Posts Tagged ‘Steve Martin’
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Give Me the Banjo (Stories of America’s Instrument)
This excellent documentary “Give Me the Banjo” is narrated by the excellent (and one of my all-time favorites) Steve Martin.
I took special note of two quotes, one from Steve Martin and one from a banjo player/teacher named Stevie Barr, both attest to the power of music.
Stevie Barr said,
I’ve seen music save people’s lives. I’ve seen music soothe people’s lives. And I think that the banjo is something that if you do it and you keep playin’ it, it will surely help you in your life. And that’s the reason I pass it along to other kids. I had a lot of people pass it along to me.
Steve Martin said,
I’ve always felt that the sound of the banjo seems to be in many American’s DNA. That it was somehow part of our history – our genetic history. We hear it and it’s like we’ve heard it before.
I really believe that the things these men are saying about the banjo are ideas that can apply to almost any musical practice and experience. Whatever instrument is played or most musical experiences are essential to our well being, healing when we are unwell, joyful, soothing and always satisfying even on a cellular level. Music is within us, within our cells, written into our DNA and thus musical practice (singing for me, piano, banjo or other instruments) is like being home and expressing the truest most basic elements of our existence, but interesting that in doing do, we are transported, changed, and enriched.
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Watch the documentary at this link:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2164506461/
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More info about the documentary, here:
http://www.newvideo.com/docurama/give-me-the-banjo/
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Related Posts
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GIVE ME THE BANJO, A DOCUMENTARY AND TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF MUSIC, PART 1
Give Me the Banjo, a Documentary and Another Testament to the Power of Music, Part 1
Posted on: September 23, 2012
I’m a bona-fide documentary junkie. But not just any documentary. Call me shallow if you’d like, but I don’t like depressing documentaries about how terrible the world is. I already know how terrible the world can be, life has taught me that first hand and that along with the evening news, I know quite enough.
But documentaries about art and artists send me over the moon.
“Give Me the Banjo,” a history of this American instrument, brought here by slaves from Africa, is one of those which give me shivers of happiness. And this documentary is narrated by Steve Martin, so naturally I’m totally ga-ga.
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GIVE ME THE BANJO
Watch the video, here:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2164506461/
Besides being fabulously educational and giving rare opportunities to see banjo virtuosos at work, “Give Me the Banjo” is yet another testament to the POWER OF MUSIC!
In a segment about the great folk singer and banjo player Pete Seeger, Steve Martin’s narration shares this about the time Pete Seeger (who at that time was singing with a group called “The Almanacs”) meets Woody Guthrie:
At a benefit for farm workers, Pete met an inspirational hillbilly songwriter named Woody Guthrie who soon joined The Almanacs. Hitchhiking and hobo-ing across the country with Woody, Pete learned that anything worth struggling for was worth singing about. It was a valuable lesson about the purpose and power of folk songs.
To me that says so much. Our life experiences are worth singing about and singing and music are such powerful ways to communicate and share those experiences. And folk songs have such power…there is something about the seemingly simple messages and melodies that allow us to carry them with us through our whole lives and we owe it to the next generations to pass them along. And, of course, the way I’m trying to do just that is through singing the songs with Singable Picture Books many of which illustrate folk songs mentioned in the documentary.
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The FIRESIDE SONGBOOKS document hundreds of folk songs, particularly this one:
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Fireside Book of Folk Songs
Selected and Edited by Margaret Bradford Boni
Arranged for Piano by Norman Lloyd
Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
Published by Simon and Schuster 1947
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A modern banjo folk song from Steve Martin:
Late for School
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
Published by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, New York, 2010
ISBN 978-044-6-55702-3
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Related Posts
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FIRESIDE SONGBOOKS
Fireside Song Compilations: Singable Picture Books with Wonderful Vintage Illustrations
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/fireside-song-compilations-singable-picture-books-with-wonderful-vintage-illustrations/
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PETER YARROW SONGBOOK
A list of the Singable Picture Books from the Peter Yarrow Songbook series:
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/the-case-for-singing-with-children-from-peter-yarrow/
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INFO AND THINKING ABOUT SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/resources-for-inspiration-and-information/
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GIVE ME THE BANJO, PART 2
In the last couple weeks, I’ve run across all sort of things Paul Revere.
