AKHippie Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 I am writing a critical analysis of Steve Goodman's Ballad of Penny Evans for a Composition and Rhetoric class. Any information on song or songwriter would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth-Angel Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 One most interesting tracks on the album is Goodman's totally unaccompanied version of 'The Ballad Of Penny Evans'. Why did he record a protest song about Vietnam? "It wasn't meant to be as such, it was just that nobody writes about anybody that's left at home. There was a point where I met a person who actually told me that story, and I was impressed with it enough that I went back - it was in Rochester, New York, and I was playing in a place called The Nugget Pizza Palace, and that's the truth! It was a pretty interesting gig - I was on the bill with The New York Rock Ensemble. We were even doing some oldies at the end of their set - I'd come back out and we'd do some oldies and ever body danced in this Pizza Palace. Have you ever seen an American basketball game? There's what they call a 24 second clock at the end of the court. The teams have 24 seconds or 30 seconds, depending on the league, to shoot the ball or to get a shot that hits the rim. If they don't, they lose possession of the ball to speed up American pro basketball. Well, they had one of those damn clocks up in the ceiling at the Pizza Palace, and it'd flash up 48, any number. What it was, they'd give you a stub when you ordered your pizza, and when it was ready, they'd flash your number up there, and there were pinball tables and a pool table out in the back. There's a lot of controversy over the truth. Turns out Penny Evans was probably a coke-head and maybe didn't give the money back. But I don't let the truth get in the way of a good story and I don't think Steve Goodman did either. The Ballad Of Penny Evans by Steve Goodman (sung a cappella to the tune of tune of "Flying Cloud") Oh my name is Penny Evans and my age is 21 A young widow in the war that's being fought in Vietnam And I have two infant daughters and I do the best I can Now they say the war is over, but I think it's just begun I remember I was seventeen on the day I met young Bill At his father's grand piano, we'd play old "Heart and Soul" Well, I only knew the left hand part and he the right so well He's the only boy I ever slept with and the only one I will It's first we had a baby girl and we had two good years It was next the A1 notice came and we parted without tears So it's nine months from our last good night our second babe appears So it's ten months and a telegram confirming all our fears And now every month I get a check from an Army bureaucrat And it's every month I tear it up and mail the damn thing back Do you think that makes it all right, do you think I'd fall for that And you can keep your bloody money, it won't bring my Billy back I never cared for politics and speeches I don't understand And likewise never took no charity from any living man But tonight there's fifty thousand gone in that unhappy land and fifty thousand "Heart and Soul's" being played with just one hand Oh my name is Penny Evans and my age is 21 A young widow in the war that's being fought in Vietnam And I have two infant daughters and I do the best I can Now they say the war is over, but I think it's just begun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Steve Goodman was a wonderful singer/songwriter who departed this world far too soon (leukemia). His best known song was actually covered with more success by Arlo Guthrie...The City Of New Orleans (another song worthy of study). Two of my favorite songs by Goodman are The Barnyard Dance (aka The Vegetable Song) and Would You Like To Learn To Dance. I know this doesn't help you AK...sorry. PS: Sue, I love the lines in your sig. What are they from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth-Angel Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Unks, they're from a song called Such great heights by a band called The postal service. It's got really good lyrics: I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles In our eyes are mirror images and when We kiss they're perfectly aligned And I have to speculate that God himself Did make us into corresponding shapes like Puzzle pieces from the clay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted April 20, 2005 Report Share Posted April 20, 2005 Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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