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Boiled Sweets (MJ coffee) with Rebsie by DWL [Email]
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Keywords:
Egypt (6), coffee (20), poverty (4), pencils (1)
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Description:
This is an acoustic version of the first song I posted on MJ.
I thought it would nice to try this as a duet so I roped Rebsie in at the last moment. I'm not sure the mix of voices is right. I think we got the assistant soundman.
It's a true story.
One guitar, 2 voices
Boiled Sweets and Pencils Cheap - © 2006 Dick Langford / Tom Franz
Another long haul visit
Another place crossed off the list
Another post card to be posted
Another history missed
The children ask for money
And this is our reply
Boiled sweets to rot their teeth
Don't look them in the eye
It's Thursday must be Cairo, and tomorrow it's the Nile but
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap will always raise a smile
Alcohol can cover up a multitude of sins
You might as well be getting drunk
As the beer is all thrown in
Outside the hotel's tended lawns
There's poverty and dirt
The people smell, they'll steal your watch
At least this is what we've heard
It's Thursday must be Cairo, and tomorrow it's the Nile but
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap will always raise a smile
I've seen the Pyramids the Sphinx was rather small
Why look at dusty tombs with writing on the wall?
The kids are everywhere with no shoes on their feet
Wanting money, wanting food, we give them boiled sweets
My God it's getting hot here
And it's hard to understand
Why anyone would make their home
In such an unforgiving land
The hotel room's got air-con
A TV and a phone
If you don't look out the window
You could almost be at home
It's Thursday must be Cairo, and tomorrow it's the Nile but
Boiled sweets and pencils cheap are sure to raise a smile
Pyramid image copyrighted by Historylink101.com & found at Egyptian Picture Gallery.
Hardware:
K. Yairi acoustic
Software:
GB4
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great &mdash 06/04/08 - 03:40:01 PM
Loved the lyrics especially.
Very moving and thought provoking.
thank you [ Reply to This ]
Thanks! &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:08:00 PM
It was one of those songs where the first verse comes quickly then it takes 6 months to write the rest :-)
I'm pleased you enjoyed it.
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
Bowled Sweets &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:02:12 PM
Dick, Rebsie - this is wonderful!!! So glad Dick, that you had the idea to re-do this as an acoustic version for the coffeehouse challenge. What a gem! Thanks [ Reply to This ]
It started as an acoustic song &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:18:26 PM
so it seemed perfect for this sort of performance.
Thanks for listening.
Cheers
Dick
[ Reply to This ]
Boiled Sweets &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:04:06 PM
o my ... what a heartfelt thoughtfull song ..
another gem From Dick and Rebsie trasure !!
I m enjoyin this so so much ...Dick;s voice
so charistiristic (is this a word ?) and rebsie
the emotional and flavoured sweet one..what a
duet thanks alot for sharing it !!!!! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Feter &mdash 06/06/08 - 12:34:41 PM
I like 'charistiristic' ... it's a cross between charismatic and characteristic, which is a very apt description of Dick's voice. Thanks for all your nice words. [ Reply to This ]
love the harmony &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:11:23 PM
a wonderful collab! So clear and played and sung so well! A great coffeehouse addition.:-) [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/10/08 - 06:22:01 PM
Thanks Roxylee, compliments about harmonies are a great thing to have from someone with skills like yours. [ Reply to This ]
Brilliant &mdash 06/04/08 - 04:45:12 PM
song.Just amazing lyric writing.Maybe it took you 6 months but I couldn't write anything that good in 6 years, not to mention singing like that.I haven't heard the original but the two vocals on here sound great to me.
[ Reply to This ]
Great! &mdash 06/04/08 - 05:07:19 PM
Wonderful fingerpickin, amazing vocal performance by both. Just another gem... I always love your acoustic work and always looking forward to hear it from you, so please more... please! This is an unforgettable masterpiece.
Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:26:09 PM
Thanks Yeman! There certainly will be more ... I've lost count of how many songs we have on the go at the moment. [ Reply to This ]
Worthy! &mdash 06/04/08 - 05:10:47 PM
Very lovely collab.
