Just an average day in wonderland.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Arthur McBride
Tonight I did two of my favorite things. I sat around with great friends singing and playing guitars and then sat around having a conversation whose topics ranged from math to theater to the Sandman to classy movies. If only I were 5 or so years younger I would have a huge crush on at least one of the young men out here.
Our guitar and singing setlist is pretty classic; it's one of the things that I imagine hasn't changed much out here in the past 30 years. We sang "The Last of Barrett's Privateers," "The Northwest Passage," and "Wagon Wheel" before I talked the music director into playing and singing his version of "Arthur McBride" for us.
It's a great song with a beautiful guitar part. Listen to Paul Brady's version here: The song tells a story about two young men who are approached by an army recruiter and beat him up rather than join up. Our music director adapted a version of it last year that changed the lyrics so it describes two young men who are recruited by a mainland executive and throw him in the ocean rather than give up their lives as Pelicans. Last year I asked him for a copy of the lyrics. I used to pull them out during the off-season when I was feeling sad about work to remind me that the summer is never far away.
And we have no desire to drive a commute
Or to sit in a cubicle wearing a suit
On the back of these trucks we eat fresh mainland fruit
And we burst into song without warning.
Our guitar and singing setlist is pretty classic; it's one of the things that I imagine hasn't changed much out here in the past 30 years. We sang "The Last of Barrett's Privateers," "The Northwest Passage," and "Wagon Wheel" before I talked the music director into playing and singing his version of "Arthur McBride" for us.
It's a great song with a beautiful guitar part. Listen to Paul Brady's version here: The song tells a story about two young men who are approached by an army recruiter and beat him up rather than join up. Our music director adapted a version of it last year that changed the lyrics so it describes two young men who are recruited by a mainland executive and throw him in the ocean rather than give up their lives as Pelicans. Last year I asked him for a copy of the lyrics. I used to pull them out during the off-season when I was feeling sad about work to remind me that the summer is never far away.
And we have no desire to drive a commute
Or to sit in a cubicle wearing a suit
On the back of these trucks we eat fresh mainland fruit
And we burst into song without warning.
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