John Singleton Copley’s portrait of Paul Revere (which hangs in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts)
Below are representative samples of each song, poem and book I’ve found so far:
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From the poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, come many beautiful picture books, including:
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The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Music by Various Artists
Words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Illustrated by Christopher Bing
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Paul Revere’s Ride
Music by Various Artists
Words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Illustrated by Monica Vachula
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Steve Martin wrote a wonderful, factually correct, song about Paul Revere (told from from the point of view of his horse who was named “Brown Beauty”) for which I’m desperately pining for a picture book:
Me and Paul Revere
(Single album cover)
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Performed by Mr. Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers
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I don’t yet know what this song sounds like, but this book comes with historical information and printed music.
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Midnight Riders (a Fund song about the Ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes)
Traditional Tune (sing to the tune of “Over Hill, Over Dale”)
Musical Arrangement by Elizabeth Temple
Text and Lyrics by Michael Dahl
Illustrated by Brandon Reibling
ISBN 1-4048-0129-4
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Related Posts
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Late for School, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/late-for-school-by-steve-martin-a-singable-book/
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/midnight-ride-of-paul-revere-a-singable-picture-book/
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FOURTH OF JULY AND OTHER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER CITIZENS AND HISTORY
A list of Singable Picture Books celebrating the Fourth of July
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/a-patriotic-list-of-singable-books-for-july-4th/
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PAUL REVERE IN SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS (SONGS AND WISHES)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/paul-revere-in-singable-picture-books-songs-and-wishes/
Oh how I LOVE the song, “Me and Paul Revere,” (written by the always astoundingly wonderful STEVE MARTIN, sung here and played with his collaborators in the bluegrass band, “Steep Canyon Rangers”) and how I WISH WISH WISH it were illustrated!
Me and Paul Revere
(Single album cover)
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Performed by Mr. Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers
The song is absolutely fantastic, made more wonderfully so by the bluegrass performances of the Steep Canyon Rangers band members (including their superb tight harmonies in back-up) and the fabulous lead vocals of their singer Woody Platt (really, it’s one of my favorite vocal recordings of all).
Click here for the Steep Canyon Rangers website:
http://www.steepcanyon.com/
Click here to see a terrific video of the song (an a short, informative article), on Rollingstone.com, performed by the Steep Canyon Rangers and Mr. Martin:
http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/steve-martin-me-and-paul-revere-20120221
Mr. Martin says in the article above that he was inspired to write this song after reading David Hackett Fischer’s book,
Paul Revere’s Ride
By David Hackett Fischer
I’ve not read this book yet, but it is said to straighten out the (oft’ twisted) story of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride alerting citizens of coastal Massachusetts that British troops were on the move at the beginning of America’s War for Independence.
As Steve Martin is like to do, he gives the story of the song a brilliant twist…he tells (the historically accurate) story from the point of view of the HORSE that Paul Revere rode on that famous night in American History.
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Article about the horse Brown Beauty, here:
http://www.horseshowcentral.com/flex/paul_revere_and_brown_beauty/312/1
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USA Today article about the song,
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2011-06-29-steve-martin_n.htm
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NPR interview with Steve Martin about the song:
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137609359/steve-martin-talks-about-his-fourth-of-july-song
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Steve Martin sites John Singleton Copley’s portrait of Paul Revere (which hangs in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts) as an inspiration for writing his song, “Me and Paul Revere,”
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Here are the fantastic lyrics to this terrific song:
ME AND PAUL REVERE
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Performed by Steve Martin and the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers
Late at night in the silver light, in the stables eating hay
In came a man, an artisan, and we both rode away
He whispered in my upturned ear, “It’s time to get an’ go
’til this job’s done, we breath as one, head for the outbound road”
Me and Paul Revere oh me and Paul Revere
I’m the horse he chose of course me and Paul Revere
He told me that a thousand troops, were out to do their worst
“They want Sam Adams and Hancock, we’ve got to get there first”
Along the way to Lexington, the Regulars drew guns
They gave chase and we set pace, those boys they were outrun
Me and Paul Revere oh me and Paul Revere
On the run to Lexington me and Paul Revere
We turned North through Cambridge Town, along the mystic road
Nostrils flared and gallop strong, my legs on fire below
We got up to where they slept, woke Adams and Hancock
And they said “Who’s that? That’s Larkin’s horse, she’s steady as a rock”
Brown Beauty is my name, Brown Beauty is my name
Revere and I one and the same, Brown Beauty is my Name
The Grenadiers are on the move, let’s fill the powder horns
How much more has that horse got, Concord must be warned
Paul Revere gave me the heel, we charged the Concord road
But we were taken prisoner by ten men on patrol
Me and Paul Revere, oh, me and Paul Revere
I’m the horse he chose of course me and Paul Revere
He told them that a hundred men had spread the good alarm
“You better head away from here for Lexington is armed”
Revere stood tall and fooled them all, told them what to do
And they let him go but sadly so, they took me with them too
I never saw Revere again, I know he thinks of me
And wonders where I ended up, the night we set men free
I’m just the horse that no one knows, I’m famous though inside
Standing proudly in a field, I was Revere’s ride.
