Dee-Mocracy

Songs to sing for MLK

2012-01-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

MLK Day is usually really really cold and really really fun. My wife and kids are out of school and we get to hang out. And I get to sing all the Civil Rights, black history, and spiritual tunes that I love at my sing-a-longs. Usually I do about half Dees songs and half traditional kid tunes but around MLK's b-day I go all out with the stuff I really like. Here's some of the stuff I'm singing today, all weekend, Monday, and all next week. Happy birthday!

classics:
John Brown's Body
Lift Every Voice and Sing
We Shall Overcome
Down in the Valley (don't forget the "Birmingham jail" verse)
Follow the Drinking Gourd
The Welcome Table
Let Us Get Together (the Rev. Gary Davis tune)
This Little Light
Go Down, Moses
Wade in the Water
Redemption Song (yeah, that one. before you scoff, try playing it for an NYC crowd. EVERYONE will sing along, even most of the hipsters)
Down by the Riverside
I Sing Just to Know That I'm Alive (Trinidadian tune I learned from Nina Simone)

Dees tunes:
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
Ah Ahimsa
Sojourner Truth
Underground Railroad
Cool Papa Bell
Bring 'Em In (about Satchel Paige)

Got your own favorites? Please send: thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com

L

On Dec. 31st, there's no excuse...

2011-12-26T17:02:00.001-05:00

For not joining me and the Deedle Deedle Dees on the radio or in person. Here's what's happening:

(all times Eastern)
At 9am, I'm the guest on The Kids are Alright, Amy Handler's splendid little program on AM1690 in Atlanta. Amy is devoting the whole show to our conversation, my in-studio performances, and tracks by the Deedle Deedle Dees. Stream it here: http://1690wmlb.com/the-kids-are-alright/ The show will repeat Sunday the 1st at noon.

At 11am, I'm hosting a New Year's Eve Family Sing-a-Long & Jam at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Bring your voices and your instruments. I'll bring chord changes so parents and bigger kids can play along on their guitars, ukes, accordions, etc. And everyone is invited to sing along as we ring in the New Year a little early (we'll be counting down to noon). bk.knittingfactory.com

And the grand finale happens at 11pm:
The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing a complete concert on Sirius XM Kids Place Live. We're going to play a full concert then lead do the old 10-9-8 to midnight. The show will be re-broadcast a couple of times during the daytime hours (on Jan 1st and possibly other dates) for all those who can't stay up late. http://www.siriusxm.com/kidsplacelive

Hope you can join us!
Lloyd

Music you should try if you like Strange Dees, Indeed

2011-12-07T07:31:00.001-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees listen to a lot of music and we're always excited to share new stuff we find. Our new record, Strange Dees, Indeed, in many ways represents our wide-ranging listening habits better than any of our previous work and we thought you might like to know where to go to hear more.

Organized by song, here's some music we think you should add to your family music library. As you start listening to this music you'll find that while some of it is a very direct influence on the music we make, much of it is simply part of our music landscape, the greenhouse, if you will, where the Deedle Deedle Dees music sprouts and grows.

1. Ah Ahimsa
This song is the most successful of some of my recent attempts to write a Bollywood song. Bollywood music is very diverse and reflects the era in which a particular movie was made but we tend to gravitate toward what I consider to be the classic era of the musical genre, the 1950s and 60s. Here are some absolute must-haves:

Doob Doob O'Rama: Filmsongs from Bollywood, Vol. 1
Every song a killer. Most famous song here is probably "Jan Pahechan Ho" (AKA "Jaan Pehechaan Ho") because a version of it was on the Ghost World soundtrack. Possibly the ultimate Bollywood compilation. Also check out Volume 2.

The Rough Guide to Bollywood Legends: Asha Bhosle
The most recorded woman of all time? At one time at least I think she held that title. In all those old Bollywood movies, she's almost always the voice of the woman. The Rough Guide compilations are top notch and this is probably my personal favorite. Includes the seminal "Ina Mina Dika."

The Rough Guide to Bollywood by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar & Kumar Sanu

The Rough Guide to Bollywood: Lata Mangeshkar
In her better known work (at least as much as I know) Lata does more traditional stuff like wedding and devotional songs while Asha tends toward pop and lively dance-ready numbers. But that's a great generalization. Ignore what I say -- just get all these albums.

And if you've never seen a Bollywood movie, watch this clip. It will change your life.

2. Cool Papa Bell
Some funky music that got our heads in the space that created this track:
The Meters
We have no illusions that our track sounds like a Meters track. But we did want to make a tune that makes people move the way their music does. Here are some good albums:
The Meters (debut)
Look-Ka Py Py
Good Old Funky Music

Gnarls Barkley
Yes, I'm sure you've heard these albums already. But they're great. Give 'em a re-listen next time you're in the car. I listened to The Odd Couple about seven hundred times while driving around LA one summer.
The Odd Couple
St. Elsewhere

3. a song for Abigail Adams
We weren't trying to sound like Wilco but a few people who have heard this track have asked whether we were. I do think we, like Tweedy & Co., were trying to figure out how to avoid the obvious choices that could be made with a simple ballad like this. At one point, in Dean Jones' living room, Ari and I were talking about how the mandolin part should sound. I expressed a strong desire that it not be "Taylor Swift mandolin," that pretty end-of-phrase arpeggio mando that's all over Nashville productions. Ari agreed but as he improvised it was Nashvillian parts that continued to lend themselves most obviously to the tune. So I said: Why don't we skip the mandolin all together and do something different?

Late that night, Dean helped us figure out what that different thing was. And as a happy accident, it did become a little bit Wilcovian. I don't listen to those guys much anymore, but if I did, I'd definitely spin Summerteeth. Much better than the much-heralded album that followed, I think.

Also try the solo work of Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore. I invoked their names during the after-midnight explorations that became "a song for Abigail Adams" more than once.

4. The Golem
As you might have figured out by now, the Dees take the various genres that inspire them, try to imitate them, and, most of the time, end up failing horribly -- but making something that we still find kind of interesting. That's certainly the case with my "klezmer" stylings on "The Golem." But if you want the real thing...

Old Brooklyn - Andy Statman
Best album of 2011, one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. It's blasting as I write this. I saw Andy play in the basement of the Charles Street Synagogue last night with my wife. John Goodman announces the album on track 1, Paul Shaffer (yes, the same) joins on keys for some tunes... Andy's buddy and regular stage guest star Ricky Skaggs shows up. Yes, that would be country idol and Christian Ricky Skaggs moaning like Ralph Stanley while Orthodox Jew Andy wails on the clarinet. Believe.

You can hear klezmer on this record but also bluegrass and a lot of stuff I'm at a loss to classify. I could write all day about it.

All the Best - Avraham Fried
Another Brooklyn guy, Avraham plays a very different kind of klezmer. Lots of ear-searing horns. One of the Dees once said his music would be a great soundtrack for a cop show. As not subtle as Andy is subtle, Avraham is the party music you should be playing. Seriously, dump the Lady Gaga and the Pitbull and the get with the Fried.

5. Marie Curie
Astor Piazzolla - The Soul of Tango, Greatest Hits
Something about the mood he creates made him come to mind. Famous for the brilliant "Libertango." I'm partial to "Resurreccion del Angel." Just buy the catalog.

Django Reinhardt - Quintette Du Hot Club De France

"The Third Man Theme" - There's the original played by Anton Karas on the zither. There's also The Band's version on Moonlight Matinee. For a while this song was hot amongst high school kids I was giving guitar and bass lessons.

Gypsy Rumble - The Stephane Wrembel Trio with David Grisman
Stephane is a guy you can see almost any night in the NYC area. He used to teach former (and always) Dee Anand Mukherjee gypsy guitar. The closest we have to a living Django.

6. Sojourner Truth
Why, yes, that is mastermind Dean Jones on the trombone. And, yes, you should get some of his records he makes for families. His group Dog on Fleas has this album Cranberry Sauce Flotilla that's kind of perfect for playing at any time of day. His solo + lots of guest stars disc Rock Paper Scissors is terrific. Get your credit card and head to www.dogonfleas.com and make your own choices.

7. River of Blood
If your kids like the sound of this tune -- and you don't have any Johnny Cash records in the house already -- quick get At Folsom Prison and one of the greatest hits compilations. I've never met a kid who didn't love the Man in Black.

Then, try The Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology (1963-1977). This is more for you, parents, but the kids will like some of the tunes. I instructed Dean and the Dees to sing like the female back-up singers on a Haggard track on "River of Blood." (they sound nothing like them, of course. and I like that)

Lastly, when was the last time you heard the Twin Peaks soundtrack? If there's ever a chord change or a passage of melody that hints at the theme that plays during the opening credits, all Dees immediately start playing it (listen for it if you're around for one of our sound checks). And in "River of Blood," you can hear Booker Dee just barely resisting the urge to go full on into the music of waterfalls and log mills and scary owls.

8. Penny Farthing
Like that crazy guy singing? So do we. That's Booker Dee AKA Chris Johnson. He plays banjo and piano with a New Orleans-style jazz group called the Red Hook Ramblers. Both their albums shake the walls of our house frequently. The self-titled first one features their versions of standards like "Bourbon Street Parade" and "Four or Five Times" while the recently-release Something More Sinister is all originals. I, like all good Americans, adore Chris' vocal on "That Extreme."

I hope Chris doesn't mind me saying this: I think Fats Waller had no small influence on his vocal style. No Fats in your house? Get the Complete Recorded Works, the Best of Fats Waller, everything he ever recorded is worth having. Warning: it will ruin all current music for you. But who needs it?

to be continued...

Strange Dees, Indeed: The Reading List

2011-11-18T20:56:00.001-05:00

Here's a first draft of the official Strange Dees, Indeed reading list, a collection of books related to the songs on the album.

I'll continue to add to this. Get started on these books and by the time you finish them all I'll have added some more to the list.

Books are organized by song title. I've included books for kids and grown-ups.

Have books you like related to these topics? Please let me know. I'll add them.

1. Ah Ahimsa

FOR KIDS
Gandhi by Demi
a gorgeous picture book

FOR GROWN-UPS
Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth  by Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi, translated by Mahadev H. Desai      

2. Cool Papa Bell
FOR KIDS
We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson  
Kadir Nelson makes Negro League stars look like superheroes. This book rules.

FOR GROWN-UPS
Only the Ball Was White by Robert Peterson
I'm forever recommending this one. Peterson's book was the first major history of the Negro Leagues to fully utilize stats and historical research. Previous histories had relied primarily on anecdotes.  

3. a song for Abigail Adams

FOR KIDS
Servant to Abigail Adams: The Early Colonial Adventures of Hannah Cooper by Kate Connell
Solid YA historical fiction about the life of a servant who followed the Adams family to the White House

A Picture Book of John and Abigail Adams by David Adler
Adler's books aren't exciting, but they are well done. Worth a read or two.

FOR GROWN-UPS
John Adams by David McCullough
It's hard to beat McCullough for highly-readable history books. He has a particular knack for even making everything cinematic -- even dry policy discussions.

  My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams by Abigail Adams, John Adams, edited by Margaret A. Hogan and C. James Taylor
And if you'd like to read the real letters...      

4. The Golem  

FOR KIDS

Golem by David Wisniewski

Cool, creepy picture book good for advanced kindergarteners or elementary-aged kids. For younger kids, try Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by John Ed. Mayer and Trina Schart Hyman. It's not about the Golem but it's another eerie Jewish tale with scary creatures. My son loved this book when he was two.

FOR GROWN-UPS AND POSSIBLY OLDER KIDS
The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague

by Yudi Rosenberg, translated by Curt Leviant

A book for grown-ups that tells a detailed version of the Golem of Prague story and digs deep into the cultural and religious history of the character

The Golem by Isaac Bashevis Singer, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz

out of print, but available online-- looks awesome

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
The best first 100 pages of a novel I've read in a while features an escape from Prague inside a Golem. Don't want to say anymore and ruin the fun.

5. Marie Curie  

FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS
Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout by  Lauren Redniss
A collage biography. Sort of a graphic novel but different. Totally unique. Must must read.

  6. Sojourner Truth  

FOR KIDS
Only Passing Through by Anne Rockwell and R. Gregory Gregory Christie
Lovely picture book. When I imagine Sojourner, I often see her the way she's drawn here.

FOR GROWN-UPS
Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth and Nell Irvin Painter
Her story in her words. Yeah.

   7. River of Blood  

FOR KIDS
The Heart: Our Circulatory System by Seymour Simon
Simon has a whole series of books about the body with great pictures and explanations.

 FOR GROWN-UPS
 Overcoming Medical Phobias: How to Conquer Fear of Blood, Needles, Doctors, and Dentists  by Martin Antony Ph.D. and Mark Watling MD
Whenever I intro this song at shows -- which requires me to say the word "blood" -- at least one grown-up looks queasy. I thought this book might help.   

8. Penny Farthing  

FOR KIDS
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say
Elegant picture book about Japan after WWII.

FOR GROWN-UPS

Around the World on a Penny Farthing: From San Francisco to Yokohama by Thomas Stevens
Out of print but available online various places. This dude went all over the place on a penny farthing in the 1880s.   

Bicycle: The History by David V. Herlihy
Imagine if Mark Kurlansky wrote a book about bikes.     

9. Mayor LaGuardia's Stomach

FOR KIDS
Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynn Sweat
Couldn't find a children's book on LaGuardia and I love Amelia Bedelia. This one is by Herman Parish, nephew of original author Peggy Parish. Peggy's books are pure genius and difficult to mimic, but Herman gets the basic idea. A little Amelia B. is better than none.  

FOR GROWN-UPS
 The Napoleon of New York: Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia by  H. Paul Jeffers      

10. Sacagawea
11. Sacagawea (Sock It To 'Em Disco Addendum)   

FOR KIDS
A Picture Book of Sacagawea
by David A. Adler and Dan Brown
Yeah another Adler book. They're good for what they are.

FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS
Sacagawea Speaks: Beyond the Shining Mountains with Lewis and Clark  by Joyce Badgley Hunsaker
Sort of an encyclopedia of Sacagawea featuring artwork, photos, historical documents, all sorts of stuff. Get it from the library and keep it in your bathroom for a couple of weeks.

FOR GROWN-UPS
   Great Plains by Ian Frazier
Got this after reading and loving Frazier's Travels in Siberia. A grand tour of the beautiful states in the middle of country that weaves Frazier's own travels with histories of many people who went before him: Crazy Horse, Billy the Kid, Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, and many others.

The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick
Not about Sacagawea. But this new examination of the Battle of Little Bighorn taught me a lot about Native American history I didn't know.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
If you didn't read it in college, now's the time.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
He's gimmicky but he's really the only major author writing about Indians (he prefers "Indian" to "Native American") in this way. Funny, irreverent, good for reading on the plane.

12. Camperdown Elm

FOR KIDS
A Little Guide to Trees by Charlotte Voake, Kate Petty, Jo Elworthy
Adorable and info-packed at the same time.

FOR GROWN-UPS
Complete Poems by Marianne Moore
"The Camperdown Elm" is in here. So is a lot of other stuff. Difficult stuff. Worth your time, though.

13. Birds of America Don't Care-Oh  

FOR KIDS
Audubon's Birds of America Coloring Book by John James Audubon
You could also buy a first edition of Birds of America itself. But those pictures have already been colored in.

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon
by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

FOR GROWN-UPS
 John James Audubon: The Making of an American by Richard Rhodes
Recent bio. You can finish it in 7 or 8 subway rides.    

14. Whaleship Essex

FOR KIDS
Revenge of the Whale by Nathaniel Philbrick
The YA version of one of my top 5 nonfiction books of all time:

 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
If you haven't read this yet I don't know what to say. Please?

FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Obviously.
If your kid isn't quite ready for the whole thing, get one of the many illustrated or other abridged versions.  

15. Skating in Old Bryant Park  

FOR KIDS
Top Cats: The Life and Times of the New York Public Library Lions by  Susan G. Larkin

FOR GROWN-UPS
William Cullen Bryant: Author of America by Gilbert H. Muller    

16. Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People

FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman    

17. Dead Horse Bay

FOR KIDS
Kids Making a Difference for Animals by Sheryl L. Pipe
Some of the stuff that washes up on Dead Horse Bay in NYC is from a glue factory that used to be in the area. I thought a book about kids helping animals would be a good follow-up to any discussions you might have about what actually happened in a glue factory.

FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS
Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis by Kevin Walsh
And if you like Dead Horse Bay and other little-know odd places in the city...     

18. Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?

FOR KIDS
Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson by Joan Elizabeth Goodman and Fernando Rangel
Hudson's adventures in exciting kid-ready form. 

FOR GROWN-UPS AND POSSIBLY OLDER KIDS
River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River by Hudson Talbott
Hokey cover hides a thorough and fascinating book.  

FOR GROWN-UPS
Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage That Redrew the Map of the New World by Douglas Hunter    

19. Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef  

FOR KIDS
Subway Story  by Julia Sarcone-Roach
Thanks to our librarian friend Joanna Nigrelli for telling us about this one, a book that seems made to be read with our song.  

FOR GROWN-UPS AND KIDS
The City Beneath Us: Building the New York Subway by the New York Transit Museum and Vivian Heller
Highly-detailed history that focuses on the materials and the machines.

The 1964 World's Fair: Creation and Legacy (Images of America) by Bill Cotter and Bill Young.
Yet another in that sepia-toned series they have everywhere. Although the image quality could be a little higher (do they print these books on the cheap?) these volumes do collect a lot of nice images.   

Join the Dees in the Rumpus Room

2011-11-17T12:18:00.000-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing the Sirius XM Kids Place Live Rumpus Room on December 12th. Want to come? It's free, but you have to RSVP. Details:

When: Monday, December 12, 2011, 4- 5 pm

Where:

Sirius/XM Radio

1500 Eckington Place NE

Washington, DC 20002

RSVP: mindy@siriusxm.com by December 6, 2011

Hope to see you there!

Lloyd (AKA Ulysses S. Dee)

Help us get the word out about Strange Dees, Indeed

2011-11-01T15:41:00.000-04:00

Strange Dees, Indeed, is now available as a physical package and as a digital download at CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes, and many other outlets. We really need your help to get the word out. Here are two things you can do right now:

1. Send your family and friends to our website, www.thedeedledeedledees.com.
Tell them how much you like the album and how much they'll like it also.

