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Topic: Sitting On Top of the World - Pronunciation. |
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 21 May 2007 10:52 am |
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Just regional venacular. Just like New York city and New Englanders saying "Cuber" for Cuba or "I sore" instead of I saw (I hear that all the time as there are many New York City retirees in the housing development I live in).
We get a lot of Canadian "Snowbirds" in the winter (many are my close friends like Ollie Strong) here in Florida and the way they pronounce some words, compared to those of us in the states, sticks out too. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 21 May 2007 7:02 pm
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Doesn't Merle Haggard pronounce it that way:
Losing makes me sorry;
Well, now honey, don't worry.
Don't you know, I love you too.
That's the way love goes. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 21 May 2007 8:36 pm
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This is a great example of the blues influence in western swing. That may account for some of the pronounciation, as well as the exagerated facial expressions (ever see Fats Waller?). Some people say there are only a handful of blues melodies. This is one of them. The earliest recording of this may be the Mississippi Shieks. But the same melody is used by Mississippi Fred McDowell for You Got to Move (coverd by the Stones), which may be the gospel version that predates the Sheiks. Robert Johnson used it for Come on in My Kitchen, and Elmore James used it for It Hurts Me Too. I think Howlin' Wolf had a hit with the Sittin' on Top of the World version, and Cream covered that. And of course there is a speeded up bluegrass version by Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scrugs, and others. You can't go wrong with this melody at any speed and with any words.  |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 May 2007 3:06 am
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Aside from regional language dialects and inflections, SONGS are made to rhyme thru bending pronunciations.
I think it is one of the coolest things about songs and especially songwriters. Dylan was a master of sorts with taking liberties with pronunciations. He bent the English language quite a bit to fit his great songs, and by doing so, elevated those lyrics into like another dimension of sorts; ie. the song took on another life of it's own.(not sure if I'm communicating this as I would hope for).
Dylan affaciandos will get my drift. 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 22 May 2007 3:31 am
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Who else but Dylan could get away with rhyming `road` with `knowed`?
Arch. |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 May 2007 5:33 am
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OK, Archie...great example
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 22 May 2007 6:31 am
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| Oh. I always thought it was 'node'. Like a lymph node... |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 May 2007 11:54 am
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I think Loretta Lynn wins the prize, with this couplet from "Coal Miner's Daughter":
"The work we done was hard.
At night we'd sleep, 'cause we were tarred." |
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Ken Williams
From:
Arkansas
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Posted 22 May 2007 12:59 pm
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I'm glad we ain't talkin' at way in Arkansas.
Naw, I caan't thank of a single feller round here at don't talk way air spose to.
Sorry, I had ta edit cause I seen a mess a errs.
Ken |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 22 May 2007 2:17 pm
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Jim, you're pullin' my lariat, right?
Arch. |
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Jason Stillwell
From:
Caddo, OK, USA
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Posted 22 May 2007 4:13 pm Worry or Weary?
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To this day, in "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room Tonight", I don't know if the lyrics are supposed to include "Worry" or "Weary":
"Let's don't chase around and make each other __________."  |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 22 May 2007 5:26 pm
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Arch.  |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 22 May 2007 7:03 pm
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| Tucker Jackson wrote: |
I think Loretta Lynn wins the prize, with this couplet from "Coal Miner's Daughter":
"The work we done was hard.
At night we'd sleep, 'cause we were tarred." |
I'm with you, Tucker! That's one of my favorite lines!
Back in the Eighties a D.C. area country radio station, now long gone, had fun with ongoing news reporting about a big storage yard for used tires that had a fire that kept burning for weeks; they provided periodic updates on the "tar far". |
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Ken Williams
From:
Arkansas
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Posted 22 May 2007 7:18 pm
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"It was always so easy, to find an unhappy wawmon, till I started lookin' for mine."
Moe Bandy
Also, in the song "I just started hatin' cheatin' songs today". The line.....I just found out,,my wawmon is the devil,,,I just started hatin' cheatin' songs today. Also by Moe Bandy.
By the way, Brint years ago there was a guy here giving me directions. He said "you turn left right there at that far tar". I said "excuse me?" After he had repeated it a few times I realized he was talking about a fire tower, like they use to scout for forest fires, or would that be forst fars?
Ken |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 22 May 2007 7:37 pm
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It happens all over. I will never forget when I first moved to Boston and heard two women talking about the new potty room one had just added onto her house. I thought they were kind of old to be talking about a bathroom that way. But after listening a little longer I finally figured out they were talking about a new party room.  So then I went out and unpocked my cah and drove away ovah the Chahles Rivah bridge to get some pizzer and beah ovah by Hahvahd Squayah. |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 22 May 2007 8:49 pm
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Yes that's Paa Tea Rahm.
Of course that's just one of several Boston accents.
There are one or two that would work in London
with out giving more than passing notice.
Hmm, by jove, I can not place his street quite clearly, egad.
Mark Walberg does a good southie accent in the new Scorseci movie.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
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George Redmon
From:
Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.
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Posted 23 May 2007 3:56 am
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| not sure about your neck of the woods. But up here in northern michigan, the fruit belt, it seems i am starting to be among the minority of those speaking english. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 23 May 2007 6:20 am
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Ken
Ah heared dat!
Ah'm 'bout fixin' ta ROTFLMAO!
Ah'll allow as usn's hyar in Texas talk dat Arkie purty well too, y'know.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 23 May 2007 6:56 am
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"RAT"
Like in "RAT NOW"
Thar's some Tex/Arky slang fer ye. Go figger.
Phred |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 23 May 2007 7:58 am
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Speakin' of Loretta, she said this........
"I was 'borned' a Coal Miner's Daughter"...JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
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Don Walters
From:
Saskatchewan Canada
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Posted 23 May 2007 10:04 am
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Ray Price says "warsh" for "wash" in some of his recordings from the late 50's - early 60's.
So does Hank Thompson ...
"My tears have warshed 'I love you'
from the blackboard of my heart" |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 23 May 2007 7:39 pm
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Ah kin hairdly be lif ma ayrs.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
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Gary C. Dygert
From:
Frankfort, NY, USA
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Posted 24 May 2007 6:11 am
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| I'd rather hear the real accent of somebody saying "tar far" than the phony, pretentions "dahnce & cahn't"! |
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 24 May 2007 8:53 am
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It only seems pretentious,
if'n t'ain't from your neighborhood,
and ya tink dey'se got mo money...
Regional accents tend to divide people pretty easily,
as illogical as that should seem.
I love accents and try and figure
where in a country they are from.
Like Glaswegean vs. Edinborough.
Manchester vs. East ender London.
Crown Heights vs Lower EAst Side Manhattan.
Bangkok vs. Issan, Chaing mai or Nakon si Thamerat
Philie vs. Boston
Southie vs. Charlston or Beacon hill
Even 10 miles can give a different accent,
and for those feeling overly parochial,
this is enough to divide them by attitude alone.
_________________
DLD, Chili farmer. Plus bananas and papaya too.
Real happiness has no strings attached.
But pedal steels have many! |
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