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Related Posts
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Late for School, a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/late-for-school-by-steve-martin-a-singable-book/
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Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), a Singable Picture Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/midnight-ride-of-paul-revere-a-singable-picture-book/
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FOURTH OF JULY AND OTHER HOLIDAYS CELEBRATING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER CITIZENS AND HISTORY
A list of Singable Picture Books celebrating the Fourth of July
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/a-patriotic-list-of-singable-books-for-july-4th/
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PAUL REVERE IN SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS (SONGS AND WISHES)
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Expert Info - First Hand | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | SBWE in Person | Sing Books with Emily - the Cabaret | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Singable Picture Book Video | Song History | Vocal Tracks
- Leave a Comment
Oh STEVE!
I am positively ga-ga over his CD of banjo music, “The Crow.”
My favorite song is on Track 4, Mr. Martin’s madcap, crazy banjo crazy song “Late for School,” (sung on the album by Steve himself!).
OH. MY. GOSH. My brain just about blew a gasket when this appeared on amazon.com:
Late for School
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
“Late for School” is illustrated by C. F. Payne. See and learn more about his work on his website:
http://www.cfpayne.com/
Steve Martin talks about his book on Good Morning America:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UhO1N7w8Q&feature=fvsr
The New York Times wrote a little item about his upcoming book releases:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/books/14arts-COMEDICOVERA_BRF.html
Steve Martin performed this song on Saturday Night Live (February 2009):
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/steve-martin-late-for-school/981401/
Here’s another performance, somewhere else,
LATE FOR SCHOOL
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Woke up this mornin’,
clock said I was late for school,
teacher told me “that’s not cool”
gotta put my shirt and pants on,
flew down the front stair,
wet my fingers and slicked my hair,
elbowed grandma passing by,
her face went into a pie.
If I’m late there’s misery,
I won’t be up on history,
I’ll be in the English grammar slammer,
and I’ll get a C.
Got a warning last semester,
told my mom and that depressed her,
promised dad I won’t be late, so got t’accelerate, let’s go!
Ran out the front door,
moving like a meteor,
I sped across the front lawn quickly,
missed the bus, my shoelace tripped me,
rounded the corner,
homework flying as I go,
neighbor shouted “tally ho!”
and gave a standing O.
Leapt across three lawn flamingos,
waved to Sal, (he’s Filipino)
jumped the fence,
and found that I was headed toward a pool.
in the air I did look funny,
on tv I’d make some money,
waved my arms and legs like mad
to alter where I’d land. Woah!
Aimed for the rubber boat,
hit instead the kiddie float.
I began to lose control,
I’m so glad I learned to log roll.
jumped onto the diving board,
bounced off it then headed toward,
a jungle gym,
I bounced just right and caught onto a kite.
WoooHoo! I’m flying!
Up so high, I see the school,
8AM, that’s the rule!
flying slowly, time is marking,
down below the dogs are barking,
I feel like I’m sailing,
but uh-oh, the wind is failing,
now I’m headed downward, ground-ward,
clown-ward to the school.
On the football field I crashed,
50-yard line, perfect smash,
grabbed my books and so begins
my frantic final dash.
down the hall I ricochet,
trophy cases in the way,
the other kids are all in class,
I wish that I were they!
ALMOST THERE!
I see the clock ends with delight,
8AM exactly right!
I pull a handle with a fight,
the door is locked and that’s not right
there’s not a person here today,
is everybody out to play?
now I’m thinking and it’s sinking in,
it’s Saturday!
Rats! I could have stayed in bed!
I’m out the school gate
wish that I could aviate,
or possibly evaporate,
I’ll be home and back in bed soon,
my dad is waiting
“What the heck were you up to?