2. Request us on Kids Place Live on Sirius XM. They just started playing us a couple of weeks ago and we'd really like them to keep playing us. Visit their blog or their Facebook page to request a tune. Right now they're playing "Ah Ahimsa," the opening track of Strange Dees, Indeed -- that's probably the best one to ask for.

And if you have friends in education or the media who you think should hear the album, let us know. We'll get them a free copy.

Strangely yours,
Lloyd (AKA Ulysses S. Dee)

Costume ideas

2011-10-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

Every weekday next week is part of

the Strange Dees, Indeed CD Release Pre-Party!!!

At all my sing-a-longs, any kid who comes dressed as someone or something from a Deedle Deedle Dees song will get a special prize. And if you come to our CD release concert at the Eric Carle (the CD release party itself) in a Dees-themed costume, you'll get a special special prize (seriously -- the Carle prize is a step up from the sing-a-long prize. it's worth trying for).

To help you earn your prize, we thought it would nice to give you some costume ideas. In the rare event that you haven't heard the Dees complete discography. Here are some people (+ one animal and one mythical superhero creature) of whom we've sung who would qualify you for an award should you choose to dress as one of them:

Harriet Tubman
Nellie Bly
Anne Bonney
Marie Curie
Satchel Paige
Cool Papa Bell
Mahatma Gandhi
Baldy
Aaron Burr
Abigail Adams
Babe Ruth
John Wilkes Booth
John Brown
John Henry
Henry "Box" Brown
The Golem
Amelia Earhart
Harriet Hanson Robinson
John James Audubon
Frederick Law Olmstead
Calvert Vaux
Sojourner Truth
George Washington
Sacagawea
Henry Hudson
Phineas Gage
Zora Neale Hurston
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Marianne Moore
Nathaniel Philbrick
Fannie Lou Hamer
Lucy Stone
Susan B. Anthony
Harriet Jacobs
Thomas Edison
Cornelia Hancock
Abraham Lincoln
Barack Obama

Most of these people are historical figures. A couple are characters from folklore (John Henry, The Golem).

If you see a name on that list above and would like to hear the song in which they appear but can't find it, please send me a note. I'll send you a link to the album if the song appears on one of ours. We have written and performed a bunch of tunes that have never shown up on any of our albums. If you want one of these tunes, I'll dig up a demo recording, video, or other version for you. If I've got nothing, I'll just make a YouTube video of me sitting in my kitchen singing the song.

The list above is not complete. It's just what I came up with off the top of my head.

Hope to see you -- in costume -- somewhere this week.

Lloyd

Three shows and a bunch of sing-a-longs

2011-09-12T21:08:00.000-04:00

I've got a lot to tell you about so I'll be brief...

Tuesday, Sept 13th, I'll be doing a free sing-a-long concert at the Lot, located under the High Line at 30th Street. http://www.thehighline.org/the-lot

Saturday, Sept 17th, three Dees will be doing acoustic sets at The Brooklyn Local, an event to benefit City Harvest. Sets at 1 and 2pm. Kids under 5 are free. http://www.cityharvest.org/thebrooklynlocal

Sunday, Sept. 18th, I'll be doing a free solo show in the Tot Lot at the corner of Argyle and Cortelyou in Brooklyn as part of the annual Flatbush Frolic. 4:30pm.

And then there's my regular weekly sing-a-longs! For a schedule, check out the sidebar at http://thedeedledeedledees.blogspot.com/.

All these impromptu events are basically public rehearsals for our big CD release shows coming up in Kentucky, Western Massachusetts, Brooklyn, and elsewhere (TBA). Don't miss your chance to see me mess up some new songs!

Lloyd

Here are the songs we were going to play Saturday

2011-08-25T23:03:00.000-04:00

Our surprise free show in Red Hook this Saturday, August 27th, has been canceled due to hurricane precautions by the city. But in case you'd like to imagine the show that might have been, here's the set list Otto von Dee and I ran through tonight in my basement. We wouldn't necessarily have played it in this order. Make up your own, why don't ya?

The Golem
Cool Papa Bell
Marie Curie
a song for Abigail Adams
Sojourner Truth
Birds of America Don't Care-Oh
Penny Farthing
Whaleship Essex
Dead Horse Bay
Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?
Battle of Brooklyn
Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef
River of Blood
Sacagawea
Henry Box Brown
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

a song for Abigail Adams

2011-08-18T16:02:00.003-04:00

a song for Abigail Adams
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

abbie abbie abbie
said she didn't get my letter
but oh sweet baby
i like nothing better

i like nothing better
than getting a letter from you

abbie abbie abbie
i'm way across the ocean
18th century mail
tends to get lost

i never stopped writing
i just wrote a letter to you

sent it through braintree, massachusetts
care of the shark-filled sea

write me here i'm still in paris
abbie write a letter to me

abbie abbie abbie
said she didn't get my letter
but oh sweet baby
i like nothing better

i like nothing better
than getting a letter from you

abbie abbie abbie
i'm always with franklin
he lets the cold air in
but i like the window closed
i've heard a lot from him
now i need to hear a little from you

sent it through braintree, massachusetts
care of the shark-filled sea

write me here i'm still in paris
abbie write a letter to me

Abigail and John Adams were famous for the letters they wrote throughout their life. But in the late 1700s and early 1800s when they lived, the mail service was far less sophisticated than it is now and many letters got lost. One time Abigail complained that John had written enough and he protested -- not in the pleading romantic manner of this song, but in the same vigorous manner he used in courtrooms and legal documents. In this song, I give John a different voice from the one we read in his letters, one closer to my own.

Who does what on "a song for Abigail Adams"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric bass
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): electric guitar, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Marie Curie

2011-08-18T15:38:00.003-04:00

Marie Curie

words and music by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011

arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

French translation by Rosalie Fisher, French singing coach: Dana Loev

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

ULYSSES

Marie Curie

left Paris

with a suitcase full of radium

"Excuse me...

Are you Marie Curie?"

was the soldier's question.

"That's not me.

I'm not Marie Curie.

No, sir, that's not me.

That's not me.

I'm not Marie Curie.

No, sir, that's not me."

"Leave Paris,

Marie Curie..."

The president told her to go.

"Excuse me,

are you the famous Marie Curie?"

The soldier wanted to know

"That's not me.

I'm not Marie Curie.

No, sir, that's not me.

That's not me.

I'm not Marie Curie.

No, sir, that's not me."

MOBY

Marie Curie

quitta Paris

sa valise remplie de radium

- Excusez-moi,

demanda le soldat.

Êtes-vous Marie Curie?

- Sûrement pas!

Non, [non], ce n'est pas moi,

lui a dit Marie Curie.

Non, monsieur,

Je vous le dis, je n'suis

pas Marie Curie.

But, oui...

I do have a sandwich

and I will share it with you

Mais, oui... Yes!

J'ai bien un bon sandwich

pour nous deux, si ça vous dit.

This year I did a songwriting project with Tom Weiner's class at Smith Campus School in Northampton, MA. Ella Childs (daughter of Bill Childs, host of the radio show Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child) was in the class and during our classroom discussions made a strong case for a song about Marie Curie.

The class song ended up being about Helen Keller, Wilma Rudolph, Rosa Parks, and other important innovators and activists but I still wanted to write the Curie song. The next morning -- before the Dees played at the River's Meltdown -- Ella and I brainstormed. She told me some of her favorite Marie Curie stories and this one seemed to best lend itself to song.

Who does what on "Marie Curie"

Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): accordion

Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals

Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums

Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, vocals

Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Skating in Old Bryant Park

2011-08-17T11:39:00.003-04:00

Skating in Old Bryant Park
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

I see you...
skating
in old Bryant Park

round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago

A potter's field became Reservoir Square
The lions came in
they built a library over there

You sit there at night
thinking Thanatoptical thoughts

But who knew you came out in the day?
Who knew you knew how to skate?

You're
skating
in old Bryant Park

round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago

A potter's field became Reservoir Square
The lions came in
they built a library over there

You sit there at night
thinking abolitiionist thoughts

But who knew you came out in the day?
Who knew you knew how to skate?

You're
skating
in old Bryant Park

round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago

We played at the skating rink they set up at Bryant Park, located behind the main branch of the New York Public Library, last year. I wrote this song to play that day.

William Cullen Bryant, an editor, poet, and abolitionist from the 1800s, watches over the park in statue form. In this song he gets up and skates with everyone else.

the lions = you know those big lions in front of the NYPL?

And what are "Thanatoptical thoughts?"
Bryant's most famous poem, the one you probably read in high school, is called "Thanatopsis"

Who does what on "Skating in Old Bryant Park"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): vocals
David Winograd: tuba
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef

2011-08-17T11:28:00.002-04:00

Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

Bluebird flies tonight
Climb the stairs it's time to say goodbye
goodbye Dinoland
Goodbye brontosaurus
Real cool meeting you
Will you wait here for us?

Bluebird flies tonight
Our crowded train rides on the 7 line
Goodbye giant rockets pointed up at space and
Goodbye giant globe
Do you see me waving?

Bluebird painted red
A fast train taking us to see the Mets
I see you, giant Globe
Globe, do you remember
How cold it gets out here
In November?

Gb Db Bbm Cb
Bluebird turned to silver blue
they wrote their names all over you
They hid those tags in white then red
The red changed shades
We met again
My bluebird was a redbird now
Headed west
Manhattan bound

Redbird takes a dive
The ocean floor is where you'll end your ride
You went in with a splash
And now you're slowly sinking
I should get a scuba mask
And come ask what you are thinking

Bluebird redbird redbird reef
A subway car beneath the sea
Goodbye bluebird
Can you see
The sun in the waves
Up here?

Inspired by a trip my daughter and I took to the NYC Transit Museum. In the 1960s, the World's Fair came to Queens and the Bluebirds --painted light blue -- were the cars of a special express train that took you right to it. These cars remained in service after the World's Fair and continued to run along the 7 line -- the line that takes you to Shea Stadium / now Citi Field.

In the 80s, these cars were painted a graffiti-resistant red and started being called Redbirds.

These cars were finally retired starting in the late 90s. Many of them were then submerged to be used as artificial reefs off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, and elsewhere.

Dinoland, giant rockets = exhibits at the World's Fair
giant globe = that globe that was built for the World's Fair but still lives in Flushing Meadows Park and shows up in lots of movies

Gb Db Bbm Cb = the chords for this section. I always forget them so I decided to just leave them there so I can always find them on this blog.

Who does what on "Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): electric bass, stylophone, toy piano
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): acoustic lead guitar
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): acoustic rhythm guitar, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?

2011-08-17T11:08:00.001-04:00

Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

He tried to find a Northwest Passage
a way from Africa to India
Henry, how ya gonna find a way?

He found an island and a river
and sailed around what we call New York City
Henry, how ya gonna find a way?

Hi-yi-ya
Hi-yi-ya-ya-ya
Henry, how ya gonna find a way?

If you believe Rip Van Winkle
Henry retired to the Catskills
Henry, how ya gonna find a way?

Henry and crew, they all got smaller
At night they make nine-pin thunder
Henry, how ya gonna find a way?

I wrote this in my head while driving to a school show in White Plains / Westchester / somewhere in that netherworld between NYC and upstate. The school was doing a curriculum about Henry Hudson and the 400th anniversary of his arrival. I taught the other Dees the tune while we plugged everything in and we performed it that morning.

The second verse is inspired by Washington Irving's short story, "Rip Van Winkle." Everybody knows about how Rip fell asleep then woke up to find everything changed (most notably the British are no longer in charge of the colonies in which he lives). But do you remember the whole bit about Henrik Hudson and his crew bowling in the mountains? They've become gnomes or something and all have long beards. I remember reading the actual "Rip Van Winkle" (rather than a kid's adaptation) as an adult and being like "What? I don't remember this!"

Who does what on "Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): electric bass, lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, vocals

The Golem

2011-08-16T15:33:00.004-04:00

The Golem
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2010, 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Ely Levin, Chris Johnson, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

OTTO
The Golem is a superhero made out of mud
It can follow simple commands
But be careful what you ask it to do
Join us as we lift our big feet and walk like the Golem!

DEES
Listen to the big feet go bum! bum!
That's the sound of the Golem when he comes

OTTO
A long time ago
in Prague
Jews were being persecuted
A rabbi used mud from the river
to make a Golem
and brought it to life
to defend the people
The Golem fought for the Jews of Prague
but eventually got out of control
killing and destroying
The Holy Roman Emperor begged the rabbi to stop the Golem
and promised to end the persecuting of the Jews
The rabbi agreed.
He erased the first letter of the Hebrew word "emet" on the Golem's forehead
changing it from "truth" to "dead"

DEES
Listen to the big feet go bum! bum!
That's the sound of the Golem when he comes

ULYSSES
If you had your own Golem, a big creature that was big and strong, what would you ask it to do?

ROSIE
Uh... save people.

ULYSSES
Save people?

HAZEL
If I had a Golem, I would ask it to make me a mansion and make me candy.

RHYS
If I had a Golem, I'd have it play me a guitar and... sing me a song and... play drums to me.

GRANT
If I had a Golem, I would tell it to give me attention.

DEES
Listen to the big feet go bum! bum!
That's the sound of the Golem when he comes

ANNABELLE
If I had a Golem, I would ask it to save dogs.

GRANT
If I had a Golem, I would tell him to save people.

ROSIE
If I had a Golem, I would save bad guys.

HAZEL
Save bad guys?!

ROSIE
Yes!

GRANT
I wish the Golem was really real. Why are we really real?

ULYSSES
Why are we really real?

HAZEL
If I had a Golem, I would ask it to... uh... bonk my dad on the head!

It was reading Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay that first got me excited about the Golem. In that book, one of the characters smuggles himself out of Prague inside a Golem, a statue made of clay, just before World War II. This is one of many tales of the Golem, a creature some call the world's first superhero. Scholars have put him / it in the long line of possible ancestors to Superman and our modern-day comic book heroes that also includes American strongman John Henry, Hercules, Atlas, and many others. People also point to the similarities between the Golem and Frankenstein.

In this song, Otto gives us a short version of one of the variations of the "Golem of Prague" story, possibly the most famous Golem narrative, and some kids -- including my kids Hazel and Grant and Dean Jones' son, Rhys -- say what they would do if they had their own Golems to command.

Google "golem" and check out these books to find out more about the folklore and history related to this fascinating character:

Golem by David Wisniewski
cool, creepy picture book good for advanced kindergarteners or elementary-aged kids. For younger kids, try Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by John Ed. Mayer and Trina Schart Hyman. It's not about the Golem but it's another eerie Jewish tale with scary creatures. My son loved this book when he was two.

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague
by Yudi Rosenberg, translated by Curt Leviant
a book for grown-ups that tells a detailed version of the Golem of Prague story and digs deep into the cultural and religious history of the character

The Golem by Isaac Bashevis Singer, illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
out of print, but available online-- looks awesome

Many many other fascinating books about the Golem are out there. Fantasy books, plays, a retelling by Elie Wiesel... Tell us what you find.

Note on the music: In addition to our family shows, the Deedle Deedle Dees do a lot of music for grown-ups. We play swing, blues, bluegrass, soul, R&B, old rock-n-roll and, most pertinent to this song, klezmer.

Klezmer, in brief, is Jewish jazz, traditional and spiritual music that has roots in Jewish culture and religion and is played in an improvisational style. Ari Dolegowski AKA Moby Dee has been largely responsible for introducing the band to this music and getting us gigs where we can play it. It's really fun -- everyone should play klezmer.

This song is my attempt to write a klezmer tune. I originally wrote it as an instrumental. We regularly perform klezmer at bar and bat mitzvahs, other synagogue functions, private parties and other events. Traditional tunes, some of them really really old, make up most of our repertoire but we added this original to the set after it just came to me one day. It's one of our favorite songs to play so I adapted it with lyrics for this album.

Who does what on "The Golem"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): banjo, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, spoken narration, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, interview, vocals, stomping
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, vocals, stomping
Rhys William Jones Ellis, Hazel Phipps-Miller, Grant Phipps-Miller, Annabelle (last name), Rose Lorenzo: commentary

Whaleship Essex

2011-08-16T14:45:00.002-04:00

Whaleship Essex
Words by Lloyd Miller
Music by Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller
(c)(p) 2011

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

BOOKER (pretending to be a PBS voice-over guy)
Once there was a ship
It was a real ship
It was a whaleship

DEES and DEAN (pretending to be dead sailors)
Whaleship Essex!

BOOKER
The ship met a whale
It was a real whale
It was a sperm whale

DEES and DEAN
Sperm whale in the Pacific!

ULYSSES
When that whale drove its head right into the ship
The Essex sank to the bottom

BOOKER
But before it did, survivors gathered what they could from the wreckage...

That's when the real adventure began

There were three boats
small boats
whale boats

DEES and DEAN
Escaped from the Essex!

BOOKER
Their Food and stuff
Weren't nearly enough
And they took to
the Open Pacific!

ULYSSES
One thousand miles west
Were islands that
some said
Were home to, yes,
cannibal civilization
A vote by surviving crew
Capt Pollard overruled
The boats set course for South America

Boat 1: Owen Chase and his sailors separated in a squall
Boat 2: In Pollard's boat all the food was gone before long
Boat 3: Hendricks and co were never seen again
But somebody came back to tell us bout the whole thing
No water no food for days what would you do?
Sailors baking in the sun, son, what would you do?
And how's the story end for the poor Essex crew?
Well go read a book by Philbrick cos I don't think I can tell you

And just like Moby Dick
What this whale did was sick
He picked up speed and rammed the Essex

When Melville heard this tale
Of a whaleship and a whale
He was sailing in the South Pacific

BOOKER
On a whaleship...

Not far from where the Essex sank...

Dean = Dean Jones, producer of our record, leader of Dog on Fleas

If you're a regular reader of this blog then you know I'm obsessed with whales, whaleships, Moby Dick, Herman Melville, and the nonfiction books of Nathaniel Philbrick. Rather than post yet again about these important topics, I'll just say, yet again, read these books:

In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick (short, breathtaking account of the Essex. You'll read it in an afternoon. This afternoon!)

