About the Songs |
One
of the challenges of singing the songs and playing in the style that I
do, is that it is impossible to categorise or classify it. To me it is simply modern folk music, but some might see it
differently. These songs have three important things in common : I could work out the chords, and I can sing 'em - (o.k. a subjective judgement !) and they seem relevant to our life and times - human condition stuff. Some were written by Texans - Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, David Olney, Steve Earle, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt, Nanci Griffith, I probably missed some-one. I don't know why good songs come from Texas, but it's a big place and maybe people get poetic driving to the next place. I don't claim any association with Texas, apart from a respect for it's songwriters, and an intrigue for the lone star state. Me? I'm a Londoner, now settled in West Sussex in England, and I sing as a southern Brit. Other
fine artists, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmy-Lou Harris, (who has done so
much to raise the profile of fine writers), Dave Bromberg, John Prine
- the road goes on forever. In my dotage, I have resolved to sing only the songs I love. This way I can sing them with conviction. I hope that I communicate this when I sing for you. This is a list of some of the material that I use at present - some more, some less. Investigate these writers - buy their recordings - you will discover some amazing works. If you have similar interests, tell me. Take care - but take it. Andrew Perry – (Updated December 2000). |
...and
the ...SONGS I SING |
Ain't
it Something (Lyle Lovett) |
Angel Flyin' too Close to the Ground (W Nelson) |
Bar Room Girls (Gillian Welch) |
Blues Ain't Nothing (Andrew Perry) |
Black Diamond Strings (Guy Clark) |
Boats
To Build (Guy Clark) |
Cain's Blood (M. Johnson) |
The Cape (Guy Clark) |
Come From The Heart (Susannah Clark - Guy's wife) |
Cold Dog Soup (Guy Clark) |
Coming Down In The Rain (Buddy Mondlock) |
Deeper Well (David Olney) |
Desperadoes Waitin' for a Train (G Clark) |
Die Tryin’ (Guy Clark) it’s one of those “go for
it” songs by Guy |
The
Doctor (Lopudon Wainwright III) a wonderful bit of wise silliness
from the master of self ridicule |
Driftless
(Greg Brown) |
Don't Think Twice (Dylan) |
Days Like These (Perry / Plumbley) |
Everybody (John Prine) |
Every Heart Won’t Let You Down (Greg Trooper) a song
of re-assurance for the jaded. |
Forever For Always For certain (Guy Clark)
in truth I’m still working on this – so don’t be
upset if you request it and I don’t do it. |
Friendship (Andrew Perry) |
Glory Of Love (Leadbelly) |
Goodbye (Steve Earle) |
Guilty (Randy Newman) |
Half Century Blues (Andrew Perry) |
Hangin'
On (Michael Johnson) |
The
Heliosphere (Andrew Perry) |
Here and Gone (Andrew Perry) |
Highway
Kind (TVZ) Work in Progress |
Hobo's
Lullaby (Goebel Reeves) |
Homesick For a Place He's never Been (Andrew Perry) |
How
About You (New Grass Revival) |
I
Don't Feel Like A Train (John Gorka) |
I
Am A Pilgrim (traditional) |
If You Were A Bluebird (Butch Hancock) |
If
Wishes Were Fishes (Andrew Perry) why do I write such complicated
songs ? |
I
Wanna Know (Rob’t Earl Keen) a
simple but effective little song about taking a little time to listen
to an elderly person’s experiences. |
I
Wonder Why Trains Make Me Lonesome (M. Auldridge) |
It’s
The Whiskey That eases The Pain (Darrell Scott) A sinful little
ditty about succumbing to the philosophy of the idd two fingers every
so often. |
It’s
a Great Day To Be Alive (Darrell Scott) not great on short titles,
but a great singer and musician – Darrell.
Does what it says on the label ! |
Indian
Cowboy (Joe Ely) |
Jerusalem
Tomorrow (David Olney) |
Jazzman
(Ed. Holstein) |
Keys To The Highway (Big Bill Broonzy) |
The
Lonestar Bus (Andrew Perry / Mike Plumbley) |
Master
Of My Fate (Andrew Perry) An ironic song |
Me
& My Uncle (John Philips) |
MEN
(LW iii) oh boy a song about being a bloke – an answer to the
“Only Women bleed” concept.
|
Mr
Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker) |
Morning
Blues (trad) |
Must Be My Baby (Guy Clark) |
Old
Fashioned Waltz (Sandy Denny) |
Old
Friends (Guy Clark) |
Paint
The Town Beige (Robert Earl Keen) |
Second
Hand Face - or Carnival Knowledge (John Gorka) |
Skinny
Legs (Lyle Lovett) Lyle |
Sittin'
On Top of The World ( Trad. arr. Doc Watson - and me) |
Song
For the Life (Rodney Crowell) |
Souvenirs
(John Prine) |
Spanish Johnny (Paul Siebel) |
Speed
of the Sound Of Loneliness (John Prine) |
Sportin'
Life (???) |
Stuff
That Works (Guy Clark) |
Summer
Wages (Ian Tyson) |
Take
Me Out Drinking (Marra) |
That
Old Time Feeling (Guy Clark) |
To
Live Is To Fly (Townes Van Zandt) |
Top
Of The Slide (David Bromberg) |
Wayfaring
Stranger (anon) Been trying to get this down for ages – now
I’m really happy with it. So what’s wrong with the occasional
gospel number ? |
The
Waltzing Fool (Lyle Lovett) |
Wasted
Song (Andrew Perry) a
bitter little poem to music |
Whose
Blues (Andrew Perry) |
Women
'cross The River (David Olney) |
Wonderful
Affliction (Paul Geremiah) |
Words
And The Bottle (Mick Hanly) |
You
Ain't Going Nowhere (Dylan) |
You Know The Rest (Steve Earle) |
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