Although I feel the "Western attitudes" stereo-typing is wearing a tad thin...I mean, how many Westerners REALLY think that way nowadays? Indeed, how many REALLY ever did?
Also, there have ever been and still are plenty of non-Westerners in countries like Egypt with attitudes towards their own which are just as bad and occasionally far worse; and this is no merely recent phenomenon.
The problem in my view has more to do with the lack of compassion in the hearts of so many individuals the world over throughout human history.
Neither the cause nor the cure will be found in an appeal to this or that cultural ideology.
This isn't a rebuke my friends. Just another perspective. I think your song is lovely and it's message vital! I'm PROUD to be connected to other folks who care!
We all must really learn to co-exist, and to do that we all must learn to care for one another.
Be well you two! [ Reply to This ]
Hmmmnnn... &mdash 06/05/08 - 10:29:23 AM
Upon reflection I think it would have been better had I communicated certain parts of my comment to you in private Dick. Please forgive my lack of tact friend. [ Reply to This ]
Micheal &mdash 06/06/08 - 09:57:48 AM
I appreciate your considered comments and opinion and I hope we've resolved this amicably in private!
Thanks for taking the time to think :-)
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
Nice song &mdash 06/04/08 - 05:13:22 PM
works really well as an acoustic duet - thought the lyrics were really good. Great introduction and atmosphere.
Peter [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Pete! &mdash 06/06/08 - 07:23:19 AM
Boiled sweets. &mdash 06/05/08 - 02:21:48 AM
There are many things I like about this Dick and I'd say the first is the writing which is worthy of being on Elvis Costello's - King of America ,-one of my favourite albums. This song has great parts which all fit together perfectly and this is always something I look for. You have taken an idea and developed it well. It's one thing having a good idea but that is not enough if you don't know how to sculpt it. Also the message here is clear and precise, and the performance is polished and convincing. A song that had to be.
John. [ Reply to This ]
Insightful &mdash 06/06/08 - 10:00:57 AM
comments John. I very much appreciate the thought you gave to them and thanks for the comments on the song.
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
What &mdash 06/05/08 - 04:50:07 AM
wonderful meaningful lyrics describing the pathetic attitude of some Westerners who should know better perfectly. Great song and performances by you both, cheers M [ Reply to This ]
There's &mdash 06/06/08 - 10:03:38 AM
a lot wrong in this world and despite writing these sort of songs I still think there's every reason to keep on finding the positives :-)
Thanks Maurice
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
Bolied Sweets &mdash 06/05/08 - 08:32:44 AM
Very nice song. i have also now Submitted a Poem I wrote in 1985 called Crime of Silence. Uplugged. LOL. Loved this Dick you sound brilliant as well.
Well done you guys
Peace Dee x [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Dee! &mdash 06/06/08 - 10:45:24 AM
Well done, indeed &mdash 06/05/08 - 08:33:06 AM
Great collab, folks. A story worth telling, too.
I'll raise a coffee AND a smile, you don't even have to hand me a pencil. [ Reply to This ]
Pencils have all gone .... &mdash 06/06/08 - 10:54:19 AM
we made a funeral pyre for Western humility :-)
Thanks Richard
Much appreciated
Cheers
Dick [ Reply to This ]
Gorgeous & poignant &mdash 06/05/08 - 10:14:55 AM
Wow, you really hit the "detached tourist" story hard here... excellent lyrics & storytelling, superb singing and guitar-work... this is reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. Very very well done! Rebsie's intro is perfect... I would add about one more second of space between the intro and the song.
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Drak! &mdash 06/06/08 - 11:07:24 AM
"Assistant soundman..." &mdash 06/05/08 - 05:05:38 PM
No way...this sounds just right.
And what a wonderful song. Great lyrics.
Best to both of you...loved it. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:31:12 PM
Yeah, as assistant soundmen go, he's pretty good. :)
Thanks Bob, we always appreciate your support. [ Reply to This ]
the soundman did fine &mdash 06/05/08 - 07:00:32 PM
The vocals are up on top where they should be and they sound sweet. Great job you two. Great song and performance. [ Reply to This ]
great tune &mdash 06/05/08 - 08:31:53 PM
really nice finger picking on the guitar. It's a known fact that the 2 of you singing compliment each other very well.
