Blogger Salon: The Final Word Via Chanty

Okay.  The OCLC Blogger Salon was probably the most written-about event at ALA and maybe you're sick to death of hearing about it or about blogging in general.  I know that I've heard the "will you just shut up about blogging already" chant from several quarters. Never mind Michael Gorman.  He has entirely redeemed himself in my estimation with the final quote of his inaugural address.  But, I am bugged by people who are bitching about blogs/blogging without anything to back up their bitching.  I will have more to say about this later, but need to think it through so that it doesn't end up an inarticulate rant. 

But, Joe Anderson of  WebJunction has contributed the definitive commemoration of the Very First Hopefully Annual Blogger Salon, via song.  Joe wrote a ditty, to be sung to the tune of the traditional song "The Sloop John B."  While the song has been attributed elsewhere to the Beach Boys, it is derived from a Bahamian folk song, first written and published by Carl Sandburg, and adapted by The Weavers, then the Kingston Trio and the Beach Boys.  Of note is that Carl Sandburg wrote perhaps what is the most famous poem ever about Chicago--"hog butcher of the world,"  and that the original Sloop song is about drinking and fighting and getting arrested and eating up someone's corn and about "the worst trip I've ever been on."  While there was drinking and fighting (okay...let's call it passionate discussion), I don't believe that there were any arrests or corn-eating. Nor was it the "worst trip" by a long shot. Joe--not sure you are aware of just how appropriate your tune choice was!

So hoist up a Dublin brew
And drink some of Jay’s wine too
But don’t let that compromise your critical view.
Blog ’cause you’re free
Blog prolific’ly
And get your picture
Taken with Steven C.

I want to log on,
Gosh darn it, doggone,
I feel so pent up
I have to blog on.

Comments

[Joe]

Love the musicological tour, Rochelle! I was vaguely aware of (or maybe just assumed) some sort of quasi-authentic Caribbean/calypso origin.

The tune popped into my head a couple of days after the party, and wouldn't leave. It was definitely inspired by the event itself. Something about "drinkin' all night" and "threw away all of my grits" (which turned into "nobody's touchin the cheese"). Any hog butcher associations would have been purely subliminable.

Joe

[rochelle]

I happened to know way too much about this from my jr. high piano lessons. It was a song in one of my lesson books, and my teacher didn't know that it had been done by the Beach Boys. So, we had a very thorough discussion about it. I loved my teacher, who was a hip college student, but he was the one to break my heart and explain why I could never marry Elton John.

[Alane]

I bow before your thoroughness! I vaguely remembered the folk song info and the other performers, but had no clue about Sandburg. Too clear that it's coming up 10 years since I was a practicing reference librarian.