Revenge of the Whale - Nathaniel Philbrick (same story re-written for YA audience)

Moby Dick - Herman Melville
People always joke about Moby Dick and War and Peace and how they're so long and they say things like "I'd read Moby Dick before I'd do that" and... this makes me really mad. Read Moby Dick. It's not that long. Then read War and Peace. It's somewhat longer but not that long. Both books are well worth your time. Both are better than "Mad Men," better than "The Wire," better than any of the stuff people hear I haven't seen and say "YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW." Yeah yeah yeah. READ MOBY DICK!

Who does what on "Whaleship Essex"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): harpsichord, marching band bass drum, narration, dead sailor vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, scary piano
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals, dead sailor vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, rhumba box, dead sailor vocals

River of Blood

2011-08-16T14:28:00.003-04:00

River of Blood
a song about the circulatory system

words and music by Lloyd Miller
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2008, 2010

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, the River of Blood
it flows to your toes
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood

Oh, the River of Blood you can't put your bike in it
But the River of Blood -- lots of things to like in it
Amino acids and gases
blood cells and hormones
Veins bring blood back to the heart
And the arteries are how it goes

The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, ride the River of Blood
round the bend of your elbows
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood

Oh, the River of Blood the heart keeps pumping
that's why it flows
it pumps oxygenated blood to the body
deoxygenated blood to the lungs
2000 gallons a day
60,000 miles
The River of Blood could go around the world
two and a half times

I wrote this song with my daughter Hazel in Vermont one summer. I would push her in the swings every day and sing songs, often songs I made up on the spot. The one that really captured her imagination was "River of Blood." I think I started it just as a fake Johnny Cash / "Blood on the Saddle" / "Ghost Riders in the Sky" kind of song but then changed it into this info-heavy tune about the circulatory system. Hazel helped me come up with some of the best lines, the very best being: "You can't put your bike in it."

Who does what on "River of Blood"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): electric bass, lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, vocals

Mayor LaGuardia's Stomach

2011-08-16T14:16:00.001-04:00

Mayor LaGuardia's Stomach
music by Chris Johnson
story by Esther Levine (grandma of Ari Dolegowski AKA Moby Dee)
interview by Lloyd Miller and Ari Dolegowski

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

ESTHER
You want to hear about me bouncing off the stomach of Mayor LaGuardia?

ULYSSES and MOBY
Yes! Yes!

ESTHER
I was looking for an apartment. And I don't know why I was looking for an apartment on Mott Street! I must have seen an advertisement. And I wasn't looking... I was looking this way. I wasn't looking where I was going. And I bounced off this man's stomach... he wasn't much taller than I am. He was short! But I thought I was seven feet tall.

ULYSSES and MOBY laugh.

ESTHER
And he was walking with a guard. And they never stopped me! I bounced right off his stomach. And I said, "Mayor LaGuardia!" And he walked on and I walked on.

ULYSSES
He didn't acknowledge you in any way?

ESTHER
I... we weren't having a conversation! I just bounced off his stomach. And he had a stomach.

musical interlude

ESTHER
I'm on TV?!

MOBY
Not live.

ESTHER
Is my hair combed? Okay, my right side of my profile is my better side. (to Ulysses) You're good.

Esther, Ari's grandma, is a big part of our life. Her apartment is near the school where my wife teaches second grade and where I teach lots of lessons and do songwriting projects so it's a convenient spot for acoustic rehearsals during the week. She loves our visits and treats them as her own private concerts. She always spreads out far too much food and asks whether we would like her to order us a pizza -- an offer we always turn down. I'm usually on my way to swim laps after our rehearsal and everyone else... well, they're just not in the mood for pizza, I guess. Someday we'll say yes.

The story she tells here is one of her classics, one she has retold many times in many different ways. We spent an afternoon with Esther talking about her varied adventures and got most of it recorded. Maybe we'll post the complete interview on this blog sometime.

Who does what on "Mayor LaGuardia's Stomach"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): baritone ukulele, melodica, piano, electric bass
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): interview
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): interview
Esther Levine: storytelling
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Sojourner Truth

2011-08-16T13:46:00.001-04:00

Sojourner Truth
words by Charlotte Banigan-White and Lloyd Miller
music by Lloyd Miller
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2008, 2011

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

Sojourner Truth traveled up the mountain
the moon was right behind her
she looked down the mountain
at those who tried to stop her

The moon looked like a light
and shined on Sojourner Truth
Where she's going
you're invited too

An angry mob broke up the tent meeting
Sojourner's first thought was hiding
She fled to the top of a small rise of ground
It turned into a mountain when she turned around

And sang a song
Sojourner told 'em all
'Bout being born a slave
They heard her out and then they went away

She was good on her feet, I guess
Kind of like you, Moby Dee

I wrote this with the help of some kids in Western Massachusetts. Charlotte, credited at top, wrote most of the lyrics and I came with the chords, tune, etc. I worked with her and a bunch of other kids at First Churches of Northampton on a whole original musical show about the history of the church and the Northampton area called Journey On. The show was performed at the church at Christmas time in 2008. Lots of other adults (Cynthia and Chris!) collaborated on this show -- I'll get your names up here soon.

Who does what on "Sojourner Truth"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin, electric guitar
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, trombone

Penny Farthing

2011-08-16T13:39:00.001-04:00

Penny Farthing
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

The little little wheel is called Penny
The big big wheel is called Mr Farthing
Riding through the countryside
Penny
farthing
We sit way on top

Ridin' through the countryside
Penny
Farthing!
We push the pedals and sit way on top
Careful of a sudden stop
Over the handlebars
Come a cropper
Fall on your head
Start all over again

Written for our bicycle-themed variety show in November 2010 at the Knitting Factory. The penny farthing is a dangerous cousin of the bicycle, a vehicle likely to send its rider over the handlebars.

Who does what on "Penny Farthing"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano, lead vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, bicycle sound effects
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People

2011-08-16T13:29:00.003-04:00

Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People
music by Ely Levin, words by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

PHINEAS PRE-ACCIDENT:
Phineas Gage
I'm on the railroad work gang
boring rock for roadbeds
that's my game
foreman of the crew
i put the powder, fuse and sand
tamp it down with the iron rod in my hand
September in Vermont
doing what I always do
load it up, stand back
b-boom boom boom
Iron flies through my cheek
out the back of my head
they found it 30 yds from the accident

PHINEAS POST-ACCIDENT:
Aw... what's up?
I feel all right
Yeah man I can ride in an oxcart to the boarding house
Anybody see that rod go through my head? Wow.

Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... um...
what was it I wanted to do?
hey, I know you

so they told me i can't do what I did before
i'm gonna take this tamping iron and go on tour
Barnum will take a handsome dude like me
put me up on the stage, folks'll pay to see

Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
what I want I do is... eat
no, take that food away, I'm tired
I need to sleep
Where's my hat?
I'm hungry!
I'm ready for my bath
take me to the river
is it raining?
i wish it would snow...

DR. JOHN MARTYN HARLOW:
[The tamping iron] entered the cranium, passing through the anterior left lobe of the cerebrum, and made its exit in the medial line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, lacerating the longitudinal sinus, fracturing the parietal and frontal bones extensively, breaking up considerable portions of the brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket, by nearly half its diameter.

Phineas Gage
I'm my own stunt double
crow bar through my head
c-cause me no trouble
i do what i want
and what I want what I want what I want...

If you've never heard the story of Phineas Gage, Google him or read the book Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. After you do, write us with any questions you have about our dramatization of his ordeal.

Who does what on "Phineas Gage Has Something to Tell These People"
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): keyboards, programming, medical report reading
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): vocals
Emily Dooley: questions
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, programming

And the title of our new album is...

2011-08-16T13:09:00.002-04:00

We've decided to go with the top vote-getter in our Facebook poll, but this wasn't the only factor in our decision. A number of people expressed their preference for this title independently of Facebook. Also, our designer Greg Bunch said it was the one that worked best with his graphic ideas for the album cover (which you'll see soon).

Chris Johnson (AKA Booker Dee) came up with this title. Thanks to him, Dees Otto and Moby, and everyone else who sent us their suggestions.

The title of our new album is:

Strange Dees, Indeed

All 18 tracks on Strange Dees, Indeed will be available for reviewers, radio folks, and other media types to download by the end of August. The album will officially be released to the public on October 31st. You'll be able to buy a hard copy on CDBaby or a digital version on iTunes and other services.

I'm in the process of posting lyrics to all the songs on Strange Dees, Indeed on this blog. I'm also including some brief background on each song: what inspired it, what it's about, etc. When I finish this project today or tomorrow you'll be able to find everything simply by searching for the song title(s) you want. And I'll continue to add these entries: related books for kids and grown-ups, your suggestions for where to learn more about the subjects of our songs and more. So check back here frequently -- you'll always find something new and worthwhile.

L

Dead Horse Bay

2011-08-16T12:56:00.003-04:00

Dead Horse Bay
words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2010, 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

Broken baby dolls and animal bones
that's what I found at Dead Horse Bay
Pets used to come here
and leave as glue
So if you hear a bark or neigh...

Put your Leopard-skin pocketbook on your shoulder... now sashay
Fill up your wooden pipe even though it's far decayed
Shake your silver rattle, don't listen to the sound
Pour your tea before the spout falls to the ground

Dead Horse Bay
Can Sitar Boy sing without a head?
Dead Horse Bay
Can a heel from a shoe walk without a leg?

These are the things we found while walking one day
along the beach at Dead Horse Bay
I'd like to come here,
leave as glue
hold together the next thing you make

I wrote this song for our Underwater Halloween variety show at the Knitting Factory in October 2010. The show was a collaboration with Underwater New York. This song was inspired by an exhibit on their site, a place I'd highly advise you to visit: http://underwaternewyork.com/category/body-of-water/dead-horse-bay-body-of-water/

Who does what on "Dead Horse Bay"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): electric bass, banjo, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): mandolin, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Sacagawea

2011-08-16T01:01:00.002-04:00

Sacagawea
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees

She swaddles her baby
Tucks him in a paddleboard
Climbs into the pirogue
as the wild Missouri roars

SUH- KAH - GA - WEE - AH!

Charbonneau lets the tiller go
screams prayers to the sky
baby in one arm, a Momma
saves our supplies

You gave us words, Janey
Tomorrow we climb to the sea
No map and no road
Hungry sick and cold
And so far from home...

Only 33 of us
went all the way and back
Only one
She's the one
baby on her back

Yes, Sacagawea is the same as the person we called "Sacajawea" when I was a kid. Most of the current books and documentaries use this new spelling and pronunciation in a attempt to be truer to how she might have said it herself. In Lewis and Clark's journals they spell her name many different ways -- her language was all verbal so English speakers like them could only approximate how words were spelled. Sacagawea is the current politically correct way to spell her name -- this will probably change by the time the album actually comes out.

At a party years ago, a friend of Anand Mukherjee (AKA Innocent Dee who founded the band with me) told me that we should write a song called "Sacajawea, Sock It To 'Em!" (she used the old pronunciation). I tried for a while but just couldn't come up with anything that wasn't stupid.

But then during the recording of this album I saw some footage of Queen at Live Aid. I realized -- I'm not saying this in jest -- all that ROCK can truly be. I attempted to write a Queen song about Sacagawea. It's not up to the level of what Freddie Mercury was doing during that concert -- and certainly not all that rock can truly be -- but we like it. We perform this song and feel sort of like Freddie and that's not such a bad feeling.

Janey = William Clark's pet name for Sacagawea. This song is sung from his imagined point of view.

Who does what on Sacagawea (Sock It To 'Em!)
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing

Birds of America Don't Care-Oh

2011-08-16T00:44:00.002-04:00

Birds of America Don't Care-Oh
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

Birds of America don't care-oh
How they look in pictures
Well maybe sparrows
the coot is vain
so's the black cap titmouse
Creeping warblers complain
but not like the screech owl

If they'd been alive to see themselves drawn
what would they have to say about John James Audubon?

Other creatures would be flattered
to see themselves in handsome books,
postcards and calendars
But birds are fickle, fancy fellows
a canary'll take you to court over a shade of yellow

If they'd been allowed to critique his work
Would his name still be synonymous with birds?

Would the Grey-Crowned Purple Finch take offense?
Or the Least Peewee Flycatcher be incensed?
Can't you see Bonaparte's gull now, hand to his breast?
And we've all seen bob-o-links and vireos bothered by less

Never a man to hunt birds for sport
Audubon still ate some Birds of America
after he finished up their portraits

Written after I read the book Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. At one point in this historical novel, Thomas Cromwell and others critique their portraits by Hans Holbein. These paintings of course are part of every art history slide show for the period, definitive works that are studied by most aspiring art scholars or artists. I really liked imagining these works when they were brand-new and people were looking at them saying things we might say: "Do I really look like that?"

So, my mind working the way that it does, this caused me to wonder: What if Audbuon's birds saw themselves as depicted by the name who, in many ways, is "synonymous with birds?" What would they have to say about paintings, which, in the world of bird and animal art, are just as definitive as Holbein's portraits.

Um, yeah. That's the nutty story of how this nutty song came about.

Who does what on "Birds of America Don't Care-Oh"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): piano
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, crow, pigeon and other bird calls
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, trombone, bird orchestration

Cool Papa Bell

2011-08-16T00:34:00.001-04:00

Cool Papa Bell
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)

Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell

Swing, Papa
Swing swing, Papa
Swing, Papa
Swing, Papa Bell

Ring, Papa
Ring ring, Papa
Ring, Papa
Ring ring the bell

Cool Papa
Cool cool Papa
Cool Papa
Cool Papa Bell

Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round

Cheetah cheetah
When your feetah
Go round and round
Go round and round

RAP:
Scored from first on a sac bunt
Hit by his own hit slidin into second
So many stories, some of 'em true
Like the day he said to Satchel,
"I'll bet you
I can turn off the light
and get in my bed
before that bulb goes dark overhead.
Satch didn't know there was a short in the lightswitch
Found out later...
He was like "aw..."

I wrote this song with my son when he was 2. I originally planned to add more words that described, in my typical information overload form, all about the Negro Leagues and Cool Papa's career. When my son responded to the simple chorus and began to sing it with me, though, I decided just to leave the song as a simple sing-song tune that even our youngest fans could join us in singing. I added the rap later because I love that story about Satchel Paige and James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell.

Who does what on "Cool Papa Bell"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): keyboards, electric bass, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, synth, vocals

s

Ah Ahimsa

2011-08-16T00:25:00.002-04:00

Ah Ahimsa
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller

CHORUS
Ah... ahimsa
Shake out your limbsa
Drift to the ground, yeah
Make a lotus flower, yeah
Mahatma Gandhi
He's the one who told me
He fought the British Army
Without a gun

ULYSSES
I say "ahimsa" and I mean "do no harm"

BOOKER
"himsa" - harm in Sanskrit
"a" - "no" or "non"

ULYSSES
I read about nonviolence and I'm like yeah that's my philosophy
But as soon as I leave the house I feel differently
Why can't people be nice to me?

BOOKER
Have you wanted to punch somebody... But then walked away? That's ahimsa... Sort of.

Gandhi's idea of ahimsa was that you didn't even think about punching the person in the first place...

ULYSSES
Ahimsa, it's easy, man
When you read what the Swamis said
But not so easy when someone hits you on the head
I'm all about ahimsa when I'm standing on my head...
But not so much when I see a kid push my kid
I'm like, yo, is anyone else practicing ahimsa around here?

How did you do it, I'd like to know
When the cops came out with the riot hose?

How did you do it, I'd like to know
When they whipped out the clubs and started whacking you?

Ahimsa... I know what you're going through
Ahimsa... It's hard to do
Ahimsa

I wrote a first draft of this song while working at a wild school in the South Bronx. I was working with four fourth grades, each studying a different country. The class studying India had an especially difficult time practicing nonviolence. Kids punched, pinned, choked, and generally battered each other just as a matter of course, the classroom teacher unable to stop them and I, armed with my guitar and my jokes, only able to distract them from their brawls. One day, in an attempt to rein in this one kid who was always throwing himself on the floor to do push-ups or roll around, I suggested that we do some yoga. The kids loved it and it became immediately the only thing they ever wanted to do. I decided to work it into our songwriting activities and in the performance of our song itself.

"Ah Ahimsa," in its original form ("Do the Ahimsa") began with a sun salutation and then each line was accompanied by a different yoga move (or pseudo yoga move). Honestly, it was the only way I could get the class through the whole song without someone being injured.

I always liked the idea of the song but the music not so much. It was a standard 12-bar blues that I wrote on the spot as I stood in front of a chaotic classroom searching for something that would quickly get them singing along. When I began to consider reviving the tune for this new album I rewrote the melody over some more interesting -- and Bollywoodish -- chords, added a B section, and changed the point of view of the song to my own. The spirit of the kids is still there, though. Nonviolence is a great idea but a hard thing to put into practice, especially when no one around you is practicing ahimsa.

Who does what on "Ah-Ahimsa"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): keyboards, vocals
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums, professional Bollywood drum machine, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): electric bass, lead vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing, vocals

Track listing for the new record

2011-08-03T09:39:00.003-04:00

These titles aren't all final. We're just posting them to help you if you're participating in our Facebook poll to name the record.

Sacagawea (Sock It to 'Em)
we reach for Queen levels of rock pomposity on this tune sung from the POV of William Clark

River of Blood
a song about the circulatory system

Marie Curie
featuring Moby Dee's first singing on record -- in French!

Sojourner Truth
written for a show about the history of the Northampton area

Dead Horse Bay
written for our "Underwater Halloween" show, a collaboration with Underwater New York. http://underwaternewyork.com/category/body-of-water/dead-horse-bay-body-of-water/

Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef
a ballad for the subway cars that originally took passengers to the World's Fair then were painted graffiti-proof red, then were eventually sunk to become reefs

Cool Papa Bell
about the Negro League star

A Song for Abigail Adams
a love song sung by an idealized John Adams

Skating in Old Bryant Park
What if the statue of William Cullen Bryant behind the New York Public Library got up and started ice skating?

