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Notes on Sarah's Songs

Page history last edited by Sarah Underhill 12 years ago

 A few notes about Sarah's songs:

 

The Hedge School

Hedge schools were secret gatherings in occupied Ireland where forbidden languages were taught and restricted knowledge distributed freely. This song was written for one of my favorite Hedge Schools of today- the People's Music Network/Songs For Freedom & Struggle www.peoplesmusic.org

 

Berries in the Hedge

This is the only song I've written so far whose tune came to me first. I was taking a walk on a clear day & this carefree little tune started running through my mind. I only put words to it to capture it; otherwise it would have escaped.

 

Hole in the Ground

While the pipe to our well was broken we were hauling drinking water from an old spring-fed well for the better part of a year. Fetching jugs of water from the spring was a primal experience; I felt at one with people who have always hauled water by hand through the ages. I always knew there was a song in that well, and one day it came to me.

 

Grandfather's Trees

This is a true story, a ghost story involving some trees which were planted by my great-great-great uncle, who lived near where the Indian Point nuclear power plant now stands. The species of yew tree he planted is known to live up to a thousand years. Thanks to Robbie O'Connell for helping me tweak the melody into shape.

 

Dark's Lullaby

"Be not afraid of the darkness, child"....and take care in choosing the words we use to describe evil things. Darkness and blackness were easily labelled as bad or fearsome by Northern cultures who dreaded the onset of the long and dreary nights of Winter. This song celebrates the dark. The words are set to the beautifully melancholic tune "Mist Covered Mountains".

 

Pro-Choice Song

I wrote this after accepting an invitation to sing at a Pro-Choice Rally, and then realizing I didn't know any songs that would do justice to this complex issue.

 

From the Prison

I live near a maximum security prison. One day I was driving past and saw the prisoners out in the yard, and muttered something to myself like, "...and there's not a white face among them". My three year old son Davy heard me and piped up, "Yes, why, Mom?" and this is my somewhat convoluted answer to his question.

 

Donald Trump's Lament

This goofy topical song was written in celebration after  I heard a news item on the radio which made me laugh aloud. The song tells the story of the news clip. It must have been back in the 80's when Glasnost was happening and the old Soviet Union ceased to exist. The tune is from Bessie Smith, "My Sweetie Went Away."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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