One Sunday Morning.....

I've been doing a lot of singing practice lately.

For me, that's a little bit of breathing work and a LOT of lyrics work.

I'm horrible at memorizing lyrics which is really frustrating for me.

Singing feels so good  to me. Maybe cathartic?  Maybe even therapeutic.  

But it's really hard when you're singing, Tell me before I waltz out of your life.  Before....blah, blah, blah.....

Sometimes I make up lyrics. And they're silly.

I took my love and I took it down. I climbed a mountain and I ate a clown. 

So yeah. I want to know the REAL lyrics of full songs. I'm slow at it. I do a little at a time. This week I've worked on "Hallelujah". I'm proud of myself. I know most of the lyrics now...I mean of the lyrics that are mostly sung.  I'm not ambitious enough to memorize all of Cohen's lyrics.

I stop at the maybe-there's-a-God verse.

Last night I chose my next song.

Moreton Bay.

It's a beautiful song and fairly easy to sing. Well, if I have the lyrics in front of me.

The lyrics are very difficult for me.

I've decided to work on it two lines at a time. Maybe two lines a day.

I know. That's pathetic.  But what can I say? My memory is awful.

Anyway....

So today I've been walking around the house belting out.

One Sunday Morning as I went walking
By Brisbane waters I chanced to stray.

I'm singing it over and over.

I might drive Tim and his cousin nuts.

I get the feeling that they're not fond of my singing.  

Which kind of makes me want to sing more and more.

I'm wicked that way.

To my defense, though,  they talk a lot.  So...my thing is singing a lot.

I think we're even.

Do any of you like to sing?  Are you good with lyrics?  Breathing? Hitting high notes?  Hitting any notes?

And if you're Australian, what are your favorite traditional Australian songs? I mean like folk songs, anthems...those kinds of things.


I've decided to upload a clip of me singing the two lines of the song.   That way you can see my progress.   Or lack of. 





Read my novel: The Dead are Online 

17 comments:

  1. I can only remember two, from childhood. Click go the Shears and Botany Bay. Ah, one more. The Road to Gundagai.

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  2. Oh dear. Cannot hold a tune to save my life. Perhaps this is one reason why I simply prefer a couple of old poems. [along with a touch of Gregorian chant and a few ancient hymns - don't tell anyone].

    You do have a good singing voice.

    I suspect part of the problem you have in memorising some lyrics is because the internal rhythm and metre of the lyrics themselves is not terribly good.

    There are some old Irish songs which also tell interesting stories that I quite like. The lyrics are more lyrical in themselves, even without music, which makes them easier to memorise.

    Just had a look at a list of Australian folk songs and could not see one that I would enjoy, though I do remember one night having a fun sing-a-long at a Barry Humphries concert with his own version of "the national anthem Along the Road to Gundagai".

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  3. Fruitcake,

    Thanks. You're very generous. I actually have trouble with ALL lyrics. I get lost even when singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

    It's probably a brain defect.

    What are some of the Irish songs you like?

    I will try to find the Barry Humphries version of Gundagai on YouTube. Sounds fun.

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  4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwwWKIXVlGQ

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13MQFCfCYdQ&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMK5MnZaoks

    Some samples for you Dina,
    Two Irish songs and one you may hate.
    You may hate them all, who knows.

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  5. Fruitcake,

    I like the first song. Some of it reminds me a little bit of Waltzing Matilda.

    The Foggy Dew song is pretty.

    I couldn't get to the third video....

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  6. Tracey,

    I wish: Australia.

    Reality: Texas!

    Where are you?

    I love hearing from you : )

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  7. Hi Dina
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment on my blog, it has been such a long time since we have connected.

    Are you still blogging?
    Any plans to come out to Australia in the near future?

    Whatever you are up to, hope you are well and I'm sending lots of love and light your way for a very happy life.

    Big hugs
    Peggy ♥♥♥

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  8. Peggy,

    Hi! I loved your blog post; and it's great to see you here on my blog.

    I'm taking a break from blogging; but will probably get back to it soon.

    And yes, we actually ARE planning to visit Australia soon. We're very excited.

    I hope you're doing well.

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  9. Well that is exciting that you will be venturing down under soon.
    If I am in the country when you are here, I would love to take you and your family out for the day exploring places you haven't seen in Sydney.

    Regarding your question on this post here is a link to one of Kevin Bloody Wilson's songs that I like called Tattoo of Santa.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYb2Mk4lOV4

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  10. Peggy,

    Thanks for the link to the Santa song. I think this is the first time I've heard it.

    It would be great to see you in Sydney! I'm intrigued...wondering what you'd want to show us.

    We'll coming in Autumn. Do you think you'll be around then? What kind of overseas adventures do you have planned for 2013?

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  11. Hello again
    I will be travelling with a girlfriend to the west coast of Canada in May and June this year.
    Starting at Vancouver and slowly making our way to Alaska. I would like to see the whole of Canada but will have to be satisfied with the west coast for this trip.

    I believe you have already been to Sydney. Did you go to the Blue Mountains? Do you like bush walking? Also a ferry ride to Watson's bay is a lovely way to see Sydney Harbour. And a cat ride up the Parramatta River is lovely too.

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  12. Peggy,

    Exciting about Canada! Since it's bigger than America and Australia; I imagine it would be hard to see everything in one trip.

    There's too much to see in the world...hard to get it all in!

    As for Sydney. We've been to the Blue Mountains. We thought about going, but since we'll be in Sydney for only 7 days; we've decided to save excursions for our Melbourne time.

    Tim and I like bush-walking. Jack's not a fan.

    The ride to Watson's Bay sounds nice. We've been on that ferry a few times; but we've never stopped at Watson's Bay.

    Maybe we can do a ferry ride; then lunch.

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  13. Dina Watson's Bay has famous restaurant called Doyles, very tasty food too. And there are interesting walks around the area too.
    I would love to join you, Tim and Jack for a trip over there.
    When do you expect to be in Sydney?
    Here is a link to Doyles:
    http://www.doyles.com.au/

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  14. Peggy,

    Hi! I think I've heard of Doyles...kind of in passing. It looks REALLY nice.

    I might prefer though to go somewhere more casual.

    I'll talk to Tim and Jack about it. They love seafood; so they might jump at the idea.

    Email me and we can talk about times and dates.

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  15. Peggy,

    I just looked at our calendar and was reminded that we're spending much less time in Sydney than what we did on our previous visits. I'm kind of stressed and slightly sad about that. I have a list of stuff the three of us want to do...most of it is visiting old favorites. There's a few new things. It might work better for us if you join us on one of our already planned excursions.

    Those are:

    Paddy's Market

    Powerhouse Museum

    Tea Cosy (dying for some scones)

    The Rocks Market

    Manly Ferry

    Manly Aquarium

    Sydney Aquarium

    Wildlife Sydney

    Wax Museum

    Sydney Tower

    David Jones

    Picnic in Hyde Park

    Gelato place in Darlinghurst

    Royal Easter Show

    Opera House

    Royal Botanical Gardens

    Australia Museum

    The thing that will be new to us is the Royal Easter Show. So if you want to be with us when we experience something new....that might be fun.

    I kind of wish you were in Melbourne. We're spending more days there; and everything will be new to us.

    Sydney's going to be a bit rushed.

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