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#13 -The Green Jar (1979)
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These were the most unusual lyrics I wrote in the 1970's. The entire song has a double meaning. It is an allegory-a political allegory.
folk funny political sixties novelty gentle prolific idiosyncratic lehrer jefferson airplane ochs paxton steve goodman
Artist picture
Tom Paxton meets Jefferson Airplane. Extremely prolific singer songwriter with a wide range of styles from bizarre novelty tunes and surrealistic poetic songs t
With more than 300 songs and counting and for more than 30 years, I have written in a variety of acoustic styles from novelty tunes to love songs to historical ballads to poetic surrealistic songs to retro-acoustic pop. From bizarre to traditional from funny to poignant, whatever style the song is in, the melodies are usually memorable and the lyrics unpredictable. This site will eventually contain rough often first take demos of my entire song catalogue. Many of the earliest songs when I first started writing will of course be shaky. So expect the songs to get better as time goes on. Feel free to come back and browse often as I will constantly be adding songs, one by one in chronological order, starting in 1974. If you are looking for some unusual songs to cover from a little known but unique artist, you have come to the right place. Just e-mail me. If you find a song here that intrigues you, but you don't like a line or two, or you think it needs a bridge, drop me an e-mail and maybe you can earn writer's credit if it gets that song to be recorded or performed.... otherwise just enjoy. You can become a Rob Lincoln fan at no cost to you. I promise that if you keep coming back there will be some real surprises along the way. While mostly acoustic, some original material will veer into folk rock and even 60's pop, but the garage rock and loudest material will also be found in full band arrangement at soundclick.com/abrasiveflowers Eventually some of these 300+ tunes may be rerecorded and make it on to CD, including a novelty CD that would be suitable for Dr. Demento or an historical ballad CD or a political song CD--but until then, this is the only site you can hear most of these songs. (A few of my songs CAN be found on songramp.com/RobLincoln and myspace.com/lessickandlincoln)
Song Info
Charts
Peak #339
Peak in subgenre #34
Author
Rob Lincoln
Rights
1979
Uploaded
December 24, 2006
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.2 MB 128 kbps 4:37
Story behind the song
I wrote this song just prior to forming the rock band Hearthstone and that band took the song and created a very intense arrangement for it with tremendous dynamic changes, using a flute and wild electric guitar bass and drum parts. This is a very unplugged stripped down version-just me and the guitar. Some people don't think much of the song. They find it bombastic and inscrutable. And perhaps it is. I have also had numerous people over the years beg me to remove "that line about the guts." Whether you find it bombastic or moving, inscrutable or obvious, it certainly was the most interesting lyric I wrote in the 1970's. The song usually provoked some sort of reaction....and sadly the topic still resonates today...more than ever. I updated the last verse for King George-it was once King Ronald. This is one of those songs where it pays to read the lyrics. Do you recognize the 4 characters in the song? Just who is the "she?" Can you figure out both allusions the phrase "Green Jar" refers to? Do you care? If you do, then this song did its job. Mp3 club listeners avg rating was 3.7.... Some comments included: "This song has upset me and I'm not sure why. Very interesting..." "a good song." "Another good one, #13 gets a 4. I liked these kinds of songs very much back in the days when Dylan kept us all guessing and listening. Most of the Allegories are clear, I'm not really sure about the "she" though...perhaps 'America', 'Freedom', or good old 'Lady Liberty.' And was there another meaning for the Green Jar besides a TV?" "Like this one! Nice melody, nice musically... and I like the different themes in the verses."
Lyrics
As young John was walking in his new frontier of green He shot a bear cub from afar Took it to someone else to have it cleaned I saw some of its guts inside a jar I saw some of its guts inside a jar I said I saw some of its guts inside a jar And she wonders Oh yes she wonders Had it not been from afar The leader smiled upon his green throne did favors for some friends Ordered muskets to be fired from afar Thousands of children that he had never seen Lie bloodied and broken but from afar They lie bloodied and broken but from afar They lie bloodied and broken but from afar And she wonders Oh yes she wonders had it not been from afar King Richard called for his flame throwers And his flame throwers call did he And they burnt down the forests from afar But those who died down there were mostly others naturally But some were our own from afar Some were our own from afar Just who are our own from afar? And she wonders Oh yes she wonders Had it not been from afar Now we've been learning in a newer field of greed The others are more brutal than we are And King George's subjects will again pay the murderous fee Who have only really felt it from afar And we've only really felt it from afar And we've only really seen it through a Green Jar And she wonders Of yes she wonders Had it not been from afar And she wonders How long will she wonder Had it not been from afar?
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