Not to forget, cool lyrics with a observing story.
Nice job by both of you. [ Reply to This ]
boiled sweets &mdash 06/06/08 - 04:29:00 AM
Dick and Rebsie, this is a superb post! The guitar picking sounds fantastic and could have come straight off an early Ralph Mctell album. The vocals are perfect and bring home the message in this great song. Thanks for posting I really enjoyed this and will download it.
Steve [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/10/08 - 06:30:16 PM
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed it. I concur about Dick's guitar skill, he has an amazingly precise and rhythmic style of playing which is a joy to work with. [ Reply to This ]
This is a beautifully &mdash 06/06/08 - 07:43:27 AM
written song and performed so well by you both. The collaboration really works.
I can actually also imagine this as quite a rock number.
Cheers
Len
[ Reply to This ]
Kind of ... &mdash 06/06/08 - 01:02:00 PM
...a folk-style song with the comfortable feel of those '60's gems. Nicely performed, Dick and Rebsie. And the perspective your lyrics presents is one that provokes some thoughtful introspection vis a vis one's perception of the "world out there" and how much different it is from "the world in here." I enjoyed this very much indeed.
Peace.
Paul [ Reply to This ]
This is a wonderful song &mdash 06/07/08 - 10:11:26 AM
The lyrics are thought-provoking and very well crafted. Lovely performance as well. The guitar sounds great, and the voices work very well together in my opinion. The last verse in particular is brilliant in its perceptiveness and observation. Very nicely done. Kudos. Peace. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:36:27 PM
Thank you. We've been meaning to do a duet for a while to see how well our voices blend, so it's good to have some positive feedback on it. Very glad you enjoyed the song. [ Reply to This ]
beautiful - &mdash 06/07/08 - 05:19:47 PM
the voices, the playing, the tune, the lyrics - could've stood rebsie a titchy bit higher in the mix - thank you so much - love it xoxox [ Reply to This ]
very touching.... &mdash 06/07/08 - 08:06:24 PM
a wonderful song guys. entirely and utterly everything. the biggest compliments. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:38:30 PM
We always appreciate your comments Pavlina, thanks very much for listening. [ Reply to This ]
Wonderful &mdash 06/07/08 - 08:34:39 PM
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:39:57 PM
what &mdash 06/07/08 - 09:13:23 PM
... &mdash 06/08/08 - 04:24:22 AM
&mdash 06/11/08 - 03:41:12 PM
My smile is drooping. &mdash 06/10/08 - 08:02:26 AM
Sweet music, bitter lyrics. A simple performance that serves the message well. Good story, well told, and great singing from both of you.
[ Reply to This ]
back &mdash 06/11/08 - 10:50:54 AM
Nice one. Felt I was back in the coffee houses of old, where meaningful messages, political rant songs ruled the day and there was no such thing as American Idol.
Thanks for the sendback.
[ Reply to This ]
Great Harmonies &mdash 06/17/08 - 10:05:14 AM
Your voices work perfectly together..compliments to the soundman.Although the lyrics are quite sad - it still reminds me of a song I might sing on a boat on a river somwhere on a lazy drugged up sunday afternoon when I've just escaped from every responsibility I'm failing at in life.Mellow - Cheers - Rich [ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 06/19/08 - 06:55:30 AM
pleasant little ditty ,I can relate to it in as much as people that I work with who go to these places come back and moan about the indigenous population because they don't conform to thei required stereotype....or that sometimes they do .....good song .
Jarvoid [ Reply to This ]
This &mdash 06/27/08 - 08:29:08 AM
is a wonderful song with great lyrics!
Lovely duet, the vocals and guitar sound superb!
I very much enjoyed this and a great performance!
Thanks! [ Reply to This ]
wow &mdash 07/02/08 - 03:54:38 PM
VERY well done. When I'm listening to MJ songs at work and I stop what I'm doing I know I've come across something good. Great performance, wonderful lyrics. Thanks for this! [ Reply to This ]
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Very moving and thought provoking.
thank you
[ Reply to This ]