30-Minute Music Hour

It's the 30 Minute Music Hour. I'm Andy Moore. Here's "The Kissers."

Song title

American Folk Song WELL, MY NAME IS JOHN DeWITT AND I AM A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND I ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON THERE'S A GIRL OUT THERE FOR ME AND HER NAME IS SUSAN LEE SHE IS GOING TO MARRY ME AND WE'LL START A FAMILY BUT WAIT ALL THE SCHOOL IS DONE FOR THE CLASS OF 1861 NOW THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE ME A GUN AND SEND ME TO THE SOUTH THEY SENT ME TO CAMP RANDALL AND THEY TRAINED ME FOR A WHILE I LEARNED TO LOAD A MUSKET SHOOT IT MILITARY STYLE THEY SAID, GOOD LAD YOU'RE READY AND KISSED MY GIRL GOODBYE THEY SENT ME DOWN TO CHARLESTON WHERE I WILL SURELY DIE ALL WAS FINE AND DANDY TILL WE HIT THE BATTLEFIELD THE CAPTAIN STARTED SHOUTING AND THE MEN BEGAN TO SQUEAL I THOUGHT I HEARD A CANNON AND I LOOKED AROUND TO SEE THE CAPTAIN'S PARTS WERE ALL SPREAD OUT AND LYING NEXT TO ME HALLELUJAH ALL THE SCHOOL IS DONE FOR THE CLASS OF 1861 NOW THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE ME A GUN AND SEND ME TO THE SOUTH THE LIEUTENANT TOOK COMMAND HE ORDERED ALL OF US RETREAT I JUST STOOD THERE STARING AND HE SAID PRIVATE, MOVE YOUR FEET I TURNED AROUND AND RAN UNTIL I THOUGHT MY HEART WOULD BURST I COLLAPSED AND FELL ASLEEP THAT WAS DAY I'LL ALWAYS CURSE WHEN I AWOKE THE NEXT MORNING I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS THE MORNING SUN WAS SHINING RED THE INSECTS THEY DID BUZZ I STOOD UP AND SUDDENLY REMEMBERED WHAT WENT ON I FELT THE GROUND IT WAS SOFT AND DAMP BUT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE SUN HALLELUJAH THERE'S A GIRL FOR ME AND HER NAME IS SUSAN LEE SHE'S GOING TO MARRY ME AND WE'LL START A FAMILY I SERVED MY COUNTRY IN THIS WAY FOR TWO LONG BLOODY YEARS WHEN I RETURNED MY GIRL WAS GONE WHICH ANSWERED ALL MY FEARS I DID MY DUTY AND I LOST MY ONE AND ONLY LASS NO REMORSE FOR THOSE WHO SERVED IN WAR THEY GET KICKED IN THE ASS NOW I'M DONE COMPLAINING GOTTA LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST I'VE GOT AN EDUCATION NOW MY PEN BECOMES THE BULLETS I"M GONNA WRITE A TUNE AND CALL IT "AMERICAN FOLK SONG" I REALLY HOPE THAT WHEN I PLAY IT, NO ONE SINGS ALONG HALLELUJAH I'M JOHN DeWITT I AM A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE I ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON WELL, MY NAME IS JOHN DeWITT I AM A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE I ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN- MADISON Come Out, Ye Black and Tans, by the Irish songwriter Dominic Behan I WAS RAISED ON A DUBLIN STREET WHERE THE ROYAL DRUMS DO BEAT AND THE LOVING ENGLISH FEET THEY TRAMPLE ALL OVER US AND EACH AND EVERY NIGHT THAT ME FATHER'D COME HOME TIGHT HE'D INVITE THE NEIGHBORS OUTSIDE WITH THIS CHORUS COME OUT YOU BLACK AND TANS COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN SHOW OUR WIVES HOW YOU WON MEDALS DOWN IN FLANDERS AND HOW THE IRA MADE YOU RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM THE GREEN AND LOVELY LANES OF KILLESHANDRA OH LET ME HEAR YOU TELL HOW YOU SLAMMED THE GREAT PERNELL WHEN YOU FOUGHT THEM WELL AND TRULY PERSECUTED WHERE ARE THE CHEERS AND JEERS THAT YOU BRAVELY LET US HEAR WHEN OUR HEROES OF SIXTEEN WERE EXECUTED HEY, COME OUT YOU BLACK AND TANS COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN SHOW OUR WIVES HOW YOU WON MEDALS DOWN IN FLANDERS AND HOW THE IRA MADE YOU RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM THE GREEN AND LOVELY LANES OF