Birds of America Don't Care-Oh
Audubon's birds talk back. They don't like those paintings as much as everyone else does.

Whaleship Essex
The tale that inspired Moby Dick retold with a fake PBS narrator, rapping, singing sailor ghosts and other weirdness.

Camperdown Elm
an ode to my favorite Brooklyn tree

Ah-Ahimsa
Ahimsa, the philosophy of non-violence practice by Gandhi, is harder to put into practice than you think. I wrote an original draft of this Bollywood send-up while working with a wild class in the South Bronx studying India.

Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way?
original draft written for a school show in Westchester. They were doing a Hudson 400 curriculum.

Penny Farthing
about those dangerous cousins to bicycles with one giant wheel and one tiny one.

Bo Obama
a story song about allergies, hypo-allergenic dogs, and one dog's rise to the White House

Phineas Gage
A hip hop account of the famous neurological case

The Day I Ran into Mayor LaGuardia's Belly
Esther, grandma of Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski) tells one of her famous stories over a swinging tune written by Chris (Booker Dee)

The Golem
A marching / dancing tune about the mythical creature / superhero made of mud.

Family project: Little House

2011-06-27T12:30:00.003-04:00

When I was in fourth or fifth grade, we had to read one of the Little House books for school. I can't remember which one. I dutifully plowed through it but considered it a horrible waste of my time. I had biographies of baseball and football legends, eyewitness accounts of WWII battles and other important boy books to read and was greatly annoyed that I was required to use valuable reading time on a book about girls. The only part of the book I can even vaguely remember was an account of a Indian encounter that hinted at being violent but disappointingly ended with little or no bloodshed.

Now, father of a 5-year-old-year daughter, I find myself re-visiting the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. My wife started reading Little House in the Big Woods on a long family car ride last week and suddenly, after nearly falling asleep as she read the shockingly bad first volume of the Ivy + Bean series(chosen by my daughter at the bookstore), I found myself listening intently to descriptions of pig butchering, maple candy making, and rifle cleaning. How did I miss all this wonderful minutiae when I was a kid? I've now joined the reading tag team as we -- at my daughter's request -- set out to read the entire series. At night Little House by flashlight is the one thing that will entice my kids away from the still-light outdoors to their beds...

Want to join our Little House project? In addition to reading all the books we're also -- dork that I am -- studying up on the clothes they wore, the tools they used, and, most importantly for me, the music they loved. My 3-year-old son is now obsessed with "Arkansas Traveler," one of the tunes Laura's father plays on his fiddle. This morning we watched three different versions on YouTube. Please feel free to post on the Deedle Deedle Dees Facebook wall any suggestions you have for enriching a family reading project like this. Or just let us know you're reading too!

L

Set list for International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven CT 6/19/11

2011-06-20T12:29:00.007-04:00

Below is our set list from the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, CT, yesterday.

Special thanks to:
- The great festival staff and sound crew. Not just friendly, these folks went out of their way constantly to make sure we had a good show and a comfortable festival experience. Bravo!

- Tim H. Thanks for lending us your beautiful guitar!

- The Ebony Hillbillies -- We got to open up for this wonderful string band. The grown-up version of the Dees used to play swing and klezmer at the same venue as the Hillbillies: Stan's, a New Orleans-style restaurant in Brooklyn that sadly closed down. We never got to see the EHs there (our shows were always on different nights) but it was awesome to finally hear them last night. They killed it! http://www.ebonyhillbillies.com/

As always, if you have questions about any of these songs, write me at thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com.

1. Sojourner Truth
2. Little Red Airplane
3. Nellie Bly
4. The Golem
5. Dead Horse Bay
6. Baldy
7. A Song for Abigail Adams
8. Henry, How Ya Gonna Find a Way? (a tune about Henry Hudson)
9. Henry Box Brown
10. Skating in Old Bryant Park
11. Cool Papa Bell
12. ¡Sí Se Puede!
13. Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

Read more about the festival here: http://www.artidea.org/event.php?id=402

L

The Melancholy Dane or Why I Finally Made a Nice-Sounding Album of Classroom Songs

2011-06-01T21:32:00.004-04:00

Hamlet: The Album is now for sale on my Bandcamp page: lloydmiller.bandcamp.com. The album collects all the original songs I wrote with my wife's second-grade class for a musical version of Hamlet. The kids learned and performed the actual Shakespearean dialogue -- my wife edited the script down to about 30 pages so that the show would run under a hour and tell the basic story but also give her students an opportunity to wrestle with those wonderful original words. I worked with her and the kids to figure out which moments best lent themselves to song and then wrote brand-new tunes with lyrics that are a mixture of what the kids wrote for homework, my additions and polishes, and Shakespeare's own words.

It's the first real cast album I've made with a school class even though I've been writing musicals like this one for years. Every year my wife and I create a brand-new show, usually based on a work of children's or classic literature. I've also gone into public schools in NYC, Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island, Massachusetts, and Arkansas to write songs based on what kids are studying. All in all I've written over 200 songs with kids in schools.

Every time I do a new show, parents, teachers, kids -- and other people I've told about the project -- ask me "When is the album coming out?" I usually dodge this question by saying that we might make an album, we might not, it will depend on how much time the teachers can devote in class, etc etc BS BS...

No matter how many times I deliver this lengthy evasion I still believe it on some level-- I still think I might get around to making a real album.

But of course I never have. I have made some home recordings featuring me performing the songs as well as some GarageBand-quality "albums" with the kids singing and me playing some simple accompaniment. But why haven't I ever tried to make something people would actually enjoy playing again and again? (When I say "people" I mean people who are not parents of children in the class and therefore willing to put up with low quality recordings simply because their child is on them).

It's not because I haven't believed in the songs. Although there are certainly songs that were written for a very specific narrative purpose and wouldn't make sense to someone not watching a live performance of a particular play, most of the tunes I've written for these shows are poppy (poppier than the Dees), easy to sing along with (more so than much of the Dees catalog), super catchy, and often tied into movements. They're very much tunes that someone could enjoy whether or not they were familiar with the story that inspired them.

But as someone without a home studio or the skills to make my own recordings that sound professional (I'm a songwriter and performer but definitely not an engineer, mixer, or producer) I have hesitated to spend money on recordings that are unlikely to make that money back. I've written a lot of good songs over the years but people will only buy so much music -- and if I tried to sell an album, for example, called The Silk That Got Away (the title of last year's absolutely wonderful Silk Road musical) many people would be baffled and ask me things like "Is this for children?" "The Silk Road? Why?" "Does this have that honk-honk song on it?" (They ask these things about every Dees record also)

So I've let these songs disappear and exist mainly in my mind and the minds of the kids who wrote and performed these shows (I still have high schoolers coming up to me wanting to tell me that they were just recently singing some song I wrote with them years ago).

It's pained me. I used to go to a therapist (hasn't everyone in New York?) and I used to tell him about this -- how I felt like I nearly killed myself a few times a year writing and leading these shows only to have them mostly forgotten. He said that I was frustrated because I was "spinning my wheels" (his expression) with these shows, putting in a lot of time and creative energy but not seeing any concrete professional or financial rewards as a result. I protested that these shows have offered many rewards of a more difficult-to-measure variety: the satisfaction of seeing kids who struggle in the classroom come to life as they work on a musical project, the thrill of writing and performing a complete story-in-song for an attentive audience... but my therapist, pragmatist that he was, acknowledged these rewards as valid but immediately resumed pushing me to figure out a way to make my schoolwork pay off. He couldn't be dissuaded from the idea that my school musicals and the process of making them could both be commodities that I could sell for a good profit. I agreed, half-heartedly, to investigate the possibility.

Hamlet: The Album is an attempt to make good on what I told my therapist. The songs we wrote for this show are terrific, but there have been many terrific tunes in the many shows I've co-composed. All that's really different with Hamlet is that I'm trying -- for the first time -- to present one of my school shows to the public in a truly palatable way. We recorded these songs quickly -- all the basic rhythm tracks in one day, nearly all the kid vocals one afternoon, all the overdubbing another day -- but we did most of the work in a real studio, the studio where we're recording the new Dees record. Dean Jones, who's producing that album, recorded us, added a bunch of new, bad-ass guitar parts, and mixed the tracks. We didn't have the album really mastered -- Dean just EQ'd the tracks then put them through a nice limiter -- but I do feel like we've presented these songs the best way we possibly could. Obviously I'm super biased but I think the album sounds really great -- and I really want everyone to hear it. I especially want parents, teachers, and other people connected with schools to hear it so they understand what can happen when I go into a school and am given enough time and resources -- so please pass it on to as many of these folks as you can. Despite the involvement of my bandmates and Dean it's still very much a kid album and we tried to leave enough of their quirks and jerks and weird notes and cryptic lyrics in there so that it would sound like it, like something that was created by actual kids in an actual school.Teachers and parents: your real kids in your real school can do make something just as impressive.

So I don't feel too bad about finally using one of my school projects to promote myself publicly -- and so no kids sue me for stealing their ideas -- I'm giving all the proceeds after expenses to earthquake relief in Japan. I do want to help Japan but I also feel like these songs don't belong to me. They're very much the product of our collaboration and even the ones that I played the biggest role in writing wouldn't have been written outside the unique creative environment that a classroom provides. I also don't want this album to be a vanity project in any way -- for me or the kids. I want all our hard creative work to fuel good works elsewhere.

So download the Hamlet album! We've got to pay this thing off. And once we do, we can start making some money for Japan. That would be cool, wouldn't it?

Still spinning my wheels but now hopefully in the right direction...
L

Mini-tour wrap-up

2011-05-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

Booker Dee (Chris Johnson) and I returned from a two-week trip late last Friday night. We played public shows in Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida, and visited friends, school audiences, and a radio show along the way, stopping also in Tennessee and West Virginia.

We made this jaunt primarily to play two public shows at the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa, FL on May 14th. I grew up in the Tampa area but I've never brought the whole band there so I was very excited -- and nervous. Otto von Dee (Ely Levin) and Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski) were unable to make the two-week trip but flew down special to play these shows.

By anyone's estimation, the shows went well. We had good-sized crowds of kids and parents, most of whom had never seen us before. They got up and down and did all the interactive nonsense that's part of every DDDs show and many many people stayed after to ask us questions, catch up, have us sign stuff, etc. I got to see old friends and was proud to show off our wonderful band. Ultimately, though, these concerts were just two more shows out of the hundred or more I play every year. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday before last, that I really felt that unique thrill that professional live performers like us only get every once and while.

We played as part of the service at Thonotosassa United Methodist Church, a church where my stepfather Dennis is the pastor. Booker Dee / Chris, as you might know, has a day job as a church choir director and has asked the Dees and other musicians we play with regularly to join him on occasion to flesh out the tunes during the services he music directs in Jersey City so it made sense for us to stop by and help Dennis out. To be honest, though, we didn't really think of this church stop as one of the official Gigs (intentional capital "g") of the tour, just a fun, nice thing to do while we happened to be in Thonotosassa (a ruralish suburb of Tampa near the University of South Florida).

As it turned out, this gig / not gig was by far the most meaningful stop on the tour for me. Not for any religious reasons. Although I like church as a place to go, I'm unsure about what I believe and... I don't want to go into that right now. What made this such a powerful event was the unique enthusiasm of the congregation, a mostly elderly group that stood up to dance with us on "Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga;" sang "He's Got the Whole World," "Great is Thy Faithfulness," and other hymns loud enough to drown out the band; and gave a standing ovation to "Shalom Aleichem," an old sacred Jewish tune that Moby / Ari led. I should mention that Ari is the driving force of one of the grown-up incarnations of the Dees, a band specializing in klezmer and swing primarily for synagogue and other Jewish audiences. We wanted to make sure to share who we truly were with this small church: four friends from different religious and cultural backgrounds who have somehow figured out how to create lots of great music together for years.

This trip made me question whether we should even bother playing for the general public anymore. I'm being dramatic -- I'm not saying we're going to stop doing public shows. But on this trip it was the school audiences (in Lexington, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Atlanta) and that one church group that really made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile. I came back resolved once again to figure out a way to bring our music to new audiences, audiences who we we'll never reach via expensive public concerts, television shows, parenting websites, magazines or any of the other outlets that I spend so much of my time (mostly unsuccessfully) pursuing. Ever since I formed the Dees, I've wanted to be a service-based band, one that not only shares our music as widely as possible but also gives voices to people who aren't usually heard. How to do that better I don't know. Ideas?

Blah blah blah

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

Our mini-tour: (almost) complete itinerary

2011-05-05T08:00:00.007-04:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are hitting the road next week for a mini-tour. I say "mini" because most of the shows we're playing are going to be smaller-scale two-man gigs featuring me and Booker Dee (Chris Johnson). In addition, we're not going to be doing the relentless schedule of gigs we usually do on these trips (18-25 gigs in two weeks...). Instead, we'll be spending much of the trip rehearsing -- and writing -- tunes for the new album we're going to start tracking with Dean Jones on Memorial Day weekend. We'll also be playing several two-man shows -- a handful that are open to the general public, but most of them at schools, day care centers, retirement homes, churches, synagogues, and other spots that have asked us to come.

We'll send videos from most of our stops featuring new tunes, tunes we're working on, and songs we just feel like singing in a particular place. As always, check our YouTube www.youtube.com/user/singalongwithlloyd for the latest.

There will be at least two full-band shows on this trip and these are going to happen in Tampa, FL (my hometown) at the Glazer Children's Museum. Dees Otto von and Moby (Ely Levin and Ari Dolegowski) are flying down special for these. I've never brought the whole band to the place where I spent the first 18 years of my life -- I can't wait.

Here are all our appearances that are open to the public. When we list a city without a venue it's because we'll be there for school shows or other stuff that's not open to the public (radio tapings, etc). But if you see that we're playing in your town or near it -- and you'd like us to play at your kid's school or another venue, send me an e-mail and maybe we can make it happen. My e-mail is thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com.

Tuesday, May 10
Lexington, KY - Lexington Public Library
Two-man performances by Ulysses S. Dee and Booker Dee
Two shows: 9am, 10am
FREE
www.lexpublib.org

Wednesday, May 11
Knoxville, TN

Friday, May 13
Tampa, FL

Saturday, May 14
Tampa, FL - Glazer Children's Museum
Two FULL BAND shows: 11:45am, 3pm
Free with museum admission
www.glazermuseum.org

Sunday, May 15
Thonotosassa, FL

Monday, May 16
Jacksonville, FL

Tuesday, May 17
Atlanta, GA - Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta
A two-man performance by Ulysses S. Dee and Booker Dee
12noon
Free with museum admission
http://www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org/

Wednesday, May 18
Chattanooga, TN / Athens, GA

Thursday, May 19
Decatur, GA - Little Shop of Stories
7pm
FREE
http://www.littleshopofstories.com/

Saturday, May 21
Virginia / Maryland

see you soon!

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

Set list for our Women's History set at the WXPN Kid's Corner Fest (3/19)

2011-03-20T13:47:00.002-04:00

Hey. Here's what we played at the World Cafe yesterday. If you want lyrics, lesson plans, or background info for any of these songs, just search for the titles on this blog. For sing-a-long videos, visit www.youtube.com/user/singalongwithlloyd.

I talked to a number of people about visiting schools in the Philly area in the near future. Please write soon if you'd like to do something before the end of this school year.

Lloyd
e-mail: thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com

Nellie Bly
Zora
Little Red Airplane
Sojourner Truth
Drum!
Do the Turnout
Baldy
Abbie Abbie Abbie
Put on the Dress
The Brooklyn Bridge Song
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-GA

Set lists for Mass MoCA school shows (3/18)

2011-03-20T13:17:00.011-04:00

Hi teachers and parents! Here's a complete list of the songs we played during our two school shows at Mass MoCA on Friday.

Lyrics and background info for most of these songs can be found on this blog. Just search for the song titles. If you'd like to watch sing-a-long videos, go to www.youtube.com/user/singalongwithlloyd and scroll down through the uploads on the right until you find the song you want.

If you can't find what you're looking for, write me at thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com.

- Lloyd

9:30 am
Nellie Bly
Henry Box Brown
Growl Growl
Do the Turnout
Baldy
Abbie Abbie Abbie
Put on the Dress
¡Sí Se Puede!
Little Red Airplane
Zora
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

12:30 pm
Little Red Airplane
Nellie Bly
Aaron Burr
Henry Hudson
Put on the Dress
Baldy
¡Sí Se Puede!
Henry Box Brown
Growl Growl
Penny Farthing
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

That top photo of me about to go onstage was taken by Chris Johnson.

Set list for Women's History variety show March 12

2011-03-13T12:17:00.003-04:00

Here's what we played at our March variety show at the Knitting Factory yesterday. The show was a big Women's History Month party so we sang about famous women -- and women in our everyday lives.

Audra Tsanos and Jen Milich from AudraRox were there to help us out. We backed them up on a couple of AudraRox tunes, the wonderful traditional song "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot," and "Sisters Marching Strong," a great women's history anthem written by songwriter / poet Jen Waller (who had to miss the show due to a broken leg! feel better, JW!)

We were also excited to have Atticus (a Brooklyn middle schooler) join us to play his mandolin along with his teacher, Ari Dolegowski (AKA Moby Dee). His classmates Charlie, Sam, and Paris were, as usual, our emcees.

We've posted lyrics and sing-a-long videos for most of the Dees songs here. If you want lyrics, search for the song title on this blog. If you want a sing-a-long video, go to www.youtube.com/user/singalongwithlloyd and scroll down through the uploads on the right until you see the song you want.

If there's anything you can't find, write me at thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com and I'll send you direct links.

