We haven't heard anything from The Burgoo Boys for a while, and now that we have they've picked up some more musicians along the way. Uncle Junes' Jug Band is a group that plays the rounds in Kentucky and are known for their use of traditional jug band instruments like kazoo, jaw harp, washtub bass, washboard, and of course the jug. Jug bands began years ago and were primarily back musicians that played in urban areas of the south, as well as medicine shows. They are a part of the history of the blues, and played many styles of music like jazz, ragtime, and the blues. Kentucky New Year's Eve is a happy song, an invitation to ring in the New Year with some home-spun music and traditional Kentucky and Southern food.
Some of the jug band instruments can be heard throughout like the washtub bass and washboard. The middle instrumental interlude spotlights some of them, and includes a solo by Uncle June himself, who is a virtuoso on the kazoo.
Gonna have a good New Years Eve
Get together and nip some shine
Jug player
Stay a while, don't ya'll leave
The eats gonna be mighty fine
A Kentucky New Years Eve Starts real early in the day Goes all the way to next light Overnight we're gonna stay
Bring yer Get-fiddles and dobros Banjoes, mandolins as well We'll start playin' and eatin' Raise us some mighty hell!
Gonna have a good New Years Eve etc…
Gonna have real fried chicken None of that KFC stuff Cay at fish, Chow-Chow, Frog legs So good you can't get enough!
We gonna have a jug band too Jaw harp, kazoo, washboard as well We'll start playin' and eatin' Raise us some mighty hell!
Gonna have a good New Years Eve etc…
What the hell you done asked me? We gonna have any Burgoo? Kentucky New Years Eve without it? What in hell is wrong with you?
We gonna have Derby pie Bourbon balls, Modjeska, as well Just take it easy with the shine It'll make ya drunker than hell!
Gonna have a good New Years Eve etc…
There's gonna be all kinds a ladies And men as well, that is true C'mon and daynce, sing and play They's bound to be partner for yew
We gonna ring in the New Year Hope it's lots better than the last Be nicer to all yer neighbors Keep all the hate in the past
The railroad has been in Betty Miranga's for all her life, and the family association goes back generations back to her Great Grandfather, Grandfather, and Father. Evidently she has a predilection for getting romantically inclined with railroad men as well. That it hasn't turned out well for her is being made plain in her songs. She has 2 sons from a previous marriage to a railroad man, and when the boys got of age they both hired on the railroad as well. This song, My Daddy Worked On The Rails tells a little bit about her father, and the sorrow she still feels from his passing.
We got a chance to talk to Betty as she came to our studios to sign a contract. We were somewhat surprised when we saw her. For some reason, we thought she was a small woman going by her high pitched voice, but it shows how getting a picture of someone just by their voice isn't always a good gauge of their physiognomy. Far from being a small woman, she's just a tad short of 6 foot tall! She shook hands and her grip is substantial. After we talked, we found out she was quite an athlete in her younger days (she's quite an attractive late 50's-early 60's lady). Played much basketball, softball, volleyball, and stays active and in shape by playing golf; she's 2 handicap,close to being scratch,but she said she's got some arthritis in her shoulders and doesn't play as often as she should anymore. Her voice is the same talking as when she sings; soft, high pitched, almost like a young girl. She told us her voice has not changed over the years, and she's careful not to strain or overwork her voice. Her talent and soul she puts into her songs is that of a mature woman that admits to using music to work through some of her life-long demons, as she calls them.
