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Syncopation occurring on the second half of the second and fourth beats (and of 2, and of 4), ascending tonic arpeggio within the pentatonic scale.
Description
- Grade: Fourth
- Origin: USA – Folk Song
- Key: C Major
- Time: 4/4
- Form: AB – verse/refrain
- Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ta ti ti ti ti |
| ta ta ta/ ti | syncopation, | ta ta ti ti ta |
| ta ta (ta) ta | ta ta ti ta/ | syncopation,
| ta/a/a/a | - Pitches: beginners: Do Re Mi So La Do – pentatonic scale
- Intervals: intermediate: Do\La, So\Mi/So, Mi/La\Mi, Do/Mi/So ascending tonic arpeggio, So\Do, La\Do
- Musical Elements: notes: whole, dotted quarter, quarter, eighth; rest: quarter, syncopation, tied notes, vocal slurs
- Key Words: USA history, slaves, impossible dreams, metaphors for impossible things, sacred, after-life, heaven, paradise, hollow log, Blue Jay, green bull frog, weave and spin, moon, spoon, grief, pain, bright, beyond, wings, dream, touch, tender, yonder (down in the valley); contractions: can’t (cannot), they’ll (they will), don’t (do not)
1. | Way down yonder in a hollow log, A Blue Jay danced with a green bull frog. |
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Chorus | |||||
Buckeye Jim you can’t go; Go weave and spin, you can’t go Buckeye Jim. |
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2.
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Way up yonder above the moon, A red bird lived in a silver spoon, |
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Chorus | |||||
3. | Way up yonder above the sky, Blue Jay rest in a green bird’s eye. |
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Chorus | |||||
4. | They’ll be an end to grief and pain, A warm bright sky beyond the rain. |
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Chorus | |||||
5. | You don’t have wings so you can’t fly, But you can dream it if you try. |
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Chorus | |||||
6. | But in Paradise the white bird sings, Touch your face with tender wings. |
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Chorus | |||||
The chorus is often attributed to a slaves desire to run away; note the illogical references in the songs lyrics (things that cannot occur) with later verses supporting the promise of a better place to be.
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Additional Formats (click to enlarge)