March 12, 2011 setlist
at the Knitting Factory, Brooklyn

Just the Dees
Abbie Abbie Abbie
Sojourner Truth
Little Red Airplane
Do the Turnout
Put on the Dress

w/ Audra and Jen of AudraRox
You're a Rock Star, Too (words and music (c)(p) AudraRox)
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? (trad)
Sisters Marching Strong (words and melody by Jen Waller)
Girl Power (words and music (c)(p)AudraRox)

Atticus Kaplan and Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski)
great mandolin tune (I gotta ask Ari what it's called)

Dees + Atticus
Nellie Bly
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

until next time,
Lloyd

Hamlet with second-graders: a peek into the songwriting process

2011-03-08T16:46:00.007-05:00

Many of you know that I write lots of songs with kids based on what they're studying. Right now I'm involved in three school songwriting projects, one of which is an original musical based on Hamlet with my wife's second-grade class.

I've found that people often don't totally understand the songwriting with kids thing until they actually experience it in person. I thought it would be fun to share one of my projects online so that teachers and parents can see how it's done.

Just now I posted rough drafts of four songs for the Hamlet show. They're currently in "blah blah" form, which means that kids need to write lyrics to replace the nonsense sounds I'm making on these You Tube videos. They're going to do that for homework tonight -- and they have the option of using these videos to help them. Some kids work better when simply asked to "write a poem" and won't use these videos at all. Others will spend a lot of time crafting words to go with these little tunes.

Another option: Try having kids write lyrics to familiar tunes like "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," etc. I do this with many classes. My wife's kids were ready to jump right into the original songs so I skipped ahead.

By the way, these tunes are all original, written by me, and copyrighted. Feel free to use them in your classroom or home for instructional purposes. Please write me at thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com if you'd like to use them in a performance or for any commercial purpose -- I'll say yes or no depending on what you want to do.

These are all working titles:

Tush Tush: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmiaA-TrGMs

Nunnery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv_0sPLyNKg

More Than Kin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaWT5HgCMl8

North by Northwest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YWKj6gC4X8

Lloyd

Set list and links for my shows at North Mianus School (CT) yesterday

2011-03-04T16:42:00.009-05:00

Hi parents and teachers!

If you'd like to follow up on my concerts today at North Mianus, here's a complete list of all the original songs I played along with links to some sing-a-long videos and a couple of book recommendations.

If you'd like more info about any of these tunes, search for the titles on this blog. You'll find lyrics, book recommendations, lesson plans, and more. Also feel free to write me (thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com) if you have further questions.

If you'd like to buy albums featuring these songs, visit the Deedle Deedle Dees on CDBaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheDeedleDeedleDees

Nellie Bly
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/1/B_uDMQZQ7dI

¡Sí Se Puede!
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/28/uPJW1u2YcD4
Read more about César Chávez in Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez by Kathleen Krull and Yuyi Morales.

Battle of Brooklyn
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/14/6B7M3Y5BCek

Aaron Burr

Henry Box Brown

Baldy

Little Red Airplane
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oct7_K2XrPs

Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/8/uT-7sUm0CzU
Read more about Harriet Tubman in Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson.

Play Your Hand

Vegetarian Tyrannosaurus Rex

Obedience School

Sojourner Truth
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/2/hfhPYMfnJeQ

John Muir
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/11/VRXbHgpjacc

Put on the Dress
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfwHRTweacE

I Can Put You Together Again

I Am the Hodja

All 28 names from our Twitter feature #todaysblackhero

2011-03-01T08:22:00.002-05:00

In case you're not following us on Twitter (@ulyssessdee) or you missed a day, here's the complete list of people we name-checked with the hashtag #todaysblackhero through the month of February.

This is by no means an attempt to list the 28 GREATEST BLACK PEOPLE WHO EVER LIVED or anything like that. It's just a bunch of people I personally admire. Yes, there are two upright bass players on the list. There's also a businesswoman, a poet, a dressmaker, a congressman, a football coach, a pharaoh, and many others worth studying.

Look up the names you don't know. Ask us if you want background info on anybody, songs to use in your class or home, or lesson plans.

Harriet Jacobs
Ralph Ellison
Sojourner Truth
Ray Brown
Toussaint L'Ouverture
Tony Dungy
Marion Williams
Elizabeth Keckly
Fats Waller
Cool Papa Bell
Coretta Scott King
Jimmy Blanton
Phyllis Wheatley
Zora Neale Hurston
James Baldwin
Madam C.J. Walker
Jacob Lawrence
Kara Walker
Harriet Tubman
Mary McLeod Bethune
Frederick Douglass
Fannie Lou Hamer
Henry Box Brown
Hatshepsut
John Mercer Langston
Bessie Smith
Blanche Kelso Bruce
Oscar Micheaux

Setlist / Reading list for yesterday's show at Flywheel (Easthampton, MA)

2011-02-27T13:39:00.007-05:00

Here's what we played at our Black History Month show at Flywheel yesterday + two reading lists, one for grown-ups and one for kids.

All the links will take you to sing-a-long videos.

acoustic sing-a-long
You Are My Sunshine
Play Your Hand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjjcc9CXgg
Down by the Riverside

onstage
Henry Box Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRjJODQfTsw
Sojourner Truth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyC3ZceFpPg
St. Bessie Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oATlLvd-sTY

acoustic in the audience
Trapped in the Attic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5PXzSswUo

onstage
Lucy & Fannie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-E47vw9VE0
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYnOBESIJ4
Zora http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih7kiKkHQ4w
This Little Light of Mine

audience requests
Baldy
Bring 'Em In http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU3_-L4Pksw
Nellie Bly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_uDMQZQ7dI

some grown-up books where you can learn more:
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Harriet Jacobs
The Army of the Potomac Trilogy - Bruce Catton
Only the Ball Was White by Robert Peterson
The Senator and the Sharecropper: The Freedom Struggles of James O. Eastland and Fannie Lou Hamer by Chris Myers Asch
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

some kid books where you can learn more:
Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson
Eyewitness: Civil War by John Stanchack
Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher and John Holyfield
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson
Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth by Anne Rockwell and R. Gregory Christie
Fannie Lou Hamer: Fighting for the Right to Vote by Laura Baskes Litwin

Reading list for our setlist at the Target READ event at the New York Public Library (2/24/11)

2011-02-25T08:25:00.005-05:00

Set list for today's Grimm-themed Knitting Factory show (2/5)

2011-02-05T16:29:00.007-05:00

Today we celebrated fairy tales, folk tales, and tall tales at our variety show. Guest author Adam Gidwitz read a story and told us about his scary and super-fun new book, A Tale Dark and Grimm. The Dees played songs related to the theme, some rather new, some resurrected from old projects we wanted to revisit.

Videos, lyrics, etc. for all the following coming soon.

1. The Deedle Deedle Dees Variety Show Theme

2. Cool Papa Bell
a song about Negro League legend, James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell

3. John Henry (Ezra Jack Keats version)
based on EZK's book, written originally for an event celebrating the author at Symphony Space

4. Camperdown Elm
sing-a-long video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCZ_iLv7jJY
lyrics, background: http://teachddd.blogspot.com/2010/10/camperdown-elm-lyrics.html

5. The Golem
a klezmerish instrumental inspired by the statue / fighting hero

6. I Can Put You Together Again
a tune written with my wife's second graders for our production of The Myth of Osiris a couple of years ago

7. I Am the Hodja
written with my wife's second graders for our production of The Silk That Got Away last year

8. Little Red Airplane
about Amelia Earhart. not really related to our theme (although she is a folk hero I guess). we played it because a small fan made a request.
Buy the album featuring this song here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

L

An original birthday song... for you

2011-01-29T17:49:00.004-05:00

Okay, I just came up with this today. I was supposed to play this birthday party tomorrow but the dad called to say that his daughter was running a high fever and that they'd had to cancel the event. Very sad. Seriously! We've had a lot of sick birthdays in my house. I hate 'em!

I decided to record a special version of "Happy Birthday" for the sick birthday girl and post it on my YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/user/singalongwithlloyd Then it occurred to me that lots of kids would probably like to have their own version of "Happy Birthday" to sing with at home. I decided to record a version with the birthday girl's name as well as the names of a few other kids whose birthdays are coming up.

Being a prudent independent musician, however, I first checked to see if "Happy Birthday" was in the public domain. It's not (not until 2030).

So I scrapped the whole idea. Until later today when I was walking around a brand-new original birthday song came to me...

That song is now on YouTube in three versions. If your name happens to be "Paula" or "Grandma," you're in luck. If your name is something else, try the third link here: in this one I just mouth some silent gibberish that you can fill in with your name.

Paula, It's Your Birthday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5j9fZreAiA

Grandma, It's Your Birthday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD-uirjzgbI

It's Your Birthday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dInPk4MHX8I

Or you can write me and I'll make a new video using your name. People around the world with your same name will thank you! (or perhaps curse you)

L

Setlist for yesterday's preview concert of songs from Major Deegan, How Ya Feelin'?

2011-01-09T21:49:00.002-05:00

Quick setlist from yesterday. YouTube links to sing-a-long and rehearsal videos. CDBaby links to buy the songs.

1. Henry Hudson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3RFA-o12c&feature=related

2. Battle of Brooklyn
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/14/6B7M3Y5BCek

3. Aaron Burr
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2

4. Wallabout Bay
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/5/28B654cAqJo

5. Skating in Old Bryant Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKndPaTb0HU

6. Big Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2M9R9wv-zA

7. The Brooklyn Bridge Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_8_RH8i5fE
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

8. Nellie Bly
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/1/B_uDMQZQ7dI
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2

9. Babe Ruth
On our first album, Let It Dee. Now out of print. But we're going to put selected tracks up for pay-what-you-wish download soon.

10. Dead Horse Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynOYownLcLI&feature=related

11. Major Deegan
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/0/Z31VuZeWuH4
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2

Support Dees pal Roy Nathanson's students

2011-01-07T16:41:00.003-05:00

Dees collaborator and guest star Roy Nathanson teaches in a NYC public school when he's not touring the world with the Jazz Passengers or doing sessions with folks like Debbie Harry and Elvis Costello. As you might imagine, his student band is pretty awesome, much better than most grown-up acts I see.

The band is taking a big trip overseas soon. They're having a show tonight to raise money. And of course they've got a Kickstarter page. Here's Roy's letter about all of it:

Hi Folks -

The wonderful High School band and songwriting group that I teach at Institute for Collaborative Education is invited to go along with "Sotto Voce" to play at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival in Newcastle/Gateshead in March. They'e been working for a year on this, writing and arranging some great new subway songs. Everything at the festival is covered but we are working to raise the airfare for those families who have trouble paying the whole deal. So we have a kickstarter page:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/591893901/subway-moon-teens-original-music-and-lyrics?ref=email

You can either donate at the site or come to our big benefit gig this friday Jan 7th at 6pm at Rose Music Live in Williamsburg. I'll be playing there as well. You can buy tickets for the event at the kickstarter site as well.

Thanks and have a happy new year

roy

Our NYC musical: Phase One

2011-01-04T09:07:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we're going to try out songs from our musical, Major Deegan, How Ya Feelin'? It's a show that follows the Deedle Deedle Dees on a typical / fantastical day as they deal with cranky drivers, nutty public school administrators, sidewalk philosophers, and other New York City characters on their way to multiple shows. The Dees stop their journey frequently to sing about the history of the places they're passing through -- and are often aided in their storytelling by important people from the past who conveniently make appearances to offer their side of things.

It's a huge undertaking so we're putting it together in pieces. To start, we're just going to be playing programs of the show's songs (many of which you already know) as concerts. Then, as we finish the filmed and live elements of the show, we'll start adding more layers -- and of course inviting you to come watch as we stumble through...

This Saturday (Jan 8) we're doing a selection of songs from the production for our monthly variety show. Audience participation will be strongly encouraged and if you come early, we might ask you to take part in the show. (Come early! We want you to be in the show!) If you it seems like you and/or your kids might be a good fit for these performances, we might even ask you to take part in a more elaborate staging in the (hopefully) near future.

See you Saturday!
Lloyd

The Deedle Deedle Dees present
a concert version of
Major Deegan, How Ya Feelin'?
an original musical about NYC
this Saturay, January 8th
11am
Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY
tickets: bk.knittingfactory.com

Old Testament reading project

2010-12-30T10:12:00.004-05:00

If anyone would like to join our 2011 Old Testament reading, I've started a separate blog and Twitter account devoted entirely to this undertaking.

The Old Testament is one of many texts we're including in our Sing and Read the Civil War's 150th with the Deedle Deedle Dees project.

It's also something I want to read for a number of other reasons unrelated to the war between the states. If you're interested in these other reasons, check out:

http://eveadametc.blogspot.com/

www.twitter.com/eveadametc

Lloyd

The Week Between Christmas and New Year's: A Survival Guide

2010-12-26T09:03:00.009-05:00

The day after Christmas is always the beginning of a long week for me. It's great to have all those consecutive days with my family, but it's also a challenge to find things to do, especially when so many friends are traveling and playdates are hard to come by.

This year, though, I've made a plan. Maybe you'd like to steal some of my ideas:

1. The Houdini show at the Jewish Museum - Reading Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (our book club selection for January) recently got me thinking about Houdini. He hovers at the periphery of this book as a sort of muse for the author and the characters. His presence reminded me how much he meant to me to as a kid. I used to check a different biography out of the school library every week and although I retain some major timeline points from the lives of various people (Bart Starr, Douglas MacArthur, Louis Pasteur...) I mainly only remember a few powerful scenes from these books. The most vivid by far is Houdini swimming under the water looking for a hole in the ice to escape, possibly hearing the voice of a dead relative to help guide him to safety. I can't remember the exact details, though. Some Houdini research is in my near future.

Can't wait to see this show!
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/index.php

2. Kwanzaa at the African Burial Ground In Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin (our book club selection for February), a character declares "New York kept going forward precisely because it didn't give a good g------ about what it had left behind." I think this is true to a point. New York often disregards history in favor of new things, more profitable things, or things that are simply different.

But there are still a few little corners of our city where things are preserved, places where you can think about all the other lives that made our current ones possible. Of these, the African Burial Ground is one of the most fascinating and important.

A must-visit for families, whether you make it during their Kwanzaa celebration (December 28) or not.
http://www.nps.gov/afbg/index.htm

3. The Museum of the City of New York Although it consistently has some of the most thoughtful and unique exhibits, this is a museum I visit far too little. I'm planning to go there as soon as possible to see their exhibit dedicated to Denys Wortman's newspaper drawings. http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/

Got some other ideas for beating the post-Hanukkah&Christmas / pre-New Year's blues? Send 'em to us. I'd especially like to pass on brainstorms for things to do in other cities.

L

January reading: Douglass, Genesis, Chabon

2010-12-20T18:58:00.008-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees will be beginning an ambitious year for our book club on January 1st. We'll not only be tackling texts related to our "Sing and Read the Civil War's 150th with the Deedle Deedle Dees" project, but also checking out some of our -- and our fans' -- favorite books about New York City in connection with the first performances of our stage musical, Major Deegan, How Ya Feelin'?

Here's what's on the itinerary for January:

My Life and My Bondage by Frederick Douglass - The first of our monthly Civil War selections. We'll be reading a different book every month throughout the five-year commeration of the war, many of them related to the histories of women, slaves and free blacks, new immigrants, and others whose stories aren't always given as much attention as military and political matters. Here's a link to the Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/My-Bondage-Freedom-ebook/dp/B002RKSZF8/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292889300&sr=1-11 You can also find this online for free -- or read the paper version like I will be.

The Old Testament - In 2011, I'm reading the entire Old Testament. There are many reasons why I've decided to include the OT in our Civil War study. Here are a few:

- As much of our study will center around the songs that were popular during the Civil War era, I want to better understand the sources of these tunes, many of which are religious. The most obvious examples of this are probably the many spirituals that refer directly to the Exodus story and other Biblical narratives.

-The Civil War generation knew the Bible. People of all ages, classes, and races were familiar with the stories in the Bible -- even people who didn't know how to read. I think understanding the Bible is important for understanding how these people thought.

- The Bible and the various systems of belief connected to it formed the basis of how people viewed death -- a constant, daily reality for the people who lived through the Civil War.

- I've been wanting to read the OT in its entirety for a while. The Civil War's anniversary is a good excuse to do so.

I'm going to be alternating between this edition http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-Augmented-Revised-Standard/dp/0195288807/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292889417&sr=1-3 and the King James. The former has great annotations. The King James is what Lincoln read.

I'm going to use this plan to discipline my reading so that I can finish in a yearhttp://www.bibleplan.org/#o1 It looks as good as any other, but if there's another you've used that you'd recommend, let me know.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon - The first of our monthly New York-related books, this is a great antidote to the January / winter / back-to-school-and-work blues. It's about fighting the Nazis, dealing with the Holocaust, creating comic books, living in NYC, surviving as a gay man in far less tolerant time, performing Houdini-esque escapes, and much more.

Download free sing-a-long album now!

2010-12-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

I just posted Sing-a-long with Lloyd of the Deedle Deedle Dees Vol. 1!

Go to this link: http://lloydmiller.bandcamp.com/

Enter your e-mail address and you can download the entire album for free right now.

Lloyd

Track listing for sing-a-long album (coming Friday, Dec. 17)

2010-12-15T19:45:00.002-05:00

By the end of the day this Friday, December 17th, I'll put a link here where you can download all these tracks for free. All these tunes were recorded live at my weekly sing-a-longs in Brooklyn over the past month or so.

1. You Are My Sunshine
2. Play Your Hand
3. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep
4. If You're Happy and You Know It
5. Nellie Bly
6. Wheels on the Bus
7. Big Trip
8. Skip to my Lou
9. I'm a Duck!
10. improvised tiger song
11. Acka Acka Lacka Lacka
12. Row Row Row Your Boat / She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain

Singing and reading the Civil War's 150th

2010-12-15T08:57:00.013-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are, as you might guess, pretty excited about all the stuff being planned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. We don't want to be left out of all this fun so we're kicking a massive project on January 1, 2011: a singing and reading club that will last for the next five years. We hope to create an amazing online resource for kids, teachers, history buffs, and anyone who's interested to learn about the Civil War in a new way. Here are some of the things we have planned:

Collecting and singing songs of the Civil War
This has long been an obsession of mine and now I want you all to join me. Send me sheet music, mp3s, videos, etc. I'm going to be putting videos of Civil War tunes on our YouTube channel for you to sing along with, use in your classrooms, etc. Spirituals, soldier songs, parlor ballads...