Let’s go fishing,
my oh my, your grandma’s face is in a pie”
This is really something,
I’m with dad and fish are jumping,
mom gave me a new alarm
to set for Monday morn.
Never wanna be late for school,
never wanna be the classroom fool,
I’d be in the English grammar, slammer,
and I a D!
Now my feet are doing dances,
HIP HOORAY for second chances!
I’m not late and life is great, it’s time to celebrate, WooHoo!
**********************
I’m thrilled to write that “Late for School” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”
I make a strong committment to each song I perform and completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of that process,
Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too. The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others. If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start! After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry! I won’t bore you with that.
1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: Steve Martin
2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Steve Martin
3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 2009
4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: Middle
5Q: What is the song from?
5A: Steve Martin’s Grammy Award winning banjo CD, “The Crow,” and a picture book put out later that year.
6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: NA
7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise? Why does the character sing the song? What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: NA
8Q: What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: Steve Martin first wrote this song as an instrumental and only later added the words.
9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer? Why?
9A: Mr. Martin wrote the song for himself to sing on his CD and it naturally became a picture book owing the visual nature of the words
10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: It was an instrumental banjo song and he ended up adding words.
11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: The anxiety of a school kid trying to get himself to school on time, trying to stay out of trouble!
12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song tells a story…a crazy, funny, free-wheeling story!
13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: Steve Martin…and soon…Emily!
The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!
Late for School, a Singable Picture Book (by Steve Martin!)…Additional Info
Posted on: April 30, 2011
Working my “process” for performing songs has revealed some new info for “Late for School.”
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Late for School
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
Published by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, New York, 2010
ISBN 978-044-6-55702-3
To read the full article about this book, click here:
Late for School (by STEVE MARTIN), A Singable Book
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/late-for-school-by-steve-martin-a-singable-book/
Steve Martin talks about his book on Good Morning America:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UhO1N7w8Q&feature=fvsr
**********************
I’m thrilled to write that “Late for School” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”
I make a strong committment to each song I perform and completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of that process,
Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too. The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others. If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start! After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry! I won’t bore you with that.
1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: Steve Martin
2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Steve Martin
3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 2009
4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: Middle
5Q: What is the song from?
5A: Steve Martin’s Grammy Award winning banjo CD, “The Crow,” and a picture book put out later that year.
6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: NA
7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise? Why does the character sing the song? What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: NA
8Q: What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: Steve Martin first wrote this song as an instrumental and only later added the words.
9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer? Why?
9A: Mr. Martin wrote the song for himself to sing on his CD and it naturally became a picture book owing the visual nature of the words
10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: It was an instrumental banjo song and he ended up adding words.
11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: The anxiety of a school kid trying to get himself to school on time, trying to stay out of trouble!
12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song tells a story…a crazy, funny, free-wheeling story!
13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: Steve Martin…and Emily!
The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!
OH. MY. GOSH.
I wanted to sing “Late for School” in a cabaret since the first time I heard it. And, OH JOY, now it’s a Singable Picture Book. I absolutely LOVE this book and singing the song along with it.
The text of “Late for School” exactly matches the lyrics sung by Mr. Martin on his recording (a CD of the song comes packaged with the book!), so you can follow and sing-along with ease…but it WILL take a little practice. Those words fly!
You’ll need to warm up with a few tongue twisters and get ready to spit out those words but youngsters will LOVE it!
The picture by C. F. Payne are fabulous and funny.
Late for School
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
I am positively ga-ga over Steve Martin’s CD of banjo music, “The Crow.”
“Late for School,” Mr. Martin’s madcap, crazy banjo song is on Track 4 (with vocals and banjo performed by Steve himself!). Plus, in February 2010, “The Crow” wins the Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album.” WOW!! Is there anything Steve can’t do?
Buy the album, here:
http://stevemartin.com/stevemartin/music.html
“Late for School” is illustrated by C. F. Payne. See and learn more about his work on his website:
http://www.cfpayne.com/
The New York Times wrote a little item about his book releases:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/books/14arts-COMEDICOVERA_BRF.html
Check out Steve Martin’s Official Website:
http://www.stevemartin.com/
Reviews of the book from Mr. Martin’s Official Website:
http://stevemartin.com/stevemartin/2010/08/advance-reviews-for-late-for-school.html
Steve Martin performed this song on Saturday Night Live (February 2009):
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/steve-martin-late-for-school/981401/
A YouTube of Mr. Martin singing and playing the banjo:
LATE FOR SCHOOL
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Woke up this mornin’,
clock said I was late for school,
teacher told me “that’s not cool”
gotta put my shirt and pants on,
flew down the front stair,
wet my fingers and slicked my hair,
elbowed grandma passing by,
her face went into a pie.
