MP3 Mary Behan Miller - American Pie

Mary Behan Miller sings songs about the American experience.

18 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, FOLK: Traditional Folk



Details:
This CD contains a variety of songs that in one way or another describes interesting aspects of the American experience. Most of the songs are from the 19th century but the title track âAmerican Pieâ is, of course, relatively new. It was written in 1971 by Don McLean and is in some ways a snapshot of the popular music scene in the late 50âs and 60âs. The cryptic lyrics have intrigued listeners ever since it was written and a number of theories abound as to their meaning and significance. The song was a big hit immediately after McLeanâs release and later by Madonna in 2000.

A number of the older tracks on this CD have had successful reincarnations in modern times. For example, the 1861 composition âAura Leeâ by W. W. Fosdick (lyrics by George Poulton) was the basis for Elvis Presleyâs 1956 hit âLove Me Tenderâ with new lyrics.

Henry C. Work (1832-1884) composed a song, âThe Ship that Never Returnedâ in 1865 which became the basis for the Kingston Trio song Charlie on the MTA in which poor Charlie orbits eternally around metropolitan Boston. Work also wrote âMy Grandfatherâs Clockâ (1876) that Larry Hopper, a vocalist on the Lawrence Welk Show, popularized many years later.

Similarly, âSloop John Bâ became a hit by the Beach Boys in 1966 but is also an old song, with the melody possibly originating in New England. The lyrics, of course, describe a rather unfortunate set of occurrences in the Bahamas.

Three tracks on this CD provide a glimpse of the Christian traditions that played a dominant role in early America. One of the songs, âBattle hymn of the Republicâ, illustrates the tensions from the incompatibility of slavery with American ideals that were profoundly influenced by Christian principles. Abolitionist Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910) wrote the lyrics to this famous unionist song in 1861 but the melody is from a camp-meeting song by William Steffe of South Carolina circa 1856.

The song âAmazing Graceâ also has connections to slavery. Slave ship captain John Newton (1725-1807) wrote the lyrics after he had a âgreat deliveranceâ when caught in a severe storm in 1747. For a few more years, he continued in the slave trade, allegedly in a more compassionate manner, but ultimately became a minister. Several different melodies were used with the lyrics prior to the current traditional tune that is believed to be from either Ireland or Scotland.

âHow Can I Keep from Singing?â is the third religious song on the CD. Robert Wadsworth Lowry, a Baptist minister, wrote this song in 1860.

The remaining tracks on the CD fall into the âfunâ category and some can be associated with different regions of the country. The track âErie Canalâ clearly refers to New York State with the names of important cities along the canal. âBuffalo Galsâ, written sometime around 1848, also refers to the city of Buffalo, New York and was likely sung by boatmen on the Erie Canal. Somewhat different versions of the song refer to various cities. Other âgeographicalâ songs include âOn Top of Old Smokeyâ (Blue Ridge Mountains) along with âSweet Betsy from Pike (a journey from Missouri to California). âThe Crawdad Songâ comes from the South and of course is a silly song about crawdads and other nonsense.

âThe Cat Comes Backâ, written by Harry S. Miller in 1893, is another silly song. It is about an indestructible cat that foils all efforts at his demise or removal. Both cat lovers and haters will appreciate the humorous lyrics. Numerous new verses have been written for this song and one is included here about tying the cat to a railroad track. This sounds bad but of course the cat came back!

A George M. Cohan (1878-1942) medley is also included here. Cohan was a prolific composer and performer who was a dominant force on Broadway in the early part of the 20th century. He was not, in spite of the lyrics, âborn on the fourth of July,â but rather on the third. Cohan wrote over 50 musicals and nearly 1500 songs. This medley is composed of the songs âYouâre a Grand Old Flagâ, âOver Thereâ and âYankee Doodle Dandyâ.

This is Mary Behan Millerâs third CD. Two previous CDâs, âA Celtic Journeyâ and âKidsâ Songs and Lullabies are available on CD Baby. Other tracks by Mary Behan Miller are available on "Some Keltic, Some Knot" and "Keltic Beginnings" as a member of the group Keltic Kaleidoscope.