My Daddy worked on the rails 'Til his dyin' day runnin' trains Wouldn't quit when he had the chance Life of a rail man in his veins
Daddy followed in the footsteps Of his Daddy, Grampaw too Worked his way up from laborer All on the old SOU (Southern Railroad)
Ran the big diesel engines Long trains of black coal would fly 'Member goin' to the crossin' Wavin' to him as he rolled by
My Daddy worked on the rails 'Til his dyin' day runnin' trains Wouldn't quit when he had the chance Life of a rail man in his veins
Daddy got crippled up o'er time With arthritis in his back Ever time he had to move His joints would creak and crack
Had a chance to hang up his hat On account disability But he couldn't stand not ridin' And wounding his virility
My Daddy worked on the rails 'Til his dyin' day runnin' trains It's had a strange effect on me Life of a rail man in his veins
I ain't never worked the railroad But it's part of me just like him All my love's have been rail men All have ended up really dim
'Member hearin' 'bout Daddy Found dead in the engineer's seat They was stopped for a crew change Then his life was full complete
My Daddy worked on the rails His heart give out that sad day I'm all alone, without a man... I might end up the same way
The Mariachi group Un Grupo de Mexicali performs a song about the
Mexican tradition of Las Posadas where people walk every night between
Dec. 16th and ending Dec. 24th and knock on doors for others to invite
them in and offer refreshment. It is in imitation of Joseph and Mary's
walking through the streets of Bethlehem to find lodgings. That is in
fact what the title of the song translates to in English, 'Lodgings'.
The final night, Christmas Eve, is an evening of celebration and
traditional foods like tamales and punch along with piñatas in the shape
of stars.
En la noche oscura Un canto va Con velas y rezos En cada hogar Puertas se cierran Pero hay un lugar
¿Quién llama afuera? ¿Quién quiere entrar? Es José y María buscando un hogar
Estrella de luz Guía el caminar En Las Posadas Se siente el amar Piñatas que caen Risas al volar Y en Nochebuena Todo es celebrar
Los niños cantando Villancicos van Rompiendo silencios Uniendo el pan El aroma a ponche El fuego en paz
El patio se llena La fe a brillar Somos peregrinos buscando lugar
Estrella de luz Guía el caminar En Las Posadas Se siente el amar Piñatas que caen Risas al volar Y en Nochebuena Todo es celebrar
In the darkness A cry is heard Candles and reverence But every place Doors are closing Is there is a place? Who is knocking outside? Who wants to come in? It's Joseph and Mary looking for shelter within
Star of light Guide our way In Las Posadas Love will stay Piñatas falling Laughter rising And on Christmas Eve A celebration uprising
The
barbershop has been busy the past few weeks, and Luigi has continued
his philandering ways. He's hired Benny, a local young man, to be what Luigi
calls his 'stooge', someone who knows people in town and knows
everyone's business. Benny arrives one day as the barbershop is opening,
and he relays a warning to Luigi, to beware of Sammy, the husband of Jill, whom Luigi is concentrating his sexual efforts on lately. In Benny's aria, he warns that Sammy, who owns the local hardware store, is a violent man who isn't quite right in the head. He fears that Sammy will do Luigi harm:
Benny's aria -
Luigi's temper erupts at the idea that he should run away and be afraid of Sammy. In his aria BASTA (Italian for 'enough') he gets very animated and hints at what he lived through in fascist Italy (remember this opera is based in the early 1950's; WWII is still a vivid memory for many, especially for an Italian immigrant who fought in the Italian resistance.) Luigi relates how he has seen evidence of Sammy's violence towards his battered and bruised wife, and assures all that he's not afraid of Sammy! He tells of Jill's stories about how Sammy goes away for days at a time, and Luigi knows where he goes; mainly to other towns to visit different brothels. He refuses Benny's offer to hide out at his house:
Luigi's aria - BASTA!
Ever the voice of reason, Luigi's brother Antonio stops sweeping the floor and calms down his brother, while once again admonishing him for his involvement with married women, as it adds to the communities suspicions about them and causes trouble. He tells him if he must have women, there are many unmarried 'safer' women.
Antonio's aria -
Antonio
puts an arm around Luigi and they go to the backroom of the barbershop
to have a talk.The patrons discuss what they've just heard, and consider
making book on how long Luigi will last against Sammy. they show their true colors as they try to figure the odds on Luigi winning a fight against Sammy, and even as far as what they'll do if Sammy kills Luigi!
Patrons - Making Book On Luigi
SCENE 2
As the barbershop gets ready to close after a busy day, Luigi and Antonio have had a very busy day at the shop, and as Luigi brushes the suit of the last customer of the day, he looks at Antonio who is sweeping the floor. He confesses that he's been thinking about what Antonio told him earlier. He tells him the talking-to angered him at first, but the angrier he got, the more he knew Antonio was right. Luigi has decided to stop seeing married women, that he will no longer see Sammy's wife Jill, and that they both like it in Paducah and they want to stay. He knows Antonio has a steady lady friend, and that Luigi goes to the flowershop every morning to get a flower for his lapel, and that he and Louisa, owner of the shop have conversations that are getting longer and longer, with Louisa occasionally touching his shoulder and helping him place the flower. He admits to having feelings for her, and having thoughts of settling down to raise a family.
