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"Black Is the Color" - A folk song

13 May 2011
BiblioBird
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I heard this song for the first time when I was in Ireland in 2004. It's a folk song of unknown origin but most likely from Scotland because of the reference to the Clyde. Like most folk songs, no two versions are exactly alike and my version is no exception. :-)

Watch me perform "Black Is the Color":

Read the lyrics below!

American Music: "Hallelujah" - Most covered song of all time!

30 Nov 2010
BiblioBird
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Man in coat
Leonard Cohen in 1988. Photo by Roland Godefroy.

"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen is quite possibly the most covered song of all time. It has been recorded by almost 200 different artists. And it has some of the most beautiful lyrics of any song in the English language that I know.

Listen to the song performed by Jeff Buckley below and read the lyrics!

Vlog: Historia piosenki "Matter of Time" i plany na następne filmiki

21 Nov 2010

W tym filmik mówię na temat historii piosenki, którą grałem w zeszłym filmiku. Też wspominam stare czasy kiedy byłem bardziej zaangażowany muzyką. ;-) Obiecam, że za tydzień wracamy do normalnych tematów.

Przepraszam za długość tego filmiku! Już usunąłem kilka rzeczy z niego, żeby robić go trochę krótszy (z tego powodu, jest tak dużo edycji w filmiku).

Czytaj transkrypcję poniżej!

"Matter Of Time" - An original song by David Snopek

20 Nov 2010
BiblioBird
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Painting, room with volcano
Painting by Allison Snopek

I wrote "Matter Of Time" in the summer of 2004. At the time I was depressed and drinking very heavily. I was also very lonely. I hadn't had a girlfriend for over a year ("10,000 lonely nights" is an exaggeration, 400 would be more accurate) -- which isn't surprising because I was drunk all the time. I did a lot of things that I regret. The song is about frustration about my life and who I had become.

But it's a hopeful song! I promise myself that I won't always be this way. Which is, of course, how it turned out. ;-) I don't have any of those problems anymore.

Read more to listen to the song and read the lyrics.

Learn History with American Music: We Didn't Start The Fire

9 Nov 2010
Cover of Billy Joel's album "We Didn't Start The Fire"
Cover of Billy Joel's album "We Didn't Start The Fire"

In 1989, the American musician Billy Joel turned forty. Reflecting on his life, he wrote the song "We Didn't Start the Fire," which makes reference to 119 cultural and historical events that occurred during his lifetime. Some of the things are of world importance, others pertain only to American pop culture.

Listen to the song and learn about all the events below!

American Music: Cracker - Big Dipper

2 Nov 2010
BiblioBird
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Man on stage playing guitar.
David Lowery of Cracker (singer, guitarist, song writer)

One of my favorite American bands is Cracker. They have an alternative rock sound mixed with some country stylings and intelligent but frequently funny lyrics. "Big Dipper" is a sad song but one of my favorites. Listen to the video and read the lyrics below!