5 replies to this topic

[Lcjones]

Wrote this a number of years ago after watching the movie "Grey Owl." A biography about an Englishman, Archie Belaney who was so enamoured by the North American Indian life, he moved to Canada and was adopted by the Ojibwe Tribe. If you'd like to know more, please google Archie Belaney. Some wiki-ness on Archie.

I re-recorded this tune tonight. It was done in haste. I must do this again properly. I haven't played this in quite a long while so please, I beg your pardon.

Grey Owl's Feather (right click and save)



And the lyrics .... for those who'd like to sing along

Grey Owl's Feather

[Verse 1]
Wah-Sha-Quon-Asin meandering free
Living dream of a wandering tree
Watching beaver in Saskatchewan
Crossing lakes in the setting sun

[Verse 2]
Follow paths that have never been known
On a trail that no man owns
Grey Owl listen to the Indian song
Whispers of the land where you belong

[Chorus]
Grey Owl's feather fell without a sound
Drifting down
Resting on the ground

<short melodic break>

[Verse 3]
Anahareo daughter of the land
Hearts grow stronger where the big pines stand
She fell in love with Grey Owl's sins
Found her devil in old deerskins

[Verse 4]
Ojibwe brother, Hiawatha child
Loving is the nature of living in the wild
Giving your hearts when you take the chance
To feel the rhythm of an Indian dance

[Chorus]

[Verse 5]
Trading his traps for a fountain pen
Grey Owl made the world believe again
From the sleepy waters of the Ajawaan
To the Dover Cliffs he wrote his song

[Verse 6]
Grey Owl flies where no others dare
On the breath of Mother Natures air
Wings are spread for the open flight
Grey Owl is he - who flies by night

[Chorus]

[Repeat Verse 1]


ENjoy

**
LC

[Doug]

Hi Les,
That is a beautiful song. Thanks for posting it.
I really like the guitar work as well - very well played. Your recordings always have such a rich sound.
-Doug

[mset3]

Les,

Very nice!!

Mike

[carol m]

Here, here! great playing, and another song I"ve not heard before. And yes, I was singing along.

I'm wondering, Les, do you learn the lyrics before singing, or do you read them while you are recording? I would find it hard to remember all the words, and play, and sing.

[starsailor]

I agree, this is a beautiful song LC, Grey Owl was a real character, Hasting's is proud of him, he has a permanent exhibition there, it's true he was a bit of a stranger to the truth and a bit of a rogue but I don't think he was a fake he immersed himself in the First Nations culture and definitely brought conservation to the fore long before it became recognised as important on a mass scale. Nice write LC and a pleasure to listen to your song.

[Lcjones]

Thanks folks,

Star, I agree, Archie Belaney was not a fake. He most certainly walked the walk.
Doug, Glad you enjoyed the tune.
Mset.... thank you!

Carol...... As much as I'd like to say I memorize the lyrics to record. I don't. I have my cheat sheet. I memorize to a degree simply from repetition but then the old brain cells ain't what they used to be.

This song was written nearly 10 years ago. Not long after the movie came out. When I first wrote this I was accused of exploiting native Americans for my own gain. I was so disappointed to hear that. Especially from a fellow song writer. I kind of put the brakes on the song and rarely played it. But I'm going full guns with it now.

In most cases when I write a song, as the words come out, I start working the melody and chord progression. The cadence of the lyric will have a higher weight with me in finding the lyrical melody. And of course finding (rather, trying to find) the best chord progression to fit the song is paramount. That's where I always hope to reach prosody. When the music and lyric become inseparable. In other words, you can't imagine the song as a whole being played in any other fashion.

The song is relatively long. About 5 minutes. I'm attempting to shorten it a bit. I'm not sure it can stand too much cutting. It is not a radio friendly song. It is a song to be on an album or written around to be on a theme album. But I'd have to write another dozen songs based on a theme that could include a song like this. Maybe I should do that ...

**
LC