If I’m late there’s misery,
I won’t be up on history,
I’ll be in the English grammar slammer,
and I got a C.
Got a warning last semester,
told my mom and that depressed her,
promised dad I won’t be late, so got t’accelerate, let’s go!
Ran out the front door,
moving like a meteor,
I sped across the front lawn quickly,
missed the bus, my shoelace tripped me,
rounded the corner,
homework flying as I go,
neighbor shouted “tally ho!”
and gave a standing O.
Leapt across three lawn flamingos,
waved to Sal, (he’s Filipino)
jumped the fence,
and found that I was headed toward a pool.
in the air I did look funny,
on tv I’d make some money,
waved my arms and legs like mad
to alter where I’d land, WHOO!
Aimed for the rubber boat,
hit instead the kiddie float.
I began to lose control,
I’m so glad I learned to log roll.
jumped onto the diving board,
bounced off it then headed toward,
a jungle gym,
I bounced just right and caught onto a kite.
WHOA!
Up so high, I see the school,
8AM, that’s the rule!
flying slowly, time is marking,
down below the dogs are barking,
I feel like I’m sailing,
but uh-oh, the wind is failing,
now I’m headed downward, ground-ward,
clown-ward to the school.
On the football field I crashed,
50-yard line, perfect smash,
grabbed my books and so begins
my frantic final dash.
down the hall I ricochet,
trophy cases in the way,
the other kids are all in class,
I wish that I were they, WHOA!
ALMOST THERE!
I see the clock ends with the light,
8AM exactly right!
I pull a handle with a fight,
the door is locked and that’s not right
there’s not a person here today,
is everybody out to play?
now I’m thinking and it’s sinking in,
it’s Saturday!
OHH!! I could have stayed in bed!
I’m out the school gate
wish that I could aviate,
or possibly evaporate,
I’ll be home and back in bed soon,
my dad is waiting
“What the heck were you up to,
let’s go fishing,
my oh my, your grandma’s face is in a pie”
This is really something,
I’m with dad and fish are jumping,
mom gave me a new alarm
to set for Monday morn.
never wanna be late for school’
never wanna be the classroom fool,
I’d be in the English grammar, slammer,
and I get a D!
Now my feet are doing dances,
HIP HOORAY for second chances!
I’m not late and life is great, it’s time to celebrate, WHOA!
Here’s the post where I was really excited to learn about this book:
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/late-for-school-by-steve-martin-a-singable-book/
Now I can hardly believe that the dream of finding it and sharing it with youngsters has really come true.
- In: Art of Singing a Song | Artist Interview | Cabaret | Case for Singable Books | Expert Info - First Hand | Heartfelt Musings | Lyrics | Power of Music | SBWE in Person | Sing Along Tracks | Sing Books with Emily - the Cabaret | Sing Books with Emily Sing-Along Materials | Singable Book Title | Singable Picture Book Video | Song History | Vocal Tracks
- Leave a Comment
Oh STEVE!
I am positively ga-ga over his CD of banjo music, “The Crow.”
*
My favorite song is on Track 4, Mr. Martin’s madcap, crazy banjo crazy song “Late for School,” (sung on the album by Steve himself!).
LATE FOR SCHOOL, THE SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
*
Late for School
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Illustrated by C.F. Payne
Published by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, New York, 2010
ISBN 978-044-6-55702-3
**********************
“Late for School” is illustrated by C. F. Payne. See and learn more about his work on his website:
http://www.cfpayne.com/
**********************
*
Steve Martin talks about his book on Good Morning America:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UhO1N7w8Q&feature=fvsr
*
The New York Times wrote a little item about his upcoming book releases:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/books/14arts-COMEDICOVERA_BRF.html
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Steve Martin performed this song on Saturday Night Live (February 2009):
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/steve-martin-late-for-school/981401/
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Here’s another performance, somewhere else,
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LATE FOR SCHOOL
Words and Music by Steve Martin
Woke up this mornin’,
clock said I was late for school,
teacher told me “that’s not cool”
gotta put my shirt and pants on,
flew down the front stair,
wet my fingers and slicked my hair,
elbowed grandma passing by,
her face went into a pie.
