and gave me a smile

C: Then, like a miracle Green Lightning appeared
He jumped into my netâa long-shot bet

My sister, she played with her frog a lot
I left Green Lightning WILD in the horse trough
And caught him a jar just before the race.

C: Frogs, 30 big fat frogs
Came to be in the race on that summer day.

My sisterâs frog lost out, but I won my heat
I had a chance at winning the final race
ONE â TWO- THREE Jumpsâ1st over the line!

C: My frog, he kept hoppinâ along
Right into the Bingo tent...then all that screaminâ began

The ladies jumped on tables and toppled over chairs
Prancing in high heels screaminâ hysterically mad
I yelled, âHEY! Donât you dare smash my frog!â

C: This frog, was one fast frog
We got a trophy and some money, and our picture in the local zine.

From that day forward we spend our days in the pond
Catching us some frogs to dress like Barbie Dolls
We were obsessed from that time on.

Frogs, we so like frogs
Sleep to amphibious song, to choirs of frogs

Weâd never eat the legs of our amphibious friends
Taste like chicken they may, I could never say
âCuz catching them are my meditation in Zen

C: From tadpols, to Grand-daddy big bullfrogs
We love âem all...those gosh golly polywogs!

Now my story has come to an end
I hope to see you all again and again
So we can use our imaginations to catch some frogs.


The Sailor Cat
(Ricki Ticki Tamboo
No Sai Ramboo Harry Barry
Bushki Parry Pim Poo)
Words & Music by Pamela West
Pamela West â vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard bass, rotary organ; Matthew Curran drums & electric guitar; Additional drums: Fred Harris

In elementary school I read a Chinese story called âRicky Ticky Tembo No Sa Rembo Charley Barley Roochie Pip Perry Pembo,â except for some reason, my brain didnât remember it like that. To my knowledge I had a cat named Ricki Ticki Tamboo No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo, or Ricki Ticki for short. We had a rowboat on a two-acre lake and he would meow until we would come pick him up so that he could walk dangerously on the edge of the boat and feel powerful and free like a pirate. He was a wandering Tomcat, however, and like many sailors, didnât like to stay in one place for very long. Every now and then for a few years, though, he would return for a ride on the lake.

Call: Ricki Ticki Tamboo (response)
Call: No Sai Ramboo (response)
Call: Harry Barry Bushki Parry (reponse)
Call: Pim Poo (response)
Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo

Ricki Ticki Tamboo was a tabby cat,
A feline of peculiar breed
Other cats I know are afraid, you see,
Of water except the kind you drink

My Ricki Ticki Tamboo was a sailinâ Cat
He loved to ride on the water
Heâd meow on the shore when he rode with the oars
Balancing on the starboard.

He said meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, moew, moew, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Oh, Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
What:? Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo

The other cats were jealous theyâd run back and forth
Feeling the earth beneath them
Ricki Ticki Tamboo laughed at their fear and wished that he could release them
One day my Ricki Ticki he ran away in search of new adventure
Some time later he returned to meow the words, âIâve come back for a ride on the water.â

He said, âMeowâ (call & response)

Oh, Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
What:? Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo

The moral of this story is as good as it gets
Itâs the journey that makes life fun
Donât be afraid to march in faith to the beat of your own drum, yeah!
It goes rum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum,
Rum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, (x2)
Well.... Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo
Ricki Ticki Tamboo, No Sai Ramboo, Harry Barry Bushki Parry Pim Poo (repeat to end)

Firefly Brigade
Pamela West â Words & Music
Pamela West â acoustic guitar, piano, keyboard bass; Theodore Finkle â Harmonica; Childrenâs Chorus

My sister owned a house in Ohioâs Amish Country that had a great balcony deck off of the bathroom, overlooking her back yard and a field beyond where for two 4th of Julyâs in a row, I watched the most spectacular firefly exhibition. It was humid both nights and late after weâd returned from seeing the regular fireworks. The depth of field and flashes of light were extraordinary. I wrote the music one year and the lyrics the next.