KILLESHANDRA OH TELL US HOW YOU SLEW THOSE POOR ARABS TWO BY TWO LIKE A ZULU THEY HAD SPEARS AND BOW AND ARROWS THAT YOU BRAVELY FACED EACH ONE WITH YOUR 16-POUNDER GUN FRIGHTENED THOSE POOR NATIVES TO THEIR MARROW HEY, COME OUT YOU BLACK AND TANS COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN SHOW OUR WIVES HOW YOU WON MEDALS DOWN IN FLANDERS AND HOW THE IRA MADE YOU RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM THE GREEN AND LOVELY LANES OF KILLESHANDRA THE TIME IS RUNNING FAST AND THE DAYS ARE HERE AT LAST WHEN EACH YEOMAN WILL BE CAST ASIDE BEFORE US AND IF THERE BE A NEED SURE MY KIDS WILL SING "GODSPEED!" WITH A VERSE OR TWO OF STEPHEN BEHAN'S CHORUS HEY, COME OUT YOU BLACK AND TANS COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN SHOW OUR WIVES HOW YOU WON MEDALS DOWN IN FLANDERS AND HOW THE IRA MADE YOU RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM THE GREEN AND LOVELY LANES OF KILLESHANDRA COME OUT YOU BLACK AND TANS COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN SHOW OUR WIVES HOW YOU WON MEDALS DOWN IN FLANDERS AND HOW THE IRA MADE YOU RUN LIKE HELL AWAY FROM THE GREEN AND LOVELY LANES OF KILLESHANDRA >> Thank you! Welcome. Thanks for coming. >> Thanks, Andy. >> The Kissers. The mighty Kissers, together since 1998. >> That's right. >> And Sean was singing there. But could you introduce us to everybody? >> Yes, on guitar and vocals on that last number is Sean Michael Dargan. Back on the drums is Joe Bernstein. On the fiddle, Kari Bethke. On the mandolin, Waylan Nate Palan. And I'm Ken Fitzsimmons. >> The Kissers. >> The Kissers. >> Since 1998. >> That's right. >> You guys were rock and rollers before Ireland happened. So explain how that happened. Isn't that sort of the way it went? >> Well, for the most part, most of us were either rock musicians or some other kind of musician, other than stage or traditional Irish musician. Nate did a little playing in an Irish band, as Sean has done some playing, as well. But for the most part, the avenue into the Irish field was a love for the very famous Irish rock band, the Pogues. And through that, I discovered Irish music. I'd never even heard Irish music, even though I have some, apparently, Irish heritage. Really, I have Wisconsin heritage. And then, through that avenue, we learned some more traditional type Irish music. But of course, the rock element has always been present. >> And you can hear that there's sort of a no apology sound of an American blast, just the way I've described it, into sort of a traditional Irish, like that last song. >> Right, that's a traditional, of course, that's a Dominique Behan song about the Black and Tans of the Irish War of Independence. But American Folk Song was specifically written-- I wrote that to imitate Shane McGowan's writing style, not in the sense of trying to sound like Shane McGowan, but do what he would do, which is take sounds he was familiar with, a topic of a history that he's familiar with and sang very, sort of, plainly about it. That's why I chose the Civil War and hopefully a kind of American-ish sounding melody. >> You mean on the first number? >> That's the first number, called "American Folk Song." >> It begins with the poor lad at UW-Madison, which is somewhat of an anthem for the band, too, and a terrific song. A couple more songs? >> Sure, sounds good. >> Thanks. The Kissers. Ginger Rogers (One More Dance) LOOKS LIKE THE LIGHTS ARE GOING OUT AGAIN I'VE GOT THE STORM ALL SETTLED IN SO LET'S GO GRAB THE CANDLES FROM THE HUTCH WE'VE BEEN UP FOR