The original thread is about not playing tunes for technical reasons. There is a thread currently on Thesession about music and politics. This got me wondering if there are tunes that you wouldn't play in certain circumstances, or even tunes that are so associated with a set of words or context that it is difficult to play them simply as tunes.

Maybe some examples will help. Thesession thread reflects on tunes from both sides of the protestant/catholic divide. A morris dancing friend of mine was in a pub when an attractive woman walked across the bar and one of the resident musicians played 'Cuckoo's Nest'. There is a hymn to the tune of the Dam Busters march. Would you play the tune to 'The Good Ship Venus' in mixed company?

So... are there tunes that you are careful to play only in certain places and has anyone heard a tune played that caused offence.

To react on your message I quote Alan Day from a message in this forum:

I fully agree with Alan here. I think it is not a good idea to introduce politics in this forum.

I am suggesting that the appreciation of some music may depend on the context it is most popularly found. It is clearly more likely to be an issue with songs because of the words, but some tunes are irrevocably linked with certain situations. I was curious whether anyone had had such an experience - the reason may be political, social or scatological. Can you discuss the concertina without discussing the tunes and can you discuss the tunes without a nod to their (possible) context.

I find the song Dixie to be offensive. I've lived 40 years in the South and have some love for the place but would never play Dixie. I'm sure there are people who have opposite strong feelings On the other hand, it has been some 30 years since I can remember anyone playing it in public -- and yes I do get out often.

On a related note, I love the tune and song Rally Round the Flag. I would never play it for Southerners I didn't know well. (Will those wounds ever heal!)

Mostly, I'm not inclined to play emotionally charged songs when the emotion is a bad one (hate). This is probably for the same basic reason that there are people very thankful that we don't discuss politics here.

I remember playing an Irish tune to and English woman many years ago. I still remember the tune, but the name isn't coming. She was very offended, but I don't recall why. She was very lovely and had I known it would have offended her, I wouldn't have played it.

I am Catholic and a member of our choir. There is a really funny Tom Lehrer (sp?) song about Catholic liturgy. Many in our choir sang the song around a piano at a Christmas Party last year. We all enjoyed it. Then again, if one or two of our number had been there, we wouldn't. Context, audience and sensitivity are critical to this issue.

Steering this away from politics slightly, I find that I have to tailor my repertoire to context quite a bit. Many of the songs I write myself are lyrically firmly in the tradition of the Country & Western murder ballad, which isn't necessarily something that everyone appreciates. I'm also very fond of recasting punk/alternative rock songs in a different mould and the subject matter (and language ) in some of these means you have to be pretty careful with them - and I'd always prefer not to perform songs like "Heroin" or "Venus in Furs" rather than water them down.

So yes, there are lots of songs I won't play if conditions don't feel right for them - although I think I've been pretty lucky in guessing what I can get away with so far

(Kurt had posted his reply before I'd sent mine, but I have to agree, sensitivity to your audience is everything).

I agree about the Politics.. but I think religion is already on this forum... On the one side we have the just and righteous playing Irish Music on Anglos and on the other we have those who are wrong .

Seriously though, I agree, its a shame that most newgroups and forums are constantly flooded with political email.. and I admit a regrettable tend to respond to such posts. So I think the best forums are the ones that are kept clear of overtly non-relevant material (as opposed to things that sort of drift off topic but remain friendly).

For the record, I very much doubt you will ever hear me play God Save the Queen... particularly in the Irish Pub I frequent

--
Bill

No, nay, never...
No, nay, never, no more
Will I sing The Wild Rover,
No, never, no more!

And maybe I would use a different name for "The Red House" if I played it in a Blue state?

But really, no. I don't think I would censor myself for fear of someone else's personal associations to a tune.


Not 'The Black Joke'?


Definitely! There are other songs to that tune, and there's only one particular group of friends that's even aware of the 'Good Ship' lyrics.


The tune, no. The playing, yes.

Don't you mean the self-righteous playing Irish music just on the anglo?
(Bill, you should know better than to give me a straight line like that. )


You mean that old American patriotic standard, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty"?

Several times, I have asked people to stand for the National Anthem. they were expecting God Save the Queen, but being an exile, I actually played Flower of Scotland - or at least I got the first few bars in before the howls drowned me out!

[QUOTE=John Wild,Nov 17 2004, 06:49 PM]

[/QUOTE]
Several times, I have asked people to stand for the National Anthem. they were expecting God Save the Queen, but being an exile, I actually played Flower of Scotland - or at least I got the first few bars in before the howls drowned me out! [/QUOTE]


I thought it was "I Would Walk 500 Miles"....

I thought that was Australia?

There was a time when folkRoots was suggesting "Speed the plough" for the English national anthem.

Robin Madge