My cover of “Love In Vain” by Robert Johnson.

The Rolling Stones covered it, as did Eric Clapton. This is one of several blues songs I’ve been learning. It was tempting to treat this as a folk song as I usually sing them, in terms of phrasing and vibrato. But the style is quite different, which I think you’ll hear immediately. Johnson’s use of microtonality was what attracted me to him, and was something I tried to emulate. Johnson’s use of pro guitar playing was also awesome but I am all novice so I just played the chords.

My cover of “Blowin’ In The Wind” by Bob Dylan. Started on C, capo on 1.

This song makes me feel all rebellious and political! woo hoo

My cover of “We Shall Overcome” by Charles Albert Tindley. It was a defining anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Pete Seeger and Joan Baez often sang it live at protests in the ’60s.

We shall overcome someday…
Truth shall make us free someday…
We shall live in peace someday…
We are not afraid today!

My cover of “Blackbird” by The Beatles. I made up my own accompaniment based on the chords here, capo on 4th. The album art is copyright okay.

My cover of “Oh My Love” by John Lennon. This is one of those songs I’ve listened to on repeat for an entire night.

Oh my love for the first time in my life
My eyes are wide open
Oh my lover for the first time in my life
My eyes can see 

My cover of “Virgin Mary Had One Son,” a traditional Christmas song.

Virgin Mary had a one son,
Oh, glory halleluja,
Oh, pretty little baby,
Glory be to the new born King.

My cover of “O! What A Beautiful City,” a negro spiritual. 

Who are those children all dressed in red?

They must be the children that Moses led

There’s twelve gates to the city, Hallelujah!

My cover of “Wagoner’s Lad,” a traditional folk song. This is my first attempt at recording something acapella! 

Oh, hard is the fortune of all woman kind
She’s always controlled, she’s always confined
Controlled by her parents until she’s a wife
A slave to her husband the rest of her life

My cover of “Come All Ye Fair and Tender Maidens,” a traditional folk song. It’s a much more elegant way than I’ve known of telling girls to keep away from bad romance. I’ve obeyed these folk songs religiously (not really by choice though).

I wish I was a little sparrow
And I had wings and I could fly
I’d fly away to my own true lover
And when he speaks I would deny.

But I am not no little sparrow
I have no wings neither can I fly
I’ll sit right down in my grief and sorrow
And let my troubles pass me by. 

My cover of “Scarlet Ribbons,” music by Evelyn Danzig & lyrics by Jack Segal. Harry Belafonte’s cover was a ’50s smash hit!

Through the night my heart was aching
Just before the dawn was breaking…
I peeked in and on her bed
In gay profusion laying there
I saw ribbons, scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair.

My cover of “Dark Eyes” by Bob Dylan.

I’ve listened to this song on repeat (looped with “You’re Gonna Quit Me” and “Buckets of Rain”) in dark times. I can’t say it helped me find a way out, but at least I know that he understood me. Bobby’s got a way with that, you know?

My cover of “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” by Bob Dylan. He wrote it in 1962 for his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, who was in Italy at the time. I fell in love with it at first listen. It broke my heart on the second.

Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin’
If I could hear her heart a-softly poundin’
Only if she was lyin’ by me
Then I’d lie in my bed once again

My cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles, from The While Album. The following are relevant:

• George’s acoustic demo (Anthology) is my most played song on iTunes.
• I only learned the guitar part last night. In 24 hours, I’ve played this song, oh…50 times? Considering the first 5 times I couldn’t sing “I don’t know why nobody told you how to unfold your love” without crying, though…

Enjoy ♥