HALF THE NIGHT BUT THE MOOD IS FINALLY FEELING RIGHT FOR ANOTHER CROOKED GAME OF DOUBLE DUTCH I'M SO GLAD THE HOLIDAY'S OVER OUR FOLKS WENT BACK TO DOVER SO CAN I TAP YOU ON THE SHOULDER FOR ONE MORE DANCE THIS SKINNY HAND IS LOOKING RIGHT IN THE FAINT GALLOPING LIGHT I'D LIKE TO GRAB THAT HAND AND TAKE YOU FAR AWAY SINCE THE RAIN AIN'T LETTIN' UP AND WE'RE ALONE HERE IN THE ROUGH IT'S DUE TIME TO LET OUR WORRIES SLIP AWAY WELL, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE WE TOOK OUR TIME I GOT A FEELIN' THE NEIGHBORS AIN'T GONNA MIND SO GET THOSE SHOES OFF OF YOUR FEET THE RECORD PLAYER COULDN'T COMPETE WHY DON'T WE SLOW DANCE TO THE BEATING OF OUR HEARTS WHEN MY HAND IS ON YOUR HIP THERE'S NO WAY THAT I COULD SLIP MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE'LL KEEP THE RELATIVES AWAY I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH THE MAN WHO'S NOT SO TOUGH 'CAUSE NO ONE I'D RATHER HAVE WITH ME HERE TODAY GINGER ROGERS DON'T HAVE A THING ON YOU I'LL STICK AROUND SO I CAN LEARN A THING OR TWO GET THOSE SHOES OFF OF YOUR FEET THE RECORD PLAYER COULDN'T COMPETE WHY DON'T WE SLOW DANCE TO THE BEATING OF OUR HEARTS WELL, I'M SO GLAD THE HOLIDAY'S OVER OUR FOLKS WENT BACK TO DOVER SO CAN I TAP YOU ON THE SHOULDER FOR ONE MORE DANCE >> That's the title track. >> That's right. >> Let's talk about the record. Alex, can you get a shot of that, or Justin? Who's going to get a shot of that attractive rodent on there? Like that. Where did "Candy Ratz" come from? You know, the name. >> It's the year of the Rat. >> So, that's where it came from? >> You know, in all honesty, our last few records, we spent so much time thinking about what to name them. And it seemed as though we spent a lot of unnecessary time on it. So this one, it was like, there's a word, there's a word. >> Let's concentrate on the music. >> Yes, exactly. >> And the music there. And if this is way off the mark, then go ahead and throw stuff at me. But it sounds like Irish surf music. Has anyone ever called it that? That was really a great cut. >> Well, thank you. That one, by the way, written by Kari Bethke, and the band. But I could certainly see that. When you basically start driving a straight Irish beat, yeah, it's going to start to sound like surf music. And you know, Ireland is, of course, surrounded by ocean. >> That's true. This record was recorded live, and it shows in ways that, if anyone has seen The Kissers live, and you're seeing them live on the Web right now, and live on TV soon enough, there's an energy that audiences just rave about. Do you think that it came through here? >> Yeah, absolutely. You're exactly right. That was the whole point in recording it, not just that we thought that we were best conveyed live, but also that we are sort of, our sort of frustration in the studio, that, we record in the studio, and we certainly liked the product, but it was always missing that something. That's what, just getting out there, just plugging the songs through and not really, you know, letting it be rough around the edges, that's what we like best. >> I hesitate to use self-consciousness with your band, because there's just not a self-conscious bone in your collective bodies, but when you knew you were going for it, over a couple of nights, right, for this record? >> Two nights. >> Was there a little bit of self-consciousness or pressure knowing that you wanted the record to be tight, you wanted it to be who you are on stage, but you wanted it to be as note perfect as the songs were meant to be