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Years ago when I was a folk-singer (ha!ha!, guffaw, oh-my-sides) I got hold of a banjo with the earnest attempt to learn to play the banjo. These days I’m not sure I can recall the imperitive to do so, but there we are; it’s a matter of historical fact. Nothing good came of it – and considering the sound I must of made I’m glad that many of the social behavioural laws we have now in the UK didn’t exist then otherwise I would no doubt have been in deep doo-doo.
One tangential effect when I could tear myself away from my banjo was that I wasn’t skillfull enough not to transfer the technique I was trying to master to the guitar when I next picked it up, unless there was a pause in between of about two weeks. Rashly at one of these times, whithout carrying out a proper risk assessment, I tuned the guitar to a banjo tuning (the banjo itself recovering from my most recent exertions in another corner of the room) and picked away. The tune which underpins The Shirt is the result.
I suspect it’s because the tune is so unfitting to a guitar that my audiences during these fevered evenings wanted to hear it again just to make sure such reckless practices were for real. Anyroad, for a while it became a bit of signature song in the way that a limp becomes the trademark of a one-eyed sailor.
Anyhoo…
It found its way onto my first LP (circa 1976) and only after being trawled around Europe for a few years was it quietly retired.
Here it is again, though, freshly recorded but with a reprised verse omitted from the end. Just to get it over with sooner.
Why record a 35 year old song again? I owe it something. It didn’t deserve to be slung in the corner in such an off-hand manner after it’s prime was past. Because many fond memories orbit around performances of The Shirt. Many fine people I got to meet because of these performances. And I consider these people my friends but I don’t hear from them now and I miss them.
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The Shirt
There is no shirt upon my back
That has not lost its’ style
And I could buy a new shirt tomorrow
And not be back for a while
There is no tooth inside my head
That will not soon decay
And though I will sing and shout as I pull them out
I’ll soon be on my way
There are no clothes in my laundry bag
That I could not throw out
But I could buy some new clothes tomorrow
Ooh you’d better watch out
I’m about to throw some out
I’m going up to Union Street
And in some trendy store
I’m going to by me a brand new suit
And I won’t be back no more
© 2011 Dave Keir
Hello Dave Ive been meaning to contact you again for a for a few weeks…
Only you can really Know wether this version is right, but if you want some ideas here’s a couple of thoughts
Put the reprise verse back as this gives the real meaning about “trendy” which is lost I feel, if you seem to walk away ie finish the song with the suit on your back
the infills and intro sound very youish but also abit like a noodle rather than a underscoring of the message: but you may well disagree with this!
Hope this helps! kind regards Peter
You know wether this is r
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your careful and well considered suggestions. I’ve mulled putting the first verse reprise back and, to be honest, I’m betwixt and between. I do see your point and I agree that the reprise would reinforce the context of the previous verse. My reason for removing it on this recording was down to an instinct I’ve developed in later years to remove unnecessary padding lest a song outstays its weclome, so to speak. I didn’t see The Shirt as having any kind of “epic” quality; more of a pot-boiler where punchiness and conciseness might be of the essence. Hmm…
However on the practical side, to put the verse back in would mean re-recording the whole song which is impractical because the recording facilities in my studio have been decommissioned. I could – since I still have the editing, mixing and post-production tools available – go all unauthentic and compile a reprised verse from out-takes and edit it in using the computer. But that’s not my style.
On balance, I think it’ll have to stay as-is, form-wise.
Yeh, the guitar bits in the middle are noodle-ish. I like your insight. Everything I come up with starts from noodling. It appears that here it’s blatantly obvious! The song was written many, many years ago, so I can’t be certain, but I think I remember the intro was the “noodle” that kicked the whole song off (rather than added later as a conceived intro.
Thanks Peter – it’s been a pleasure to think about your ideas!
kicking song with much driving depressions