The sound of some fireworks
off in the distance
Drew me to the balcony on high.
There I watched in utter amazement
At the firefly brigade in the sky.
So I dreamed up this song
On a hot, muggy 4th of July

Beautiful trance of the firefly dance
Brings me back to my childhood days
Chasing them through the waist high weeds
On that hot, muggy 4th of July
On that hot, muggy 4th of July....Whoa

The lights flashed and danced all over the field
While the firefly symphony did sing
The lightning and thunder
joined in on the song
Memories will stay here so long,
So I dreamed up this song
On a hot, muggy 4th of July

Beautiful trance of the firefly dance
Brings me back to my childhood ways
Collections in jars on nightstands for lights
On a hot, muggy 4th of July
On a hot, muggy 4th of July

Sing, Sing to the lights with wings
Sing, sing, sing...
Sing, sing to the lights with wings
Sing, sing, sing
To the Firefly Brigade in the sky...
High in the sky
Oh, how they fly, those green and yellow lights in the sky


Black Snake
Words & Music by Pamela West
Pamela West--vocals, acoustic guitar, clavinova, organ, bassoon, shakers; Theodore Finkle--drums; Henry Herman--fiddle

Growing up on a farm, I learned at a very early age that there was a food chain in the circle of life, and as much compassion as I might have had for animals, we still eat them, and they eat each other. This understanding served me well later on a symbolic level regarding my experiences in corporate America and then the Music Industry. The Black snakes that lurk among humanity are much more dangerous than most that you might meet in nature.

Black snake, sittinâ in the weeds.
Waitinâ for somethinâ he can catch and eat.
When I was four, I saw one chompinâ on a fish,
That little blue gillâs fate was to become his dish.

I yelled and I screamed, throwinâ rocks at the snake,
But he turned and he smiled and just swam away.
I ran home and I told my Pa what he had done.
What he told me is how we all become the One.

In the food chainâ¦.In the food chain, the Spirit carries on.
In the food chain, all life is Oneâ¦in the food chainâ¦yeah
Oh, in the food chain. Woo hoo yeah, yeah, yeah

Black snake, baskinâ in the sun.
Waitinâ to ruin someoneâs fun.
My friend, she saw a black snake eat a frog.
Legs stickinâ out of his mouth by a log.

She yelled and she screamed with a stick in her hand.
âYou let go of that frog!â was her command.
She ran home and she told her Pa what she had done.
What he told her was how we all become the One.

In the food chainâ¦.In the food chain, the Spirit carries on.
In the food chain, all life is Oneâ¦in the food chainâ¦yeah
Oh, in the food chain. Woo hoo yeah, yeah, yeah

You canât blame the snakes, they get hungry too.
Waitinâ in the weeds, slippinâ past your shoe.
Lookinâ for their breakfast, lunch, or dinner same as we,
âCept snakes canât go to the gro-ce-ry.

When one life eats another, that life is carried on.
Weâre connected to each other, the cycle of life is One.
Maybe someday the lion will lay down with the lamb in love. . .
But until thenâ¦weâve gotta watch outâ¦for those Black Snakes

In the food chain. Yeah, in the food chain.
Good thing dinosaurs are extinctâ¦otherwise, theyâd be chasinâ us around
In the food chain . . .Yeah, T-Rex eatinâ us for lunch.
In the food chainâ¦in the food chainâ¦in the food chain.


Lily the Unique Ewe
Words & Music by Pamela West
& Theodore Finkle

Pamela West â Words & Music, vocals, acoustic guitar,
lap harp, Irish pennywhistle, synth bass; Theodore Finkleâbacking vocals, accordion, djembe, Tibetan cymbals

Lily was an unusual sheep in our flock because she was always found with the cows. A story that didnât make it into the song was how she repeatedly rallied to cows into escaping on multiple summer nights, trekking through the gardens of neighbors. Several times, we received phone calls from local farmers stating, âDo you have seven cows and a sheep with a bell?â My dad would head out on the Kawasaki motorcycle and round them up. Was Lily the âblack sheepâ of our farm family? Probably. Did this inspire me to strive to be unique. Yes.


