The very worst bush band in the world

updated (words are slightly different)

          G                                               F                         Am
I was rushing between distant towns hungry tired and grim
                    C                          F                        G
when bad weather came and made me chuck it in
             G                                            F                           Am
Some buildings and a single light, i parked there in the street
              C               F              G
and just sat there until i fell asleep

   G                                                      F                   Am
forced out into the pouring rain cause i just had to pee
                    C                        F                     G
when some joker braved the storm to rescue me
        G                                                 F                     Am
he dragged me into somewhere - an old and sturdy shed
         C                          F                 G
with lights and people sitting being fed (and)

chorus
        F                                           C
the very worst bush band in the world (1 or more times)
        F                                      C   
the world's worst singers the world's worst players
       Am              G                     C
but ancient folk magic made it work (that old folk magic..some old folk magic...)
       Am              G                    C
but ancient folk magic made it work (that old folk magic..some old folk magic...)

he sat me with some people who smiled at me or waved
and beer and pav just magically appeared
it seemed so unbelievable on such a wicked night
oh eff me days i could not believe my ears

before long i was swingin and swayin to the sound
as everybody danced before the band
and though it sounded horrible i could not help myself
some magic seemed to drag me by the hand (it was)

chorus

then suddenly i woke up still sitting in my car
the buildings gone the night sky filled with stars
and though i passed it off as just a dream to leave behind
that awful sound keeps running through my mind

chorus

chorus

Hogwash days - 1983 - such a good sound band

Thanks so much to Peter for this material


I'm lead singer (for a change in this, and mandolin) Chris McManus doing the better than mine harmony, Terry Toohill holding us all together on the bass and Peter Scott playing banjo in a way i didn't realise then was totally unique and really solid - we didn't need a drummer.




same, touched up by Peter





In these I'm harmony and mandolin

I'll never be as good as Marcus Turner

      C                                                         Bb
first saw him play and sing when i was struggling with the blues
  F                                                   C
i listened and i watched with open envy
  C                                                  Bb
i fumbled on self-conscious 'cause i was just a learner
        F                                                  C
but i vowed i'd be as good as Marcus Turner

   C                                         Bb
I didn't see him often cause I lived across the tracks
             F                                             C
and my life was hectic, difficult and crazy
             C                                                     Bb
but his playing and his singing made my determination sterner
          F                                               C
"one day i'll play as good as Marcus Turner"

   C                                       Bb
I fled to live in Sydney and busked my way through school
F                                                           C
    joined bands and made music for a living
    C                                                    Bb
and as i learned the mandolin my confidence grew firmer
       F                                             C
"i bet now i'm as good as Marcus Turner!"

C                                                            Bb
    then back to Dunedin - he was even better than before
      F                                               C
in every way he seemed to go on winning
  C                                                Bb
i loved him and i hated him - i'd always be the learner
         F                                                 C
and i'd never play as good as Marcus Turner

    C                                             Bb
I gave up playing music, a long story i wont tell
      F                                              C
for 30 years i went without much pickin'
  C                                                                         Bb
though Marcus went from strength to strength i heard not a murmur
        F                                                C
i no longer thought at all of Marcus Turner

C                                            Bb
Now i'm old and cranky my fingers stiff and sore
        F                                         C
and Marcus, well, he is gone forever
            C                                                    Bb
when i think of what i might have been if i had pushed it further
             F                                          C
i'd still never be as good as Marcus Turner


RIP Marcus Turner - a great kiwi, a great musician and a great human being

you might be able to get albums with Marcus here

To the extent possible under law, Murray Hobbs has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to I'll never be as good as Marcus Turner. This work is published from: New Zealand.

Wow. It's like years i've been in a funk.

It's been years i've been in a funk
torn far too many ways
tried drugs and tried the bottle
tried work and wealth and fame

tried doing all my dishes
and all your dishes too

tried focus on the simple things in life there are to do

and failure after failure
i've burned bridges to the ground

the careful work of months and years is gone without a sound

this getting old and cranky

this growing uselessness

this fumbling falling forgetful fearfulness



i guess funking away the rest of my life...




I wonder if Fred still does the song.

I like his words for in the wilderness - "white ash and black ash" - an ash forest that includes mountains - ie - buried somewhere never to be found - a sharp edge to his spade - and a back strong enough to haul her

of course, maybe it's not dark - it's weird (Steel Guitars?) - she REALLY wasn't human but who'd believe it and what would they do with the alien body? How can he come out as the good guy in these lyrics?

I think Fred's exploration of human nature is cool.

I tell people that I think Fred Eaglesmith is Canada's Bob Dylan and Blaze Foley was America's Leonard Cohen.

me today