played. >> Yeah, absolutely. There were brain farts. Can you hear it? >> Yeah. >> But that's why we did two nights. And to our surprise, even when we thought we were messing something up, we listened to it later, and thought wow, that actually sounds fine. It sounds live. And so the second night, I think we were a little bit looser and more casual. >> Knowing you had some stuff in the bank, so to speak. >> Right. >> Well, a couple more songs. >> Sure, you bet. >> And I'll thank you now. >> Thanks, Andy. Fell Down THE YEAR OF DOUBLE-OH AND IT STARTED A LITTLE SLOW NO DIRECTION WAS FOUND IN THIS SORROWFUL SOUND OF A SOUL ON A WANDERING PATH AND TOO MUCH TIME WAS SPENT FEELING FRUSTRATED AND BENT THE GIRL WAS GONE BUT HER GHOST LIVED ON IN MEMORIES AND DRINK AND TRYING AS I MIGHT TO FIND THE GUIDING LIGHT THE DARKNESS ENSUED I BECAME SUBDUED AND I WISHED FOR IT ALL TO END I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL DOWN AGAIN WELL, I COULD NOT STOP THE CRUMBLING ROCKS FROM FALLING DOWN ONTO ME SO I STARTED ON A PATH FOR THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS HOPING YOU SEE THAT I FINALLY BREAK FREE OF ALL THIS USELESS MISERY AND I CLIMBED UP ON THAT ROCK AND I TOLD THE MOON TO STOP AND THE CLOUDS IN THE SKY SEND A QUESTIONING EYE I TOLD THEM TO JUST STAND BY I ASKED THE PLANETS AND THE SUN OH, IS THERE A PURPOSE FOR THE LONELY ONE THEY STARTED TELLING ME ABOUT THE LAND AND THE SEA I SAID THAT'S A LIKELY STORY I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL DOWN AGAIN WELL, I COULD NOT STOP THE CRUMBLING ROCKS FROM FALLING DOWN ONTO ME I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL AGAIN OH-OH, I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING TO ME I USED TO BE A HAPPY MAN ALL RIGHT! SEEING THAT THE SKY WAS AS IGNORANT AS I WELL I TURNED MY BACK ON ALL THE USELESS CRAP THEN STARTED ON A NEW PATH AND LOOKING AT THE SEA WHICH WAS LOOKING RIGHT BACK AT ME WHILE I SAID HOW DO YOU DO SO DEEP AND SO BLUE I GOT THIS PROBLEM FOR YOU I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL DOWN AGAIN OH-OH, I COULD NOT STOP ALL THE CRUMBLING ROCKS FROM FALLING DOWN ON ME I FELL DOWN AND THEN OH-OH, I FELL AGAIN WELL, I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING TO ME I USED TO BE A HAPPY MAN I FELL DOWN AND THEN I FELL DOWN AGAIN Real Old Mountain Dew LET THE GRASSES GROW AND THE WATERS FLOW IN A FREE AND EASY WAY BUT GIVE ME ENOUGH FOR THE RARE OLD STUFF THAT'S MADE NEAR GALWAY BAY COME GOUGERS ALL FROM DONEGAL SLIGO AND LEITRIM TOO WE'LL GIVE THEM THE SLIP THEN WE'LL TAKE A SIP OF THE REAL OLD MOUNTAIN DEW Skiddley-idle diddle dum Skiddley-idle diddle dum Skiddley-um-uh die-diddle dum-day AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL THERE'S A LITTLE STILL SMOKE TWIRLS UP TO THE SKY FOR THE SMOKE AND SMELL YOU CAN PLAINLY TELL THERE'S POITEN BREWING NEAR BY AND IT FILLS THE AIR WITH A PERFUME RARE BETWIXT BOTH ME AND YOU WHILE HOME YOU STROLL YOU CAN TAKE YOUR BOWL OR BUCKET OF THE MOUNTAIN DEW (vocalizing) NOW EDUCATED MEN WHO USE THEIR PEN AND WROTE THEIR PRAISES HIGH THAT SWEET POITEN FROM IRELAND GREEN DISTILLED FROM WHEAT AND RYE THROW AWAY YOUR PILLS CURE ALL YOUR ILLS PAGAN, CHRISTIAN OR JEW TAKE OFF YOUR COAT AND GREASE YOUR THROAT WITH THE REAL OLD MOUNTAIN DEW (vocalizing) LET THE GRASSES GROW AND WATERS FLOW IN A FREE AND EASY WAY BUT GIVE ME ENOUGH FOR THE RARE OLD STUFF THAT'S MADE NEAR GALWAY BAY COME GOUGERS ALL FROM DONEGAL SLIGO AND LEITRIM TOO WE'LL GIVE THEM THE SLIP THEN WE'LL TAKE A SIP OF THE REAL OLD MOUNTAIN DEW (vocalizing)