A folk-song question I've wondered about

[xiphias]

Okay, so we all know that " Charlie on the MTA" was written for Walter A. O'Brein's campaign for mayor of Boston. Some of us may even know that it was in 1949, that he lost badly, and even that his campaign was fined for disturbing the peace when he had cars drive around blaring that song out of loudspeakers.

But what I didn't know was that Walter A. O'Brien, progressive/liberal/Communist candidate for mayor, had a seven-plank platform, of which public transit support was only one plank -- and he had folksongs for all seven planks. Each one was, effectively, a filk, using the tune of a well-known folksong ("The Ship That Never Returned" is the source for "Charlie on the MTA".)

So. . .

Does anybody know what the other six songs were?

Comments

[clauclauclaudia]

You mean George O'Brien. ;-)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I assume that, by the winky-face, you're saying that you're aware that the Kingston Trio changed the name Walter O'Brien to George O'Brien to avoid the connection with Walter O'Brien who, as an uncompromising progressive, was percieved as a Communist in that McCarthy era time?

[clauclauclaudia]

But of course. It tweaked the scansion so they even reversed two lines.

I really don't get Commie-fear, at a very basic level. I think my dad *still* thinks Communists shouldn't be able to teach in public schools, and I find that wacky.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Think of it this way: Commies were the terrorists of the 1950s.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

How did you know this? You continue to amaze me with the amount of information you store in your brain.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Same way you know a lot of random stuff -- curiousity and reference materials. I mean how much random stuff do you know just because you got curious, and there was an encyclopaedia nearby? I bet 99% of the stuff you learned in High School you learned that way, and I inherited that from you. And from Dad, both. You both have that characteristic, which is why you both are geeks -- you both get randomly curious about pretty much everything in the entire world, and then learn stuff about it.

And now that you've got a high-speed Internet connection in your house, you're going to be using Google as a reference tool, too.

I don't store all this stuff in my brain -- I remember the basics, and the outlines, but look up the details on Google, or in reference books, as I need them.

[rebmommy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this information. It makes total sense, and feels like something I can do, also. I like the idea to use google to fill in the details. I will be writing a research paper - the first in many years! - for my "Intercessory Prayer" class. The topic is "Dancing and Movement as Intercession in Many Faith Traditions," and I will be writing about the Shakes, Quakers, Sumo Wrestlers, the Sioux Sun Dance, and Sufi Whirling Dervishes.

Hey - that "google" thing works! I couldn't remember which Native American tribe used the Sun Dance, so I googled "Native American Sun Dance" and over 3-1/2 million entries popped up! More than enough for my research paper. :-)

I'll share what I learned from the first entry:
he Native American tribes who practiced sun dance were: The Arapaho, Arikara, Asbinboine, Cheyenne, Crow, Gros, Ventre, Hidutsa, Sioux, Plains Cree, Plains Ojibway, Sarasi, Omaha, Ponca, Ute, Shoshone, Kiowa, and Blackfoot tribes. Their rituals varied from tribe to tribe.

I used to read encyclopedias for fun when I was a kid, going from one reference to another for hours at a time. I thought it was the greatest treasure hunt ever! Now, I can see that google would be a new way to waste - er, spend- many hours at a time. Thanks a lot! (Read that last sentence with at least three different vocal inflections.)

[gingicat]

I just did a wander through Google, and while I didn't find the answer, I found a very sweet letter by O'Brien's daughter.
http://www.rodmacdonald.net/usa.htm

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

Sorry, you've already exceeded my knowledge about the origins of the song. I had no idea that there were others.

[sokmunky.livejournal.com]

It looks like the writers are still alive... I bet they'd have the lyrics. If you get them, I'd love to see them.

http://web.mit.edu/jdreed/www/t/charlie.html

http://users2.ev1.net/~smyth/linernotes/personel/HawsBess.htm
Bess Lomax Hawes is currently living in Washington, D.C., and working for the Division of the Performing Arts, Smithsonian Institution.

http://www.filbert.com/pvfs/artists/JacquelineSteiner/default.htm
In March of this year, Ms. Steiner received the Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Award to Outstanding Women of Connecticut for her work in music, and her efforts for peace and equality.
98 Comstock Hill Road, Norwalk, CT 06850 • (203)-847-2196 • jacsteiner@earthlink.net