Reading the lesser-known histories of the war
I want to give special attention to the stories of women, the stories of slaves and free blacks, the stories of new immigrants, and other lesser-told tales. Right now, I'm collecting recommendations and gathering books for grown-up and kid reading lists. Tell me your favorites.

Reading Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy
I've never read the three-volume The Civil War: A Narrative and I think this is the right time. I'm going to start this April and try to sync up my readings to the anniversaries of the events. Do it with me! I'll be tweeting reading assignments (www.twitter.com/ulyssessdee).

Reading the entire Bible
An understatement: the Bible was very important to the Civil War generation.

I haven't read the Bible seriously since I was a high school kid in a religious high school. I want to use the occasion of the Civil War's 150th to read it again -- but I need some companionship to help me get through it. Join me. My project for 2011 is the Old Testament. I'll mostly be reading this translation http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-Augmented-Revised-Standard/dp/0195288807/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1292425041&sr=8-5. Occasionally I'll switch to the King James with Apocrypha (Lincoln's Bible). I'll probably start a new Twitter feed devoted solely to this project that offers daily reading assignments, links to songs related to the stories, links you send me, and more.

Shows
Special Civil War-themed shows. Of course! We'll let you know when they happen? Anybody work at Gettysburg? I'm trying to get a gig there on the big 150th.

We encourage all of you to join us in these projects. Yes, if you participate in all these, you'll often be reading three or more books at a time (Shelby Foote, the Old Testament, another adult history book or novel + whatever Civil War book your kid is reading). But what's wrong with that?

i'd like to know

so here I go...

again!

Lloyd

Set list for today's Holiday Variety Show

2010-12-11T14:13:00.010-05:00

Here's what we played at the Knitting Factory today along with links to sing-a-long versions on YouTube and/or links to album versions. Thanks to Isabel for hosting; Sam and Manu for doing the "Sam & Manu Show;" and Atticus for your mandolin playing!

The Deedle Deedle Dees Variety Show Theme Song

Skating in Old Bryant Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKndPaTb0HU

Henry Box Brown (from Freedom in a Box)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2

Oh, Hanukkah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQSMyeDwDx4

Jingle Bells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNcNpbWgMw

Dark Eyes (traditional tune) Great work on this, Atticus!
There are lots of great versions of this. To start, here's Django's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua-MWLJvGvM

Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga (from American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees)
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/8/uT-7sUm0CzU
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

Little Red Airplane (from AH + DD = DDD)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

Abbie, Abbie, Abbie (brand-new song about Abigail Adams -- video coming soon)

The Brooklyn Bridge Song (from AH + DD = DDD)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

We want you to hear American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees

2010-12-07T20:16:00.003-05:00

We feel like a lot of folks still haven't heard our album, American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees (released 2009). That makes me sad -- we worked so hard on this record and would love to put a free copy in the hands of every kid, parent, and teacher in the country.
Lacking the funds to do this, though, we're instead going to offer a couple of incentives this month to make sure a few more people hear this record:

1. It's only $10 on CDBaby til December 31st. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deedle3

2. If you bring your family to our show at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn this Saturday, December 11th, we'll give you a copy for FREE.

An admission: I did nothing to promote this record. I feel guilty about this because I think the record deserved to be promoted. But after years of taking our other two records to kid stores, mailing copies to the media (I sent our first album, Let It Dee, to Hillary Clinton, MTV, Willie Nelson, as well as every traditional press outlet I could find), creating events to sell the CDs, I was exhausted.

I decided instead to focus on my school programs, my songwriting, and all my Deedle Deedle Dees-related creative projects rather than spending all my time on the computer, the phone, and going door to door. I know these things are necessary in this business but I'm just so sick of it. I want to make great music and let someone else worry about getting it out to the public. I realize that I'm terrible at the commercial end of things and that I'm not going to get any better at it.

So, I'll keep writing songs about things I want to write songs about. And maybe you guys can help me get these tunes out to more people.

Look for my sing-a-long album within the next couple of weeks. It's the first of many free downloads I'm going to be putting up. In 2011 the Dees are going to be throwing tracks online like crazy.

I remain,
your obt svt,
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd)

Make a video of yourself reading the Gettysburg Address. Send it to us.

2010-11-16T19:59:00.006-05:00

We're making a video featuring various friends reading the Gettysburg Address for the anniversary this Friday, November 19th.

Read all or some of the text below. Look into the camera. Wear a top hat if you have one.

The Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivered this speech on Thursday, November 19, 1863 as part of a ceremony to dedicate the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Set list for today's bike-themed variety show

2010-11-13T14:55:00.002-05:00

Here's what we played at today's bike-themed variety show at the Knitting Factory:

The Deedle Deedle Dees Variety Show Theme Song

Henry Box Brown (from Freedom in a Box, 2007)

Penny Farthing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLdFZh-bLBE

Sojourner Truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhPYMfnJeQ

Big Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2M9R9wv-zA

The Brooklyn Bridge Song (from American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees, 2009)

Penny Farthing lyrics and chords

2010-11-08T16:36:00.009-05:00

Penny Farthing
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p) 2010

How to play video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3cTe-EpqTw

Capo fret 7

D D/C D/B D/A (repeat for each line of verse)
Saddle and the saddle spring
these are attached to the frame
all three are part of my lovely
penny farthing

if you want the wheel to spin
scoot into the seat
and then begin
to push the pedals
now take a trip on
penny farthing

C F
put a penny beside a farthing
G
the farthing's the bigger one
F C
and if you see a big wheel rolling
G
followed by a little one
F C
that just might be me & penny farthing
G
takin' in the winter sun
Dm
come say hello, man
F G
we're not late to see anyone

mustache handlebars allow
my legs to move free up and down
squeeze a handle
the spoon brake
stops my penny farthing

obstacles and sudden stops
can cause a header aka cropper
have you seen me fly facefirst
off penny farthing?

REAL CHORDS
(if you're playing a guitar w/o a capo or a different instrument)
verse: A A/G A/F A/E
chorus: G C D
C G D
C G D
Am C G

Recording of new sing-a-long album starts tomorrow... with you!

2010-11-01T13:35:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to make a sing-a-long album for years. Recording such a thing at home or in a studio is impossible. It sounds too stale. Or faked. My wife cringed once when I played her a home recording of "Old MacDonald" where I talked to a pretend sing-a-long crowd and exhorted them to sing-a-long. It was just lacking that particular energy that makes my sing-a-longs by far the most fun thing I do.

So starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 2) I'm going to try to record myself -- and you, if you happen to be there -- at the actual sing-a-long. I know there will be sound issues -- scraping chairs, screaming kids, out-of-tune voices right near the mic -- but I don't care. I'm going to record most of my sing-a-longs for the month of November so I have plenty to choose from. We'll sing not only traditional songs, but also classic and brand-new Dees tunes that lend themselves to a group sing-a-long treatment.

Now that it's suddenly cold again, it's a great time for sing-a-longs because the big crowds are returning (mainly, I think because it's too cold to go to the playground.) Come help us! We want your voices.

Your reward will be a brand-new sing-a-long album in early December that you can play throughout the rest of the winter. An album that will cost you nothing because I'm going to post the whole thing online for anyone to download at no cost.

Lloyd

The First Deedle Deedle Dees Show Ever

2010-10-31T12:44:00.004-04:00

Here's a quick sketch of our first show on October 31, 2003, at Schnack restaurant (formerly) on Union Street between Hicks and Columbia.

Help us fill in the missing details. What else did we play? Who was there? What did we wear? Anyone have any pictures?

Band:
Ulysses S. Dee (me, Lloyd) - guitar, kazoo, vocals
Innocent Dee (Anand Mukherjee) - guitar, vocals
Friar Dee (Tavo Carbone) - guitar, accordion, vocals
Nick Pichet (his Dee name escapes me) - cardboard box drums, percussion, vocals, guitar

Songs:
Scared by my own Costume
Anne Bonney
Babe Ruth
Ina Mina Dika
Jorge
Inki, Do, Inki, Don't
Mean-Talking Blues (Woody Guthrie cover by Nick)
Our Good Friend, the Yellow-Backed Turtle (Nick original)
The Werewolf (cover of _____ by Tavo)

- Harry Hawk, head chef at Schnack (and previously at Gowanus Yacht Club) booked us
- Late in the show, a teenage girl asked to play the drums and then wouldn't stop. She now works at Met Food on Henry Street (or did when I still lived in Carroll Gardens). She became a very nice cashier.

Everywhere we've ever played (in NYC)

2010-10-30T19:43:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is the 7th anniversary of the Deedle Deedle Dees! (I've been saying 8th -- but then realized that I was counting Halloweens rather than years)

On October 31, 2003, we played our first show at Schnack, a tiny -- and now out-0f-business-- restaurant in Carroll Gardens West / Columbia Waterfront District / Red Hook North. But more on this in another post...

What I'd really like to do right now is list-- starting with Schnack -- every venue we've ever played. We'll start with shows in the five boroughs. I'm sure I'll forget some. Will you help us remember by adding to this list via our Facebook wall (www.facebook.com/thedeedledeedledees) or doing an @ reply to us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ulyssessdee)?

Spots that sadly are no longer in operation say OOB (out of business) beside them. The list is roughly in chronological order so there are a lot of OOBs at the top.

We haven't listed schools or libraries, out-of-town shows, or private events (birthday parties, corporate stuff, fundraisers, etc that weren't open to the public). Schools, libraries, and out-of-town shows will all get their own future posts.

Brooklyn venues:
Schnack OOB
Sparky's Bar OOB
Diesel Gallery OOB
Cafe Boo Bah OOB
Freddy's Bar OOB, but returning in new location Jan. 2011!
Families First
Gumbo
Willy B's OOB
Atlantic Antic
The Hook OOB
Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX)
Carroll Park
Prospect Park (near Carousel and Lefferts House)
Southpaw
Cadman Plaza Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Playspot (is this place OOB?)
The Moxie Spot
Jalopy
Brooklyn Lyceum
Prospect Park Music Pagoda
The Knitting Factory
Brooklyn Promenade
Fort Greene Park
Pier 6

Manhattan venues:
Big Apple Circus
Symphony Space
Madison Square Park
The Knitting Factory (now relocated to Brooklyn)
92YTribeca
Battery Park
Riverside Park
Morningside Park
World Science Festival

Where else did you see us play? Send us schools and libraries and out-of-town shows also.

Underwater Halloween 10/30 setlist

2010-10-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

With the exception of "Gowanus Canal" -- which was part of my Songs of the Gowanus Canal cycle in a slightly different form -- all these songs are very new and have yet to appear on a Deedle Deedle Dees album.

1. The Deedle Deedle Dees Variety Show Theme Song

2. River of Blood
a song about the circulatory system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uRON9cjzKE

3. Gowanus Canal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2JYwjQXYX4

4. Wallabout Bay
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/5/28B654cAqJo

5. Dead Horse Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynOYownLcLI&feature=related

6. Henry Hudson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3RFA-o12c&feature=related

River of Blood lyrics

2010-10-28T12:07:00.001-04:00

River of Blood
a song about the circulatory system

words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2008, 2010

how to play video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uRON9cjzKE

The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, the River of Blood
it flows to your toes
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood

Oh, the River of Blood you can't put your bike in it
But the River of Blood -- lots of things to like in it
Amino acids and gases
blood cells and hormones
Veins bring blood back to the heart
And the arteries are how it goes

The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, ride the River of Blood
round the bend of your elbows
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood

Oh, the River of Blood the heart keeps pumping
that's why it flows
it pumps oxygenated blood to the body
deoxygenated blood to the lungs
2000 gallons a day
60,000 miles
The River of Blood could go around the world
two and a half times

The River of Blood keeps on flowin'
The River of Blood keeps on goin'
Oh, the River of Blood
it makes your cheeks glow
It's the River of Blood
That doggone River of Blood

Social Studies Songs on Demand

2010-10-25T09:38:00.003-04:00

Need a song to help you explain something? Tell us what you need and we'll write the tune and post it on YouTube within a week.

We won't write love songs, apologies to your spouse or boss, or other songs that you could write better yourself.

Instead, send us your needs related to social studies, math, science, literature, and other areas.

We're on a song-writing jag -- feed us.

"I am the beast. Feed me rappers or feed me beats."
- Lil Wayne

#todayslessonplan

2010-10-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

Lesson plans in 140 characters: Starting today we'll post a Deedle Deedle Dees-related lesson plan on Twitter. History and social studies will of course be our main focus but we're open to your suggestions.

All of this week's ideas will be connected to our Underwater Halloween show this Saturday, October 30.

www.twitter.com/ulyssessdee

Set lists, links for today's shows at Pier 6 (Oct 23)

2010-10-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

We met a lot of new people at our shows at the Harvest Festival at the Pier 6 playground (Brooklyn Heights) today. Welcome! Thanks for coming!

Many of you wanted to know more about our songs, where they could hear more, etc.

So, for everyone we met today who's new to the Deedle Deedle Dees -- as well as everyone who's been with us for a while and might be interested-- we've posting complete set lists for both of today's shows as well as links to where you can buy CDs, watch videos, or read about the stuff we sing about.

Every song marked FIAB is on our 2007 release, Freedom in a Box. Songs with the AH+RR next to them are on our 2009 record, American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees. These albums can both be purchased via the Deedle Deedle Dees page on CDBaby (http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheDeedleDeedleDees), iTunes, or many other online sources.

Songs without an album label are newer songs that are yet to be recorded formally.

Songs with YouTube links are on our video channel. Many are simple sing-a-long versions recorded in my living room. A few are live concert cuts or other versions featuring more Dees (e.g., there are several videos of Moby, Booker, and myself playing tunes at the street pianos that were placed around the city not long ago).

Lyrics: The words to nearly all these songs can be found on this blog. Just search for the song title at the top of the page. If you can't find the lyrics to a song you want, let us know and we'll post them.

11am set:
Sojourner Truth
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/2/hfhPYMfnJeQ

Henry Box Brown FIAB

Growl Growl AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/29/ArtVeLfL2gU

Wallabout Bay
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/5/28B654cAqJo

Baldy FIAB

Dead Horse Bay Only three days old -- lyrics are up on this blog, video on the way

John Muir AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/11/VRXbHgpjacc

Bring 'Em In AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/25/qU3_-L4Pksw

Major Deegan FIAB
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/0/Z31VuZeWuH4

12noon set:
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/8/uT-7sUm0CzU

Birds of America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DY75o0PXao

Little Red Airplane AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oct7_K2XrPs

Zora Many Hands for Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/f/0/G8V8aMtMC2M

Henry Hudson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3RFA-o12c&feature=related

Nellie Bly FIAB
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/1/B_uDMQZQ7dI

¡Sí Se Puede! AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/28/uPJW1u2YcD4

Battle of Brooklyn
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/14/6B7M3Y5BCek

Put on the Dress AM+RR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfwHRTweacE

Brooklyn Bridge Song AM+RR

Dead Horse Bay lyrics

2010-10-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Dead Horse Bay
words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2010
inspired by Underwater New York's Dead Horse Bay exhibit: http://underwaternewyork.com/category/body-of-water/dead-horse-bay-body-of-water/

Rough draft video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKzLMdI5v4

how to play "Dead Horse Bay": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynOYownLcLI

Broken baby dolls and animal bones
that's what I found at Dead Horse Bay
Pets used to come here
and leave as glue
So if you hear a bark or neigh...

Put your Leopard-skin pocketbook on your shoulder... now sashay
Fill up your wooden pipe even though it's far decayed
Shake your silver rattle, don't listen to the sound
Pour your tea before the spout falls to the ground

Dead Horse Bay
Can Sitar Boy sing without a head?
Dead Horse Bay
Can a heel from a shoe walk without a leg?

These are the things we found while walking one day
along the beach at Dead Horse Bay
I'd like to come here,
leave as glue
hold together the next thing you make

Songs for tomorrow (lots of them)

2010-10-22T20:39:00.001-04:00

Here's the list of songs I just sent the other Dees. We're playing two full sets at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (at Atlantic Ave) tomorrow so we're going to try to play as many tunes as possible, not repeating anything. Except maybe "Major Deegan" -- the kids who come to my sing-a-longs won't let me go a whole set without the tune they call "Honk Honk."

Some of the new tunes topping the list are being tested out for our underwater-themed variety show a week from tomorrow. Come watch us mess them up so you can really appreciate them next weekend!

Dead Horse Bay
Wallabout Bay
Gowanus Canal
Henry Hudson
Birds of America
Battle of Brooklyn
Zora

Little Red Airplane
Growl Growl
John Muir
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
Put on the Dress
Major Deegan
The Brooklyn Bridge Song
Sojourner Truth
Henry Box Brown
Nellie Bly
Baldy
¡Sí Se Puede!
Bring 'Em In

"Holiday" stories

2010-10-14T12:50:00.001-04:00

Are you a Jew who decorates a Christmas tree? A Christian who lights a Menorah? An agnostic who does both? Are you someone whose family has developed a unique holiday tradition that gathers from a variety of cultural and religious sources?

Send us your stories! The Deedle Deedle Dees are doing a "holiday show" on December 11 and we want everyone, no matter what they celebrate (or don't celebrate), to feel welcome. Erase from your mind the holiday specials you saw on TV as a child. We're not going to put on sweaters and sing that song about chestnuts. Instead, we're creating a holiday event from scratch with your help. We want to know about the special things that you and your family do in the months of December and January, a time when, no matter what you believe or where you're from, things in our country slow down and there are opportunities for rest, reflection, and re-connection.

Try to think of things that you and those you love do that anyone, anywhere in the world can appreciate. Ways that you show that you care for each other. Things that you do in your community that bring you together.

If you live in New York -- or you're going to be visiting the city the weekend of our show -- we might ask you to tell your story onstage. We might turn your story into a song. Or you can turn your own story into song. We're starting the planning on this show early so that we can gather a lot of ideas and create a really meaningful event.

We look forward to hearing your stories!

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

The Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show
December Edition: Holiday Show!
December 11, 2010
11am
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
bk.knittingfactory.com

Win a free concert for your school!

