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#55 Charleston Town (1984)
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A civil war ballad and love story. For civil war buffs and those who want to hear a real weeper.
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 #417
Peak in subgenre #43
Author
Rob Lincoln
Rights
1984
Uploaded
May 19, 2007
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.7 MB 128 kbps 5:05
Story behind the song
Charleston Town is my first true historical ballad, in that although it is historical fiction, it is not an allegory but a straight story. I had been inspired by reading The Red Badge of Courage and my Civil War history class at Temple as the backdrop of this tale of lost love. This version is quite a bit different than the version L&L used to perform. It also contains an additional verse. Some background--Charleston was reduced to rubble by the end of the war. This union soldier was originally stationed there prior to the war. Mp3 listener thus far rated this 3.8 out of 5.0.... Comments included: "Nice" "I like it" "i like it okay, but i don't think the chorus 'content' deserves repeating. it seems like verse material in it's current form. like the harmonies to give focus to the chorus at the end. maybe don't have harmonies on late verse, just on choruses."
Lyrics
The daffodils were in bloom The smell of spring was everywhere But by the shadow of the half moon I learned I had to go from here The orders came I'm sorry I left you there But I went down to Charleston Town In a coat of blue, shoes turning brown Full of mud and tinged with blood The first campaign was in July A Sunday afternoon near Washington At Bull Run eight hundred died While gentlemen and ladies soaked up the sun Then they ran away and so did I But I went down to Charleston Town In a coat of blue, shoes turning brown Full of mud and tinged with blood General McClellen he was fair Took us down Virginia way By the banks of the Chickahamony We saw little action till late May At Seven Pines...it's there I wish they took my eyes But I went down to Charleston Town In a coat of blue, shoes turning brown Full of mud and tinged with blood Four long winters the snows came Four long winters I endured But finally there came a change It was a change worth fighting for But the blood stains Today they still remain But I went down to Charleston Town In a coat of blue, shoes turning brown Full of mud and tinged with blood The daffodils are back in bloom The smell of spring is everywhere I picked them for you one by one And now I guess I'll lay them here Beside your name In Charleston Town But I went down to Charleston Town In a coat of blue, shoes turning brown Full of mud and tinged with blood Oh I went down to Charleston Town I went down to Charleston Town To Charleston Town
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