Luigi's aria -I Like Her So Much
Antonio greets Luigi's comments with joy, and doesn't doubt Luigi's sincerity. He tells him to clean himself up, ad go over to the flowershop right then and invite Louisa to dinner, no time like the present! He tells about the woman he loves, and has wanted to ask her to marry him, but with Luigi's mischief, he thought it wouldn't work as they might have to skip town. But if Luigi is willing to change, he can ask her.
Antonio's aria -
SCENE 3
The Flower Shop
Louisa arrives back at her flowershop after saying yes to Luigi's invitation to dinner. He walked her back to the shop, and she stands inside the closed shop door and relates about the evening. How much she likes being with him, and how her feelings are growing for him. He was a totally gentleman, clean cut and well pressed, something she obviously admires in a man. She invites him into the shop for coffee, but her politely refuses, the meaning of which isn't lost on her. He did not take the obvious invitation to something more than coffee, and she admires him all the more for it. After his refusal, she gives him a big hug, he returns the hug and kisses her lightly on each cheek. He holds the door open for her, and she still stands leaning against the door long after Luigi has left.
Louisa’s aria - Are You For Real? Luigi?
Scene 4 The Barbershop, 3:00 in the morning
Luigi and Antonio are asleep in the apartments in the back of the barbershop. Luigi is restless, tossing and turning, when he begins to hear a pounding on the back door. He gets up cursing and grabs a shotgun. He looks out the window of the door and sees that it's Jill! She rushes into the room when he opens it and tells him how she was worried and tried to call him but only got a busy signal, so she came over. She confesses her near fanatical love for him, tells how husband Sammy will be gone for 3 days and gives him an invite to visit her. Luigi gently sits her down ,gives her a drink of water and tells her that there love affair is over. She does not take it calmly! She curses him, in desperation tells him she will never let him go, that he is hers forever! Luigi loses his patience and tells her that the sex was good, but that he doesn't love her and it would be wrong to keep leading her on. She grows more frantic until Luigi tells her enough! and with some choice words, makes true with his warning to throw her out of the shop, and slams the door!
There's no doubt about it, the artists here at Big And Tall Records are sending us some different songs for Christmas. And this new one by Gummer Beaudine fits right in with her catalog. She's never been one to mince her words in any song she's sent us, and this one is no exception. The Elf On The Shelf! is about her dislike for the 21st Century Christmas tradition, in no uncertain terms.
The Elf On The Shelf started out as a family tradition with Carol Aeborsold's family when she was a little girl, and was extended to her own family when she had children of her own. She wrote a book about it in 2005 along with her author daughter, and another daughter joined the other two with her knowledge of marketing and they began going to book signings and trade fairs. The book included an Elf doll as well as instructions to carry on the tradition. Essentially, the elf on the shelf watches children, and when the children are asleep, the elf reports back to the North Pole and tells Santa how the children behaved; whether naughty or nice. It returns every morning before the children wake up and assumes a different place than before. This goes on until Christmas Eve, when the elf's mission is complete and he disappears back to the North Pole until next year. Children are not allowed to touch the elf, can tell it their Christmas wishes.
The book slowly gained in popularity until in 2013 it hit the No. 1 spot on USA Today's bestseller list. There has been opinions by professional children's counselors that condemn the book as just a market ploy to make money at the expense of creating childhood anxiety at Christmas time, while other have enjoyed the book and tradition with their family. By 2023, the book was earning $100,000 million annually, and have made the three that wrote and marketed it multi millionaires. The three women went on to create their own publishing firm and grown the book into a global phenomenon.
After listening to Gummer's lyrics, it's obvious what side she's on! But all it takes is something people can latch on to that they think is good! Whether you think the idea is cute, or like Gummer, stupid, it's hard to argue with success! By the way, we were kind of at a loss as to what picture to use for a heading for this post, so we asked Ms Beaudine if she had a preference. She sent us the picture at the top of this post!
