POEMS: A Thing Barbie Cat hears in Country Music

Discussion:

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Will Dockery

2009-12-28 01:52:59 UTC

On Dec 27, 4:28 pm, Barbara's Cat <"Where's the Sestina, Barbie?>

Cry tears into their beers.

That's right, you were the one who once wrote "Hank was a poet, too.",
as I recall, Barbie:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.lyrics/browse_thread/thread/3a0b45d6b9ecae8d

There's at least one good post from Barbie where she expounds on her love of Country music, and calls it poetry...

I remember a bit of that: how she'd defend her poetry writing to her
redneck friends by telling them, "Well, Hank Williams was a poet,
too." Profoundly true; probably the most such comment best she's ever
made on usenet.

Well, yeah, though she probably wouldn't dare make such a statement
today.
That post is worth reposting, where she brings in Tom T. Hall and
Merle
Haggard songs as examples of great poetry:

http://www.guitartablab.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12154

From: Barbara's Cat (***@127.0.0.1)
Subject: Re: National Poetry Month - April 29, 2004: What lovely
locomotion!
View: Complete Thread (8 articles)
Original Format
Newsgroups: rec.arts.poems
Date: 2004-04-29 07:15:41 PST

There are so many candidates for your subject-of-the-day, how can I
choose
just one? Well, I'm going to present Tom T. Hall, one of the greatest
(IMHO)
song/poem/story writers that have ever lived. You might remember a
song he
wrote titled "Harper Vally P.T.A.", a No. 1 hit on the country music
charts
in 1968 that was sung by Jeannie C. Riley.

Here are two songs that I think are, in their own way, poetry. The
first
one, "I Love", was a No. 1 hit in 1973 (it also made the pop charts
that
same year). The other, "The Year that Clayton Delaney Died", was No. 1
in
1971.

I LOVE

I love little baby ducks,
old pick-up trucks,
slow-moving trains,
and rain.
I love little country streams,
sleep without dreams,
Sunday school in May,
and hay.
And I love you too.
I love leaves in the wind,
pictures of my friends,
birds in the world,
and squirrels.
I love coffee in a cup,
little fuzzy pups,
bourbon in a glass,
and grass.
And I love you too.
I love honest open smiles,
kisses from a child,
tomatoes on the vine,
and onions.
I love winners when they cry,
losers when they try,
music when it's good,
and life.
And I love you too.
- Tom T. Hall

THE YEAR THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED

I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died.
They said for the last two weeks that he suffered and cried.
It made a big impression on me, although I was a barefoot kid.
They said he got religion at the end and I'm glad that he did.

Clayton was the best guitar picker in our town.
I thought he was a hero and I used to follow Clayton around.
I often wondered why Clayton, who seemed so good to me,
never took his guitar and made it down in Tenn-o-see.

Well, Daddy said he drank a lot, but I could never understand.
I knew he used to pick up in Ohio with a five-piece band.
Clayton used to tell me, "Son you better put that old guitar away,
there ain't no money in it, it'll lead you to an early grave."

I guess if I'd admit it, Clayton taught me how to drink booze.
I can see him half-stoned a-pickin' out the lovesick blues.
When Clayton died I made him a promise, I was gonna carry on somehow
I'd give a hundred dollars if he could only see me now.

I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died.
Nobody ever knew it but I went out in the woods and I cried.
Well, I know there's a lotta big preachers that know a lot more than
I
do, but it could be that the good Lord likes a little pickin' too.
Yeah, I remember the year that Clayton Delaney died.
- Tom T. Hall

I hope you enjoyed this post.
Cm~
----

Oh, yeah... of course "we" did, Barbie.

--
New poetry & music recordings by Will Dockery
http://www.myspace.com/willdockery

Peter J Ross

2010-01-01 19:58:14 UTC

Permalink

In rec.arts.poems on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:52:59 -0800 (PST), Will

Post by Will Dockery
On Dec 27, 4:28 pm, Barbara's Cat <"Where's the Sestina, Barbie?>

Cry tears into their beers.

That's right, you were the one who once wrote "Hank was a poet, too.",

So what's wrong with Hank Williams's work, in your opinion, Dreckery?

He certainly has as much claim to be considered a poet as Cash, Dylan
or Cohen, and far more claim than talentless droners like you.

<...>

Post by Will Dockery
- Tom T. Hall

I know nothing about Tom T Hall, but Cat's post has encouraged me to
take an interest in him. The quoted somg lyrics are certainly 100,000%
better than any of yours.

--
PJR :-)

<http://pjr.lasnobberia.net/verse/>

Will Dockery

2010-01-01 21:27:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by Peter J Ross

Post by Will Dockery
On Dec 27, 4:28 pm, Barbara's Cat <"Where's the Sestina, Barbie?>

Cry tears into their beers.

That's right, you were the one who once wrote "Hank was a poet, too.",

So what's wrong with Hank Williams's work

I never wrote that there was anything wrong with HW's work, PJR.

--
"Red Lipped Stranger & other stories" by Will Dockery:
http://www.myspace.com/willdockery

Peter J Ross

2010-01-05 22:01:47 UTC

Permalink

In rec.arts.poems on Fri, 1 Jan 2010 13:27:49 -0800 (PST), Will