Ahhh, Ahhh, Ahhh

Lily was a unique Ewe
A sheep who ran with the cows
Now sheep are known as followers,
But Lily was the leader of this crowd.

Lily, you were a unique ewe
From you, I learned to be unique too.

Lily was a unique Ewe
She never fit in with the herd.
She was side by side with the Bovine tribe.
To be sheepish was really absurd.

Lily, you were a unique ewe.
From you, I learned to be unique too.

When Lily grew older, then she knew
It was time to let go of the things of youth.
She made peace with the sheep and left her legacy
With the lambs in the field and with me.

Lily, you were a unique ewe
From you, I learned to be unique too.


Country Mouse, City Mouse
Pamela West â Words & Music
Pamela West--vocals, acoustic guitar,
synthesizers, mandolin; Theodore Finkleâtenor saxophone;
Henry Herman - fiddle

This is my version of the typical fable storyâtwo living beings
who would like to be together, but cannot because of the lifestyle
that suits them best. It described my feelings toward coming
from the country and trying to live in New York City,
but included the experience of a Manhattan native trying
to get used to country life. The music reflects the differences
of the two environments with musical conversations between
classical & jazz vs. country voicing.


Country mouse, city mouse, different you see,
Because of the lifestyles that make them happy.

City mouse loves the bustle and noise.
Exciting games for girls and for boys.
The car horns are music, the jackhammers drums,
A symphony playing the people buzz.

Buzzz, zzzzzz, zzzzz, zzzzzz,
A symphony playing the people buzzzzzz.
Ooooo

Country mouse loves the peace of the wind.
To dance in the fields, to run and to swim.
The wind rocks the trees and rustles their leaves.
The frogs and the crickets sing him to sleep.

Zzzzzzz, zzzzzz, zzzzzzz, zzzzzzzz
Oh, the frogs and the crickets sing him to sleep.

City mouse came to visit the farm,
But the animals made too much noise in the barn.
Although it was pretty, he soon became bored.
The owls and the bullfrogs kept him up until morn.

Baaaa, baaaa, Moooo, moooo, Ruff, Rufff, Whooo, Whooo,
Baaa, baaaa, Mooo, Moooo, Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!

Country mouse came to try city life.
Frightning and loud, too busy, no time.
The jackhammers pounded inside of his head.
He thought if he stayed here, heâd soon end up dead.

Honk, Honk, Screetch, Screetch, Boom Boom, Beep Beep
Honk, Honk, Screetch, Screetch, HEY TAXI!!!!

Country mouse, city mouse, different you see,
Because of the lifestyles that make them happy.


The Inch Worm
Frank Loesser--Words & Music.
Pamela West â All flutes, lead & countermelody vocals.
Childrenâs Chorus, backing vocals
I first saw Kermit the Frog sing this song on
Sesame Street in the early 1970s.
My sister and I memorized it and have sung it ever since.
The Inch Worm by Frank Loesser, Frank Music Corp.
Used by permission.


Pumpkin the Rock Dog
Pamela West â Words & Music, vocals, acoustic guitar, rotary organ; Fred Harris â drums, bass & electric guitar.; Childrenâs Chorus: Sage, Denali & Akasha Finkle, Lane & Luca Rowe, & Anthony Ortiz.(the talents of my daughters, nice, nephew, and one of my promising students)

I had a border collie named Pumpkin who loved to play with rocks. She had a pet rock that she would roll around and bark at all day long every single dayâsometimes keeping the same rock for months before sheâd finally roll it into a bush or lost it somewhere. I thought there should be a lesson in friendship and unconditional love in there somewhere...otherwise, I might think I had a very strange dog.


Pumpkin the Rock Dog, was loyal to the end,
But Pumpking the Rock Dog, had some mighty strange tastes in friends.