Ev'ry Christmas, I travel around To each one of my kids own place Like to see all my Grandkids Giggly, with smiles on their face
The decorations are pretty They make me smile to myself But one thing gets my dander up... IF I SEE THE ELF ON THE SHELF!
Who in hell thought up that dumb thing? Ain't nothin' but a Santa snitch! They report back, Any and all lack Of kids bein’ good, what a bitch!
Some woman started it all With their family tradition And wrote it all in a book With detailed instructions
Tell the elf yer Christmas wishes And then when the kids dreamin' deep He flies back to the North Pole Rats out the kids while fast asleep
Tells Santa all the naughty stuff The kids did all through the day So Santa can punish them all Not git what they want Christmas Day!
Who in hell thought up that dumb thing? Ain't nothin' but a Santa snitch! They report back, Any and all lack Of kids bein’ good, what a bitch!
Why not turn yer own tradition Into a money-makin' farce? Use it to control yer kids My patience fer it is sparse!
The book tells ya to name the elf Each day put him a different place I'd call the shit-head rat asshole! Throw him down and stomp on his face!
I know where I'd put the butt hole Chuck him in a burnin' fire place Tell all of 'em responsible That's the end of this sorry case!
Who in hell thought up that dumb thing? Ain't nothin' but Santa’s bitch! They done it to make big money People thought it up sure got rich!
Don't control yer kids with a dumb idea! They got 'enough worries of their own Without addin' this nonsense to it! Teach yer kids the right way! By what ya do, as much as what you say! Don't depend on a goddam expensive, cheaply made Elf doll!
We at Big And Tall Records seldom make two consecutive releases by an artist. We like to have variety in our releases, and usually put some space between artist's recordings, but after we listened to this song by Betty Miranga, it seemed like a good idea. It is different for a Christmas song as it addresses one persons sadness at Christmas time. Seasonal depression is a real thing for many people. Attribute it to loneliness, sadness at loved ones who are gone, disappointment that the holiday doesn't meet expectations, or just a souring of the mood by so much commercialism, it can happen. We can intellectually know that the season is what you make of it, but emotionally it can be hard to overcome the feelings of sadness and disappointment.
According to her lyrics, she was able to rationally come to terms with her feelings and change her feelings to ones of happiness. Might sound easy to do, but we know it surely isn't. Betty must be a very strong willed person to overcome seasonal depression by herself, and kudos to her for that. But there are some folks who can't do it alone. A trusting friend to talk to can help, but for others professional help may be needed. And that's not something to be ashamed of. Depression is a mental illness, and like any other illness a patient can't overcome by themselves, professional help is available. Even in this modern age, a stigma remains attached to getting help for mental health, which is regrettable. No one need suffer without trying to get help to get better.
It could be something more than the Christmas blues; it could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, known by the acronym SAD, which can be caused by the shortness of days in fall and winter. This can also happen in summer for the opposite reasons. That's a short explanation of something that is very real and more complicated, which can be treated as simply as using a sun lamp in the winter to make up for the lost sun time. Medications as well as physical exercise can also help. Check with your medical service provider for more information.
Snow is a flyin’ Christmas Eve I’m feelin’ good, givin’ thanks For all the blessin’s in my life Finally filled in all the blanks
Used to get down in the dumps At the holiday time of year Think ‘bout all the ones that are gone And who’d be next was my big fear
Ya know, it’s all ‘bout attitude Thinkin’ the worst makes ya blind To all the good that’s happenin’ To all happiness ya kin find
Used to get down in the dumps And grumble with the risin’ sun Play the role better than Scrooge Be bad ol’ Grinch to every one
Somethin’ happened few years ago Some call it an epiphany I seen the way that I was actin’ Was drivin’ folks away from me
Used to get down in the dumps Don’t know why it took so dang long To see the error of my ways And understand what I done wrong
Now I’m at a much better place Emotionally, shed the big load Christmas is now a happy time I come to terms, got out the road
Used to get down in the dumps There's ‘nough misery on the earth Without me addin’ to it all Now I know what it’s all worth