2010-10-11T20:36:00.000-04:00

We're having a costume contest at our October 30th variety show! The kid with the best underwater-themed costume will win a free concert for their school by me, Lloyd Miller (AKA Ulysses S. Dee).

Saturday, October 30th
11am
The Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show
Underwater Halloween!
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Costume Contest Rules:

1. You must be 12 or under to enter
2. Your costume must have some sort of underwater theme to it. There are all sorts of characters that could fit this description: sharks, pirate ghosts, squid, bubbles, starfish...
3. You can't be a member of the immediate family of any of the performers -- not even the kid performers.
4. You must buy a ticket to our Oct 30 show at the Knitting Factory and appear in person to be eligible to enter (no entries by e-mail, etc.)
5. You must sign up as an official contestant at the beginning of the event.

PRIZES:
First prize: A free 45-minute concert at your school. Not in school yet? We'll figure out another non-profit organization or community group for the performance. Sorry, no birthday parties or other private events. Lloyd does perform at birthdays, but the concert that we're giving away at this show must be for a school or other organization that we approve.

Second prize: Free family ticket ($20 value) to our next Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show on November 13th (featuring musical guest Rachel Lipson and author Robert Sullivan)

Third prize: Signed copies of our last two albums, American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees and Freedom in a Box.

Costumes will be judged by a small panel selected day of show.

Camperdown Elm

2010-10-10T20:22:00.003-04:00

Camperdown Elm

words and music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2004, 2011

Camperdown Elm, branches so crooked
Camperdown Elm, branches so low
Camperdown Elm, you're funny lookin'
But I want to sing to ya like Marianne Moore

I sing...
Low, low, low branches grow
on the Camperdown Elm in the Brooklyn borough
Grow, grow, grow branches grow
but, Camperdown, keep 'em crooked
Camperdown, keep 'em low

Camperdown Elm, grafted in Scotland
Camperdown Elm, two elms combined
Camperdown Elm, sick and soon dying
Camperdown Elm, we saved you with rhymes

Now we sing...
Low, low, low branches grow
on the Camperdown Elm in the Brooklyn borough
Grow, grow, grow branches grow
but, Camperdown, keep 'em crooked
Camperdown, keep 'em low

I wrote this song when I was teaching the Nature Babies program in Brooklyn's Prospect Park a few years ago. Story as I heard it is this: on the estate of the Earl of Camperdown in Scotland, an elm's twisty branches were growing along the ground. His gardener grafted this tree onto another type of elm and created a new "mutant" tree. This new type of tree was still super twisty -- and the branches still threatened to touch the ground -- but at least they were now up in the air like a proper tree. This was the Camperdown Elm, a very unique-looking tree that wouldn't be out of place in a Lord of the Rings film. The Earl gave one of his singular trees to Prospect Park at some point. You can see it by entering the park on the east side at Lincoln Road.

In the 1960s, the Camperdown Elm was dying. Often, given how swift and brutal elm disease can be, ravaging every tree nearby, elms are just cut down when they first show signs of illness. But when the Camperdown Elm got sick, concerned citizens -- aided by a Marianne Moore poem hailing it as "our crowning curio" -- managed to convince officials that this tree was different and worthy of being saved.

photo by Lloyd Miller

Birds of America lyrics

2010-10-10T20:12:00.001-04:00

Birds of America
words & music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2010

Watch a rough-draft version of this brand-new song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/u/14/7DY75o0PXao

Birds of America don't care-oh
How they look in pictures
Well maybe sparrows
the coot is vain
so's the black cap titmouse
Creeping warblers complain
but not like the screech owl

If they'd been alive to see themselves drawn
what would they have to say about John James Audubon?

Other creatures would be flattered
to see themselves in handsome books,
postcards and calendars
But birds are fickle, fancy fellows
a canary'll take you to court over a shade of yellow

If they'd been allowed to critique his work
Would his name still be synonymous with birds?

Would the Grey-Crowned Purple Finch take offense?
Or the Least Peewee Flycatcher be incensed?
Can't you see Bonaparte's gull now, hand to his breast?
And we've all seen bob-o-links and vireos bothered by less

Never a man to hunt birds for sport
Audubon still ate some Birds of America
after he finished up their portraits

What we're gonna play Sunday

2010-10-07T12:33:00.000-04:00

We're excited about the brand-new show we've put together for 92YTribeca this Sunday. Here are the tunes we worked on yesterday. We'll be playing all of them.

Showtime: 11am. Be there.

Thoreau and Thoreau
Birds of America
Camperdown Elm
Growl Growl
Henry Hudson
John Muir
Teddy Days
I'm a Duck
Sway (like trees do)
Gowanus Canal

I'll put putting up YouTube videos of all the songs above that aren't already posted. Will try to have them all up by Saturday.

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

¡Sí Se Puede! lyrics

2010-09-24T17:53:00.002-04:00

¡Sí Se Puede!
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, and Anand Mukherjee
(c) (p) 2009

Spanish translation by Greg Helmick and Roger Miller

César Chávez said
Today I will not eat.
No grapes, no rice, no beans
No tomatoes, potatoes... just water

César Chávez said
the people are abused
on the farms that make our food
I won't eat anything til they do

He fasted for
1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 10 days
but he wasn't done
He said no food please
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
18. 19,
20 - 25 (in Spanish)

César Chávez decía
Hoy no voy a comer.
Ni uvas, ni arroz, ni frijoles
Ni jitomates, ni papas, nomás* agua

Spanish words that follow say roughly the same thing as English words above.

César Chávez decía
La gente es maltratada
En las granjas que nos dan la comida
No comeré antes que el cosechero.

El ayunó uno dos tres cuatro cinco
Seis siete ocho nueve diez once días
Pero no había terminado.
Fue sin comer día y noche once doce catorce
Quince dieciséis diecisiete
Dieciocho
Diecinueve
20-25.

Sojourner Truth lyrics

2010-09-24T17:53:00.001-04:00

Sojourner Truth
words by Charlotte Banigan-White and Lloyd Miller
music by Lloyd Miller
(c) (p) 2008

Sojourner Truth traveled up the mountain
and the moon was right behind her
she looked down the mountain
at those who tried to stop her

The moon looked like a light
and shined on Sojourner Truth
Where she's going
you're invited too

Zora lyrics

2010-09-24T17:52:00.002-04:00

Zora
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, and Anand Mukherjee
(c) (p) 2010

Zora
Z-z-z-z-Zora
Zingin' zongz in Zorida
Zatz what zee WPA paid her for-a

Zora
Z-z-z-z-Zora
Singin' songs
and collectin' stories
in the land of Okeechobee

Z! for the sound at the end of Evergladz
O! O-o-o- Okeechobee hurricane
R! Recordin' things people never heard before
A! As in shake, shake it shake it do the Teacake

Zora
Z-z-z-z-Zora
In F-L-A, she made Janie and Teacake
her ethnographic work took her all over the Southern states
Zora
and her recorda
Listenin' to rituals in Haiti and Jamaica
You should hear what she heard
Marty, cue the tape up!

Z! For the "z" in Their EyeZ Were Watching God
O! O-o- Okeechobee, way down South in the swamp
R! He jumped in for Janie got bit by a rabid dog
A! Subway, Did you see me cry for Teacake?

Little Red Airplane lyrics

2010-09-24T17:52:00.001-04:00

Little Red Airplane
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, and Anand Mukherjee
(c) (p) 2009

First time she saw a plane
She said "That's not interesting."
"Just rusted wire and wood"
Ten years before she stood...

With a friend at a stunt plane show
Little airplane toward her dove
She said "That little red airplane
had something to say to me"

Little Red... Little Red Airplane! (etc)

On her first Atlantic flight
she was a passenger not a pilot
"I was baggage, a sack of potatoes..."
Maybe next time I'll try it solo
in a...

Little Red... Little Red Airplane! (etc)

Now Newfoundland is where she took
Ireland is where she took her hat off
"Have you flown far?" asked the farmer
she said, "Uh, yeah... America..."

This time the plane was white
Plan was trans-navigational flight
That means take off in one place
Fly the world around
Land in the same place
Meet the crowds
In a...

Little Red... Little Red Airplane! (etc)

Somewhere between Asia and Hawaii
Amelia's radio went silent
But if you look up
You can still see her flying
Speak up! She's flying pretty high in a...

Little Red... Little Red Airplane! (etc)

Baldy lyrics

2010-09-24T17:51:00.000-04:00

Baldy
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, and Anand Mukherjee
(c) (p) 2007

CHORUS
Baldy! Not dead yet!
Shot him down
He came back again
Baldy! They dug up his grave!
His head hangs in Philly, PA

Are you dead, Baldy?
Nay nay nay nay... (etc)

George Meade rode me
at Getty-B and An-T-T-
The Deedle Deedle Dees wrote these rhymes for me
but I don't like sayin' 'em... I'm old!
Yo, horses don't like gettin' their heads cut off
and hung up in museums so people can look at us
They like battles and bullets and gettin' shot
I got 14 slugs.. Fitty, how many you got?

CHORUS

Thought I was dead but they found me grazin'
in a nearby pasture
they was cleanin' up the place
Antietam, it wasn't pretty
Some places couldn't see the grass
there was so many bodies... Yo!

I'd like to take this moment to give a neigh
to the deceased Cincinnati
Good lookin' out for USG
And what about the horse they used to call Rienzi
later Winchester, carried Phillip Sheridan
rode so fast Confederates never touched a hair 'a him
And, Traveler, even though you carried Robert E. Lee,
I hope you can hear me...

Neigh neigh neigh neigh neigh...

CHORUS

John Muir, fall leaves, dancing ducks...

2010-09-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

We've decided to turn our October 10th show at 92Y Tribeca into a big celebration of the natural world. We'll sing songs about people who love the outdoors (John Muir, Thoreau), our favorite birds (ducks, starlings, pigeons -- New York City birds!), falling leaves, and more.

Graduates of my Prospect Park Nature Babies program (sadly discontinued), please come help the newbies learn all the dance moves I taught you.

See you there!

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

Let It Dee (the original nutso demo)

2010-09-15T23:07:00.000-04:00

Our first album, Let It Dee, is out of print. About five people know that there is another album by this name that was never printed (and hopefully never will be). I just found one of the surviving CD-Rs of this strange document while organizing some long-untouched discs. Here's a track listing:

1. Ina Mina Dika (living room demo) 2:42
2. Scared by my own Costume (weirdo voices) 3:17
3. Fool Sandwich (echoes of kazoo) 4:12
4. Jorge 2:11
5. Free as a Turd (mouth drum) 1:58
6. Rearview Tavo 3:31
7. Babe Ruth (brushes, kazoo) 3:56
8. I Got No Skillz (featuring Mildew) 3:18
9. Dee Theme I (Flood?) 7:27
10. Aaron Burr (out of breath) 4:04
11. Pancakes with Your Mom (Bridge Bridge) 2:33
12. Jorge (instrumental) 2:29
13. Tavo and Muk 2:09
14. Scared by my own Costume (even worse) 2:45
15. Free as a Turd (ha ha, acoustic) 2:18
16. He Writes Big 2:55
17. Gil the Pill 0:58
18. Inky Do, Inky Don't 2:22
19. Let's Get Rough 1:43
20. Bull of Heaven 2:17
21. We Are The Scorpions 1:25
22. What's Your Sad Face For? 3:04
23. Bernice (featuring Paul Reyes + LLoyd) 3:10

Some brief explanations (before we let this recording disappear forever):

"Jorge" was the signature song of Anand (Innocent Dee) when I first met him. I nearly fell off a Brooklyn rooftop laughing the first time I heard him play it.

"Mildew" is one of the many ill-advised personas I took on in my pre-Dee days. Mildew hosted variety shows and would boast of being the "worst rapper in America."

"He Writes Big" is a tune I wrote for a student film called Big Albert by Sonny Quinn. About a kid who can only write big. Really big.

Tracks 17-22 are from the musical I co-wrote with some second graders in 2003 based on the Epic of Gilgamesh. Not long after I decided to start the Dees. We played some of these tunes at the first couple of Dees shows.

"Bernice" isn't a Dees song. It was written by our friend Paul Reyes (who gave us the original idea for "Henry Box Brown") Like many songs of the era, it deals with dogs, the Amish, and a woman whose life has spiraled out of control. I play drums (very very very badly) on the track.

Battle of Brooklyn lyrics

2010-09-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

Battle of Brooklyn
words and music (c) (p) Lloyd Miller 2007

chorus
Ba-ba-ba-baba- Battle of Brooklyn (repeat)

verse 1
Brooklyn...
The British came over in boats
from Staten Island at the Narrows
back then there was no Verrazananana-nanananana...

verse 2
Brooklyn...
Twas at the Donegan Oak
the rebels held the high ground
and the redcoats were slowed
but it wasn't long
'fore they were on their way to Park Slope!

verse 3
Brooklyn...
The corner of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue
back then was high ground that Washington used
to watch the rebels' bold attack
and then the redcoats redcoats drove 'em back

The rebels took the Old Stone House
and then the redcoats redcoats drove 'em out

Few left alive
but there was just enough time
for Washington and the rest of the rebels to run to Jersey at night

Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B7M3Y5BCek

Hilary Mantel: The Best Author Alive

2010-09-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

I do most of my reading on the subway. Used to, before I had kids and their accompanying strollers, backpacks, lunchboxes, diaper bags, etc., I would regularly brave the train with huge hardcover books. I remember some particularly good workouts I got with a biography of Daniel Webster (a book that I ended up leaving in a cab before I finished it).

These days, though, I always wait for everything in paperback. That rule-- and the fact that I haven't succumbed to a Kindle -- is why I'm probably the only person I know who has not read Hilary's Mantel's Wolf Hall. As soon as I read a few sentences about it I knew that it was a book that I had to read. But I refused to break my paperback rule, even for such a book. Instead I delved into Mantel's early work starting with A Place of Greater Safety, one of the books on the Deedle Deedle Dees fall reading list.

A Place of Greater Safety is a book about the French Revolution, an absolute masterpiece of historical fiction. For me personally, it was also a turning point in my reading life. Before this book, which I read earlier this year, I found myself lifelessly turning the pages of current novels that critics and friends adored but that I found terribly boring. Even my beloved history books had lost their appeal. I kept reading them, but mostly out of obligation and compulsion.

I won't say anything further about A Place of Greater Safety except that you must read it. It saved my reading life. I'm now back to devouring every book I see -- bad books, great books, everything is fun again.

Also very worth your time are two very different books by Ms. Mantel: Beyond Black and Every Day is Mother's Day. Again I'll say very little about either except that both are ghost stories (of a kind). Read this New Yorker piece if you need more info:http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/07/25/050725crbo_books1 Actually, if you can wait, read one of Ms. Mantel's books before you read this article. It's far more fascinating to find out about her real self once you've met some of her fictional ones.

Wolf Hall, by the way, just came out in paperback. As soon as I finish Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder (the Deedle Deedle Dees book club selection for September) you know what I'll be reading. (More on Kidder's book in a future post)

LM (USD)

Help us promote our show for Haiti!

2010-08-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

Here's the brand-new poster for Many Hands, a family concert to benefit Haiti. The show is part of our variety show series at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

In addition to the Deedle Deedle Dees, the event will also feature Dog on Fleas and Gustafer Yellowgold. We've all contributed tracks to the Many Hands album (so did Pete Seeger, Randy Kaplan, Lunch Money, Dan Zanes, TMBG, Elizabeth Mitchell and many others).

Download this image and print it out (let us know if you can't -- we'll e-mail you the jpg). Hang it up in your favorite local business. Or on the front of your house. And of course bring your whole family to the show!

always
your obt svt,
USD

Major Deegan lyrics and chords

2010-08-10T22:55:00.000-04:00

A mom wrote today asking for the chords to "Major Deegan" so that she could strum and sing it with her boys. We've actually had this request a number of times before and I'm only just now getting around to posting them.

Any other songs you'd like to learn? Let me know and I'll post the changes.

If you'd like to play along with me, visit SingalongwithLloyd on YouTube. There are two versions of "Major Deegan," one solo, one with Chris on the banjo.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd#p/a/u/0/Z31VuZeWuH4

Major Deegan
words and music by Lloyd Miller (BMI)
(c) (p) 2007
All Rights Reserved

Capo fret 1

C
Honk honk
Am
Woo ooh Woo ooh

downstrum G 4X

C
Major Deegan, how ya feelin'?
Am C
I'm feelin' slow
C
West Side Highway, goin' my way
Am Em
No no no no no no

F Am Em G
The Emperor of Traffic says no
F Am
to the Brooklyn Bridge
Em G C
the Cross-Bronx, the BQE, and the Triborough

Honk honk
Woo ooh Woo ooh

GW, lowa or uppa?
It's 30 minutes in both ways
Jackie Ro-Ro, where do I go?
I don't know know know know know know know

The Emperor of Traffic has control
of the Williamsburg Bridge,
the Van Wyck, the FDR, the Verraza-na-no
No no no...

instrumental:
C Am Em G (2X)
F Am Em G (2X)

Major Deegan, how ya feelin'?
Belt Parkway, how ya been?
LIE, how dost ye be?
Why do I talk to the roads
when, Emperor of Traffic, you alone,
can answer my question:
"Tonight, how do I get home?"

Botanical ABCs

2010-07-29T13:28:00.000-04:00

I compiled this for my sing-a-longs at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden yesterday. These are all real plants that grow there. I stuck mainly to the common names rather than the scientific ones I'm unable to pronounce, much less sing.

There were so many families there, though, I decided to scuttle my hello song that would have featured the names of all the kids present + plants that start with the same first letters (the song would have been several hours long -- I only saw a couple of toddlers and dads in Dead shirts who would have appreciated this excess).

See if you can find a plant that starts with the same letter as your name. Send it to me if you'd like me to include your name and plant in my upcoming YouTube video of "BBG," the song I didn't get to sing.