âCuz sheâd pick up a stone and call it her own,
A rock to roll around.
Sheâd spend all the day just-a playinâ away
With the heavy little friend she found â heavy little friend she found.

Well Pumpkin the Rock Dog was smart as dogs could be,
Because Pumpkin the Rock Dog was a sheep herding Border Collie.

But sheâd pick up a stone and call it her own,
A rock to roll around.
Sheâd spend all the day just-a playinâ away
With the heavy little friend she found â heavy little friend she found.

Maybe she was lonely, but she sure didnât seem to be.
She gave those rocks unconditional love, and thatâs the way to be.

She gave them love, love, love, love, love, unconditional
Love, love, love, love, love, unconditional
Love, love, love, love, love, unconditional
Love, love, love, love, love, unconditional
Love, love, love, love, love, unconditional
(repeat as necessary)

Well, Pumpkin the Rock Dog was loyal to the end.
And Pumpkin the Rock Dog was a mighty fine friend to have.


One Fish, Two Fish
Dr. SeussâWords; Pamela West â Music
Pamela West -- vocals, acoustic guitar, clavinova;
Matthew Curranâguitar, drums; Childrenâs Chorus

A fun and funky musical call and response rendition of
Dr. Suessâ famous childrenâs book âOne Fish, Two Fishâ
in which the diversity of the worldâs creatures is explored.
Iâve chosen some of my childrensâ favorite passages
and the song has been a great favorite among children for
many years. It is my musical tribute to a great teacher &
teacher, Dr. Theodor Suess Giesel.

Frog âLuv Reprise â Catskill Mountain Spring Peepers
Starring: Stereophonic Frogs
For all of you out there who like to âsleep to amphibious songâ¦to choirs of frogsâ hereâs a 22 minute recording of the Catskill Mountain Spring Peepers, plus a few tree frogs, bull frogs, and far in the distance an owl. It was recorded on my back porch at about 10 p.m. Enjoy!


Credits:
Unicorn Crossing was recorded from 2007-2011 at the Evergreen Performing Arts Space, (Fleischmanns, NY) the Wired Heifer House (Roxbury, NY), Spiral Motion Sound Studios (South Kortright, NY), and Aleph & Co Studios (Delhi, NY).

Proceeds from the sale of this music will be used to benefit The Community Music & Arts Network Center for Music & Creative Development, providing music programs for economically challenged and geographically isolated youth.

All songs copyright 2011, Pamela West, Superconscious Psychobabble Publishing, ASCAP except âThe Inch Wormâ, by Frank Loesser, Frank Music Corp. and âOne Fish, Two Fishâ from the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss.. Used by permission.
All rights reserved Unauthorized duplication prohibited by law.
International distribution provided by CDBaby.com and its affiliates.

Produced & Engineered by Pamela West-Finkle, Theodore Finkle, and Fred Harris. Mastered at Aleph & Co. Studios in Delhi, NY

Album artwork by Pamela West. Edited by Theodore Finkle.
Animal illustrations by Lynn Hirsch.
Cover art: âThe Unicorn in Captivity,â seventh in the Unicorn Tapestries series from the South Netherlands, 1495 â 1505 A.D. The original tapestry is made from wool, silk, and silver threads, 145 x 99 inches. It was a gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is held at The Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.

Thank you to God for my Light, gifts, and blessings; my animal spirits who inspired this album; my husband and children for understanding my musical obsessions; the wonderful Catskill Mountain elementary school children who learned it takes a long time to make an album; Fred Harris of Aleph & Co. Studio for his production guidance and engineering talents; Theodore Finkle, Matthew Curran, and Henry Herman for your awesome contributions to this album; the University of Montanaâs Masters of Music Education program for providing the incentive to finish this project, Bruce Kenyon for the use of the Wired Heifer House recording studio; and to everyone who lent an ear and encouraged us along the way. Light and love to you all! Angel Pam West