If I’m late there’s misery,
I won’t be up on history,
I’ll be in the English grammar slammer,
and I’ll get a C.
Got a warning last semester,
told my mom and that depressed her,
promised dad I won’t be late, so got t’accelerate, let’s go!
Ran out the front door,
moving like a meteor,
I sped across the front lawn quickly,
missed the bus, my shoelace tripped me,
rounded the corner,
homework flying as I go,
neighbor shouted “tally ho!”
and gave a standing O.
Leapt across three lawn flamingos,
waved to Sal, (he’s Filipino)
jumped the fence,
and found that I was headed toward a pool.
in the air I did look funny,
on tv I’d make some money,
waved my arms and legs like mad
to alter where I’d land. Woah!
Aimed for the rubber boat,
hit instead the kiddie float.
I began to lose control,
I’m so glad I learned to log roll.
jumped onto the diving board,
bounced off it then headed toward,
a jungle gym,
I bounced just right and caught onto a kite.
WoooHoo! I’m flying!
Up so high, I see the school,
8AM, that’s the rule!
flying slowly, time is marking,
down below the dogs are barking,
I feel like I’m sailing,
but uh-oh, the wind is failing,
now I’m headed downward, ground-ward,
clown-ward to the school.
On the football field I crashed,
50-yard line, perfect smash,
grabbed my books and so begins
my frantic final dash.
down the hall I ricochet,
trophy cases in the way,
the other kids are all in class,
I wish that I were they!
ALMOST THERE!
I see the clock ends with delight,
8AM exactly right!
I pull a handle with a fight,
the door is locked and that’s not right
there’s not a person here today,
is everybody out to play?
now I’m thinking and it’s sinking in,
it’s Saturday!
Rats! I could have stayed in bed!
I’m out the school gate
wish that I could aviate,
or possibly evaporate,
I’ll be home and back in bed soon,
my dad is waiting
“What the heck were you up to?
Let’s go fishing,
my oh my, your grandma’s face is in a pie”
This is really something,
I’m with dad and fish are jumping,
mom gave me a new alarm
to set for Monday morn.
Never wanna be late for school,
never wanna be the classroom fool,
I’d be in the English grammar, slammer,
and I a D!
Now my feet are doing dances,
HIP HOORAY for second chances!
I’m not late and life is great, it’s time to celebrate, WooHoo!
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Link to Steve Martin’s “Music and Liner Notes” website page for his brief description on how he came to write the song (scroll down and click on link for “Late for School”:
http://stevemartin.com/stevemartin/music.html
As you might guess, Steve Martin’s Website is very funny and surprises with hilarious treats:
http://stevemartin.com/
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“Late for School” is one of the songs in my cabaret:
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”
My Song Craft Worksheet for LATE FOR SCHOOL,
Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too. The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others. If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start! After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry! I won’t bore you with that.
1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: Steve Martin
2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Steve Martin
3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 2009
4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: Middle
5Q: What is the song from?
5A: Steve Martin’s Grammy Award winning banjo CD, “The Crow,” and a picture book put out later that year.
6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: NA
7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise? Why does the character sing the song? What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: NA
8Q: What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: Steve Martin first wrote this song as an instrumental and only later added the words.
9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer? Why?
9A: Mr. Martin wrote the song for himself to sing on his CD and it naturally became a picture book owing the visual nature of the words
10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: It was an instrumental banjo song and he ended up adding words.
11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: The anxiety of a school kid trying to get himself to school on time, trying to stay out of trouble!
12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song tells a story…a crazy, funny, free-wheeling story!
13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: Steve Martin…and soon…Emily!
The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!
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Related Posts
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OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY: SING BOOKS WITH EMILY, THE CABARET
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/sing-books-with-emily-the-cabaret/
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FUNNY SINGABLE PICTURE BOOKS
That’s Hilarious! A List of Singable Picture Books that’ll Crack You Up!
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/thats-hilarious-a-list-of-singable-picture-books-thatll-crack-you-up/
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BACK TO SCHOOL
Celebrating a return to school day routine and nurturing the skills of getting along with others and good citizenship
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/singable-picture-books-for-back-to-school/
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ME AND PAUL REVERE, NOT QUITE YET, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/me-and-paul-revere-not-quite-yet-a-singable-picture-book/