A is for artichoke thistle and andean fire
B is for butterfly weed
C is for crepe myrtle, castor bean, and cherry trees
D is for daffodils
E is for echinacea
F is for forsythias
G is for Graham thomas and George burns (common names for two flowers, no kidding)
H is for honeysuckle rose
I is for iris and indigo
J is for jimsomweed
K is for kew blue and kiwi
L is for lilies and lilacs
M is for Maggie Bell Slocum and magnolias
N is for Nathan Hale (another personified flower) and Norwich Castle
O is for orchid
P is for papaver somniferum (poppy)
Q is for quercus
R is for roses and rhododendrons
S is sacred lotus and sunflower
T is for tulips
U is for uvularia
V is for violetta and vase vine
W is for water lily, wisteria, witch-hazel, and wildflowers
X is for Xanthosoma
Y is a letter I need some from a gardener on
Z is for zinnia

Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

Until I post this new tune, check out a bunch of other fun sing-a-long stuff here:
www.youtube.com/singalongwithlloyd

Fort Greene Pop Quiz: Online Edition

2010-07-28T14:59:00.000-04:00

If you missed the Fort Greene Pop Quiz at the Deedle Deedle Dees concert in Fort Greene Park this morning, you can take it online right now. Answers will be posted tomorrow.

To take the quiz, go to our Facebook page. Click "LIKE." Then post your answers on our wall or send them to me at thedeedledeedledees@yahoo.com. If you get all three questions correct, we'll send you a free gift.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Deedle-Deedle-Dees/121327638088

Fort Greene Pop Quiz

2010-07-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing Fort Greene Park tomorrow. During the show we'll be giving a pop quiz on your knowledge of Fort Greene's history. Top scorers will receive a free copy of American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees.

This quiz will by no means be comprehensive. It will focus on the sort of things the Deedle Deedle Dees like to sort through in our heads. Long-time fans can probably guess what these things are, but if you'd like to be prepared for specific questions, visit our Facebook page and our Twitter feed for clues.

http://twitter.com/ulyssessdee

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Deedle-Deedle-Dees/121327638088

See you tomorrow!

The Deedle Deedle Dees
10am
Weds, July 28
Fort Greene Park
Brooklyn
New York
USA

FREE!

I remain
your obt svt,
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd)

Prison ships, birds covered in oil... Sea shanties, Deedle Deedle Dees-style

2010-07-14T15:58:00.000-04:00

I just finished two songs I've been working on for a bit:

"Wallabout Bay"
From the point of view of bones buried beneath the prison ship monument in Fort Greene Park... We'll debut the tune at our show there on July 28th.

"Everybody Looks the Way That I Do"
A bluesy tune sung by birds, turtles, and other Gulf residents covered in crude. The Dees have always avoided current events for some reason. Maybe it's my fear of confrontation-- I like my controversies situated well in the past. But this song just kept coming back to me, demanding to be sung.

The band probably won't have time to rehearse before we play these songs live for the first time so I'm just going to put some videos up on YouTube so that the other Dees can learn them. Look for them in a couple of days -- you can learn them along with us.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd

your obt svt,
LM (USD)

Family Music with the Deedle Deedle Dees this summer

2010-06-27T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone--I wanted to let you know about all the family music stuff we're doing this summer:

CONCERTS
The Deedle Deedle Dees will be doing concerts in NYC and beyond. Here are our two New York dates:

Tuesday, July 6th, in Madison Square Park at 10:30am https://www.madisonsquarepark.org/programs/madsqkids.aspx

Wednesday, July 28th in Fort Greene Park at 10am
http://www.fortgreenepark.org/events.html

And we'll also be in Massachusetts and Kentucky (and probably one stop in between KY and NY):

Saturday, July 17th-- Green River Festival -- Greenfield, MA
http://www.greenriverfestival.com/

Saturday, July 31st -- Applebee's Park -- Lexington, KY

Saturday, August 21st -- Many Hands CD release party -- Somerville, MA http://www.artsatthearmory.org/

More dates TBA

WORKSHOPS
I'm doing two more nature and music workshops this summer. They're on July 28th at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden at 6 and 7pm. Ages 1 and up. Songs, stories, nature walk. It's awesome. More details soon.

VIDEOS
In response to your requests, I keep posting more videos on our sing-a-long YouTube channel. Let me know what else you'd like me to put up there. http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd

Hope to see you soon,
Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

www.thedeedledeedledees.com
http://twitter.com/ulyssessdee
facebook: search for "deedle deedle dees"
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd

Keep voting for the Dees until July 6th -- Nickelodeon awards voting period extended

2010-06-18T00:35:00.000-04:00

Hi Dees fans,
Nickelodeon has extended the nomination period for their Parents Picks awards. That means you can keep voting for the Deedle Deedle Dees every day until July 6th.

We're eligible in two categories:

Best Kids Music CD
for our album, American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees. You'll find it under "t" for "The."

Best Party Entertainer
Many of you have hired me, Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller), for your party. You can vote for me as "The Deedle Deedle Dees (Rock for Kids!)" Also under "t."

You can nominate us once a day, every day, from now until JULY 6th at www.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks.

If you're having trouble figuring out how to vote, here's what you do:

• To vote for our album -->Click on "Products," then "kids music CD." You'll find our album there.

• To vote for Lloyd and the Deedle Deedle Dees for party entertainter--->Click on "Places," then "New York City," then "party entertainter. You'll find the band name there.

By the way, you have to join Nickelodeon Parents Connect to vote. You can choose to receive no communication from them in the future -- it's a painless membership.

see you soon,
Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

next show:
Brooklyn Promenade (north end)
this Saturday, June 19
11:30 am
our first completely acoustic show in years
FREE

New sing-a-long videos just posted on our sing-a-long YouTube channel!
http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd

www.thedeedledeedledees.com

The Deedle Deedle Dees LIVE, ACOUSTIC, INTERACTIVE (and free!)

2010-06-16T10:24:00.001-04:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing a free outdoor show this Saturday. We're playing totally acoustic (no mics or anything) and will be bringing instruments for the kids to play. Should be super-fun.

The Deedle Deedle Dees
LIVE, ACOUSTIC, INTERACTIVE (and free!)
Saturday, June 19th
11:30am
The Brooklyn Promenade (north end)

By the way, I just posted some brand-new videos on our sing-a-long YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SingalongwithLloyd

your obt svt,
Lloyd (Ulysses S. Dee)

www.thedeedledeedledees.com

Last variety show of the spring this Saturday

2010-05-04T23:40:00.000-04:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees are hosting our final variety show of the spring this Saturday, May 8th. We'll resume this monthly event in September.

This week is our Fela show. Nothing more to say. You have to come.

The Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show
Fela Kuti edition
this Saturday, May 8th
11am
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn

featuring:
The Deedle Deedle Dees

Roy Nathanson (Jazz Passengers, Lounge Lizards, Sotto Voce) and his son Gabe Nathanson

Tony Jarvis (sax player for Broadway hit musical, Fela!)

Brooklyn preschoolers performing an original Fela-style protest song they wrote with Ulysses S. Dee

www.thedeedledeedledees.com
http://bk.knittingfactory.com/

New variety show poster... Want one?

2010-04-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

Would you like a copy of our super bad new poster for the May edition of the Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show? We'll mail you one. In fact, we'll mail you two. But there's a catch, you must hang one of the posters up in a public (and legal) place somewhere in the five boroughs. Preferably in the window of a business you frequent -- a cafe, kids boutique, etc.

Just send Lloyd a note at thedeedledeedledees@yahoo.com if you'd like to take us up on our offer. Do it now. The show is less than two weeks away!

This poster was created by Jim Paul, AKA James Paul. He designed the sleeve for American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees. He's also doing all our posters these days. Check him out at www.jamespaul.org. He also fronts the ultimate NYC psychadelic garage band, Undersea Explosion http://www.myspace.com/usx

And, yes, Jim is also the voice of Baldy on Freedom in a Box.

New write-up of variety show on Mommy Poppins

2010-03-28T23:20:00.000-04:00

Mommy Poppins is a very easy-to-use site for parents looking for activities, products, etc. Their daily updates are especially well done.

They recently wrote this about our variety show:

http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/dont-miss-deedle-deedle-dees-family-variety-shows-american-history-rocks-at-deedle-d

New posts related to our variety show themes coming soon. April is our baseball show -- expect lots of useless, but awesome trivia.

L

New review up on Out With the Kids

2010-03-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

This is a cool, very thorough site written by a dad in Pennsylvania. Spend some time there after you read this review, which has lots of good links to learn more about our song subjects.

http://owtk.com/2010/03/american-history-rock-n-roll-the-deedle-deedle-dees-kids-cd-review/

Lloyd

Book club meeting for East to the Dawn

2010-03-18T19:56:00.002-04:00

Our book club for East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Susan Butler will meet the week of April 5th. We're going to meet at Sycamore, a cozy bar on Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, one night. We also might have a meeting at Book Court on Court Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Check here for meeting times.

Our April book will be about baseball. I'm waiting to hear from Book Court (our favorite local bookstore) can order copies of Only the Ball Was White by Robert Peterson. It's wonderful, but I want to make sure it's still back in print (it was out for a while, then back).

Lloyd

Fela in May

2010-03-18T19:56:00.001-04:00

Our long-awaited Fela Kuti-themed variety show is definitely set for May 8th. We had to push the show back in order to have enough time to work with the Brooklyn preschoolers who are writing a song with us for the show.

As I've mentioned, we're going to be joined at this event by members of the cast of Fela! www.felaonbroadway.com

Yes!

Lloyd

April variety show: Baseball!

2010-03-18T19:55:00.001-04:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show is going to celebrate the start of the season with a baseball program on April 10th. We're trying to get some players from the Brooklyn Cyclones to join us as well as a representative of the new Jackie Robinson museum they're opening on Varick Street. Let us know if you can help us with either of these things.

L

Our new variety show debuts this Saturday!

2010-03-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees Family Variety Show

Debut show: Little Red Airplane!
A celebration of Women Who Fly, Fight, Write, and Rock!

FEATURING:
- The Deedle Deedle Dees performing songs about Nellie Bly, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Hanson Robinson, Sojourner Truth, Emily Roebling, Susan B. Anthony, and other women we admire. We'll also be performing a brand-new song based on Mathilda and the Orange Balloon by Randall de Sève!

- Randall de Sève, author of Toy Boat, reading from her new book, Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

- Kid singers and emcees

- The Red Hook Ramblers!

- Ali Hammer!

- Free balloons (orange ones, of course!)

- A goodie bag for every family

The Knitting Factory 361 Metropolitan Ave Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

$10 a person, $20 a family

upcoming variety shows: April 10, May 8

www.knittingfactory.com
www.thedeedledeedledees.com

The Deedle Deedle Dees / Red Hook Ramblers Winter Tour

2010-02-19T12:28:00.001-05:00

The Deedle Deedle Dees and the Red Hook Ramblers are starting our two-week tour of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas this week. Below is the full schedule, including evening performances.

Who are the Red Hook Ramblers? The Ramblers are NYC's premier Dixieland band. Chris Johnson (AKA Booker Dee) plays banjo and piano with them. On our new album, the Ramblers play the horn parts on "Growl Growl," "Xu Lapi Knewel, New Jersey," and "Bring 'Em In." On the road, they'll be adding horns, guitars, lap steel, banjo, and other stuff to many more songs. And at night, the Deedle Deedle Dees will turn into their back-up band, performing old-timey jazz, blues, and other great party music. www.redhookramblers.com

Key to schedule below:
DDDs = Family concert featuring the Deedle Deedle Dees. Open to the public. Ages 0 and up.
RHRs = Old-time jazz/ blues/ soul / more. Nothing inappropriate for kids, but most of these shows will conflict with bedtime

Tuesday, Feb. 23 - Cleveland, OH
DDDs: Cleveland Heights Library 7pm (school-aged show)
www.heightslibrary.org
Weds, Feb. 24 - Cleveland, OH
DDDs: Cleveland Heights Library 11am (preschool show)
www.heightslibrary.org

Thurs, Feb. 25th - Knoxville, TN
DDDs: WDVX Blue Plate Special 12noon
Live radio taping with audience! They said we could invite a couple of elementary school classes but we haven't yet -- know any schools within walking distance of this studio?
http://www.wdvx.com/programs/blueplate.html

Fri, Feb. 26th - Little Rock, AR
DDDs - School shows all day
DDDs live on KARN News Radio, details soon

Sat, Feb. 27th - Little Rock, AR
DDDs: Clinton Presidential Library 10:30am
http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/

Sun, Feb. 28th - Nashville, TN
DDDs: Davis-Kidd Booksellers 2pm
2121 Green Hills Village Dr
Nashville, TN 37215-2601
(615) 385-2645

Tues, March 2nd - Lexington, KY
RHRs: Transylvania University 7pm
Open to students and faculty only.

Weds, March 3rd
Lexington, KY
DDDs: Lexington Public Library 10:30 am
www.lexpublib.org
Frankfurt, KY
DDDs: school shows all afternoon
Lexington, KY
DDDs: Curtains at 8 on WUKY Public Radio 8pm
Listen live at http://www.wuky.org/curtains @8.html
RHRs: Gumbo Ya Ya 10pm
http://www.gumboyayaky.com/joomla/

Thurs, March 4th - Athens, OH
RHRs - Casa Cantina 10:30 pm

Sat, March 6th - Pittsburgh, PA
DDDs: Saturday Light Brigade 11am
LIVE radio taping with audience!
http://www.slbradio.org
DDDs: 2pm -- Pittsburgh Children's Museum 2pm
http://www.pittsburghkids.org

Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

2009-12-31T20:10:00.000-05:00

Track 9: Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga

album: American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees

words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, and Anand Mukherjee

lead vocals: Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller)

guest kid vocalists: Charlie Kil7gore, Hannah Finamore-Rossler, Elodie Keating, Isabel Thornton

LYRICS

CHORUS

If you get tired, do the Tub-Tub-Tubman
If you get mad, do the Martin Luther King
If you're feeling greedy, give it away like Gandhi
Hum, hum, if you're too tired to sing

VERSE 1

If you get tired, do the Tub-Tub-Tubman

She never let anybody whine on the way

"I'm sleepy!"
"I'm hungry!"

"I want to go back to the plantation!"
"Stop whining, keep walking. We got ten more miles today."

CHORUS

If you get mad Do the Ma-Ma-Martin

Let me tell you, it's not easy

People can be so mean

But take somebody's hand, a woman or a man

I don't care if you can't stand 'em

Tell 'em "I'm stickin' with love, hate's too much for me."

CHORUS

If you get greedy then give it away like Gandhi

cos all you need are some sandles, some glasses and a mat

At least that's what some fella from Massachusetts told me

when he was tryin' to explain why he only traveled with one pair of slacks

BACKSTORY:

As I've mentioned before, most Dees songs that actually make it on an album have been "battle-tested." We would say "kid-tested," but read on. This is a song that we've played for years for all different types of audiences -- babies, preschoolers, elementary schoolers, even surly junior highers. There have been a number of times that Chris (Booker Dee) and I have shown up at an NYC school to perform for (no joke) as many as 600 kids. If the kids are little (3rd grade and younger) they usually don't care what we do -- they just love hearing music and getting a chance to move around. If they're older, though, they expect to be entertained... and when two dudes show up in sport coats toating a banjo and an upright bass and calling themselves "The Deedle Deedle Dees" (usually mispronounced by the adminstrator whose introduces us first by threatening the kids that they better behave or we'll never ever come back) the odds are decidedly not in our favor.

That's where this and other workhorse tunes of ours come in. For starters, this song probably has the most famous names of any Dees composition (we prefer the lesser known heroes and villains of history, as our loyal fans know) so a good number of kids, whether they know a lot, a little, or nothing about the three namechecked people, at least feel some sort of familiarity with the subject matter. During the course of this song, they won't learn much more about these people than they already knew, but they (amazingly nearly all of them) "do the Tub-Tub-man" (walk in place), "the Ma-Ma-Martin" (take hands with someone next to them or, if this is socially unacceptable, pretend they're holding hands or, in extreme cases, just stand near someone), and "the Ga-Ga-Gandhi" (slap hands with someone). In my very brief pre-song intro I explain that they're walking because Ms. Tubman did a lot of walking, holding hands because MLK held other people's hands to show the police and others that he was strong and couldn't be ignored, and giving fives because Gandhi liked to give people things. Simplistic, yes, but efficient. If one of them, just one, looks up one of these people later, it's worth it.

A note on the first verse: according to eyewitness accounts, Harriet Tubman actually said "You'll be free or die" when runaway slaves protested that they wanted to turn back. She said this while brandishing a pistol. In a classroom situation I'll explain this to the kids, in an auditorium, it works much better to simply sing what's above: "Stop whining, keep walking..."

A note on the second verse: When kids groan in response to my request that they hold hands, I tell them to imagine themselves and everyone else in the school in Times Square (pre-Bloomberg's no-traffic Times Square). If all of you, every kid in this school, held hands and blocked the street, I ask them, could cars pass without hitting you? This explanation doesn't get the no-hand-holders to change their minds most of the time, but, if I'm a good reader of faces, most of the kids seem to get that the idea that holding hands doesn't only signify young love. It's a start.

A note on the third verse: A good friend of mine is a big fan of Rick Steves, the public television host who advocates traveling extremely light to the point that one has to wash and hang one's underwear every night. Re-read the lines in light of this fact.

A note on the kids who sing:

Isabel is my guitar student. I first worked with her over four years ago when she was in a second-grade production of Twelfth Night that my wife put on with her class. We wrote a bunch of original songs. Isabel, pardon the expression, played the fool.

Elodie used to be my guitar student. Both she and Hannah are, like Isabel, veterans of my wife's class and performers I admire.

Char7lie (he likes to spell his name like that, the "7" is silent) is an awesome drummer. He also, yes you guessed it, was in my wife's class. He wrote a rap about fish and chips that I still repeat in my head when things get bad.

A note on the first guitar solo: Yes, that is a guitar but that's not the only instrument you're hearing. There's also a pencilina there. The two instruments trade back and forth. See if you can figure out which is which.

What's a pencilina? Our producer, Bradford Reed, invented it. He used to play it when he was in the band King Missile and in the Blue Man Group (he was an original member of the cast, "before it went all corporate" as I've heard some folks remark). He now plays it on his solo albums and his scores for shows on the Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and elsewhere. Check him and his "amazing pencilina" out here: http://www.pencilina.com/

L