Friday, April 27, 2012

"Down Don't Bother Me"

Cyndi Lauper's energetic version of this song, with Charlie Musselwhite:



Audio (Albert King's original version)


Purchase track on amazon.com.

Lyrics (Albert King)

I've been down so long
You know, down don't bother me
I've been down so long
You know, down don't bother me
I'm gonna take all my troubles
And cast 'em in the deep, blue sea

I work hard every day
I come straight home at night
And no matter how hard I try
Y'know you never wanna treat me right
I've been down so long
You know, down don't bother me
I'm gonna take all my worries
And cast 'em in the deep, blue sea

I bought you a fur coat for Christmas
And a diamond ring
And now you've got the nerve to tell me
That my love don't mean a thing
I've been down so long
'Til down don't bother me
I'm gonna cast all my troubles
And take 'em to the deep, blue sea

Monday, April 23, 2012

200-level homework: make your own essay exercise

Once again, it's your turn to be the textbook writer!

If necessary, you can look at some of the essay assignments you've enjoyed in the past:


The best essay assignments might end up in the final exam!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

200-level homework: your favorite place


Group 206: Remember that, this week (April 16-20), we meet Friday at 18:00 instead of Wednesday at 15:00. Place: Room 16.



Exercise adapted from Olga Afanasyeva, Virginia Evans, Victoria Kopylova, Practice Exam Papers for the Russian State Exam, 2010 Revised Edition, Moscow: Express Publishing/Prosveshchenie Publishers.
Be sure to give your article a title. Articles are often more interesting if they begin with an incident or a quotation.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Buddy Guy plays acoustic guitar

Buddy Guy is best known for playing electric guitar and for making his own enormous contribution to Chicago blues. His appeal and influence go way beyond Chicago, of course: Eric Clapton acknowledges that Guy is one of the very best guitarists in the world.

I've been to maybe ten of his concerts over the years, and he always takes some time to pick up an acoustic guitar, as he did here in Des Moines, Iowa, USA: (Notice the showmanship and the rapport between musician and audience. This is typical at his concerts.)



And again at Montreux:



The song we heard him sing this past week in class was "Anna Lee," written by Elmore James, Robert McCullom, and Marshall Sehorn.

Here's an audio track of the song:



Amazon.com purchase link

And here are the lyrics, transcribed from Buddy Guy's version:

Anna Lee, I want you for my own, Anna Lee
Anna Lee, I swear I can't leave you alone, Anna Lee
You promised to be mine, just hang around and see

Anna Lee, what's that you got, Anna Lee
Anna Lee, you got me on the spot, Anna Lee
Well, you got to be mine, you just hang around and see

Anna Lee, this is my last goodbye, Anna Lee
Anna Lee, this is my last time to cry, Anna Lee
Well, you got to be mine, you just hang around and see

Friday, April 6, 2012

Two songs: "Diner" and "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"

We played "Diner" in our last Fifth Course classes together. Here it is:



Audio:

Amazon.com link to "Diner"
By Martin Sexton, Ned Claflin

You might have seen one out in Minnesota
Or maybe down by the sea in Sarasota
But they were made back in Worcester, Mass.
Of aluminum and Bakelite and glass

Like a locomotive they were streamlined
And the blueprints were drawn up from a
dream of mine
Slap 'em up, put 'em on the train
Out to Michigan up to Maine

You may find a diner down in Georgia or
Carolina off the Twenty by the Piggly Wiggly
In the country out of Waynesboro
Or when it's getting late and rainy out in New
York State
You hang a louie off the thru-way
And you go and grab yourself a cheeseburger
At the Little Gem diner off Sixty Niner

Refrain: Diner my shiny shiny love
In the night you’re all I’m thinking of
Diner my shiny shiny love

The cruiser pulls in where the troopers
always stop
As we dine over the chrome
and Formica table top
The cashier she always squints
By the gum and the bowl of mints
She's tapping her toe
To the Dean Martin on the Consolette
Booth service and a cigarette
we're loving it so

Side of fries a dollar
Or the haddock plate two ninety five
A rootbeer float a Pepsi
And be sure to save some room
for some apple pie
Better make it a-la-mode

Refrain

Dean Martin God rest his soul
Talkin' to me from the cereal bowl
There's a couple from the Show Me State
Knockin' back a little meatloaf plate

Diner my shiny shiny love
Diner my shiny shiny love
Diner my shiny shiny shiny love

Chicken and biscuits
With a side of gravy
Peach cobbler


And here's "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" by Oasis:



Audio:

Amazon.com link for "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"

By Noel Gallagher

Hold up, hold up
Don’t be scared
You’ll never change what’s been and gone

May your smile
Shine on
Don’t be scared
Your destiny will keep you on

’Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry, you’ll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

Get up
Come on
Why you scared? (I’m not scared)
You’ll never change what’s been and gone

’Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry, you’ll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

’Cause all of the stars have faded away
Just try not to worry, you’ll see them some day
Just take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

We’re all of the stars, we’re fadin’ away
Just try not to worry, you’ll see us some day
Just take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
Stop crying your heart out

Monday, April 2, 2012

200-level homework: use these words and phrases...

Homework due week of April 9. Print out and use this sheet--or simply write to me and send me your twelve sentences.