Songbooks
about our Kiwi way of life
Some
of the songs in these books are ballads crafted and sung by workers, others
have been written by educated city people in imitation of these folk ballads,
and many started out as commercial entertainment on dance floors, radio and
TV.
Maori Songbooks
I'm
a Pakeha, and most familiar with the 20th century Maori
action songs that are performed almost every day in concerts, using
Western tunes. For 90 years the most popular of these songs have been published
in books and on recordings. When we compare versions of the
same song from different decades, we can see the folk-process of composition,
selection and modification transforming the songs in response to the social
changes that have occurred over the decades, eg Po
Atarau, Hoea Ra, He
Puru Taitama, Matangi.
And here are
some books about traditional Maori song, although my knowledge of
Maori language and literature is not good enough for me to study of the
folk process in them, except to observe the origin of some Rugby
haka, eg Ruaumoko => Ko
Niu Tireni => Kapa o Pango.
My suggestions for beginners
to buy
Kiwi songs
of the twentieth century - Spittle's Counting the Beat
Folk ballads of New Zealand life from the 1930s to the 60s - The Life
& Songs of Peter Cape
Old
songs about the work of colonial Pakeha men
- Worsfolds' Colonial Heritage Songs
Women's
songs, sung in Maori but familiar to Pakeha - Taewa's
He Koha.
Counting the
Beat,
A History of New Zealand Song
Gordon
Spittle
 GP
Publications 1997
This book
started out as a collection of local songs to be used as a guitar tutor,
so it has the lyrics and guitar chords of fifty popular New Zealand
songs, from the ancient but enduring Maori stick game chant E
Papa and the old rugby anthem On
The Ball, through Opo the Dolphin
and Cheryl Moana Marie, to the
Finn brothers' Always Take the Weather with You and the Muttonbirds'
Dominion Road.
But beyond
that Gordon discusses the when and why of the songs and their composers.
It is an eclectic collection of revealing biographies and interviews.
You get
to meet people like Maewa Kaihua (Po
Atarau, Now Is the Hour), Tex Morton,
Ruru Karatiana (Blue Smoke),
Johnny Devlin, Willow Macky,
Howard Morrison, Peter Cape, Ray Columbus,
Dave Jordan, Dave McArtney (Hello
Sailor), Sharon O'Neill, Dave Dobbin, Patsy Riggir and Davanius
Prime. You can buy it online HERE
It has no
music scores in it, and no CD, so if you are not a New Zealander who
grew up with these songs, then you may have problems.
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An
Ordinary Joker
The Life & Songs of Peter Cape
compiled by Roger
Steele
108 pages,
plus enclosed CD
Steele
Roberts 2001
I'm
an ordinary joker, growin' old before my time
For
m' heart's in Ta'm'ranui, on the Main Trunk Line...
 Peter
Cape spent his 1930s childhood in the valleys between Taumarunui and
Whangarei, constantly travelling with his Yorkshire immigrant parents
selling farmhouse necessities from a small van.
In 1950s
Wellington, he wanted to become a poet, but the rural Kiwi voices
in his ballads caught the attention of a former English colony looking
for its own national identity.
As well
as the iconic Cape songs that we have been singing for decades --
Taumarunui, Down
the Hall, She'll be Right, Stable
Lad, Okaihau
Express, Black Matai, Rainbird
in the Tea-tree, -- there are some gems more rarely sung --
Nativity, Taumata...,
Talking
Dog, Charlies'
Bash, Spell-Oh, You Can't Win, Inter-island Steamer Express,
Coffee Bar Blues -- and some that are quite new to me -- Monde
Marie, Gumdigger, Old Joe Becher, Scotty the Roadman, Mary the Drover's
Daughter, Tramcar, She's a Great Little Town and The A &
P Show.
Arthur
Toms has transcribed the tunes of these songs in their original format,
artist Barbara Hefford has drawn wry illustrations for her former
husband's songs, Roger Steele has written a thorough study of Cape's
fragmented life -- backblocks kid, university arts student, poet,
minister, journalist, arts editor, small farmer -- and Cape's family
have provided a host of photographs.
This
is a cultural treat for all New Zealanders, whether singers, CD enthusiasts,
poetry readers, or those searching for their cultural and spiritual
identity.
This book is a collective work of love; for a way of life now past,
and for the man himself.
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 Colonial
Heritage Songs
Bill & Kath
Worsfold
Gumdiggers
Press, 1999
For five
years Bill and Kath travelled aound New Zealand schools re-creating
our colonial past with these songs. Some of the songs are about whaling,
goldmining and shearing and have been culled from other colonial song
collections emphasizing South Island experiences.
But Bill & Kath live in Northland - Bill's ancestry includes a Portuguese
whaler who married a local Nga Puhi girl - and there are also songs
they have collected with a Northern flavour, about gum-digging, timber-milling
and coastal shipping, like Gumdiggers in 1899, Timber I want to go
and The Ancient Mariner.
This little
booklet has the words, chords, music and background details of 18 songs.
It will fit happily into your guitar case, and a CD comes with it.
Some, especially South Islanders, may prefer to buy Phil
Garland's larger book, The Singing Kiwi.
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He Koha
 Blossom
Taewa
Raupo
Publishing 2001
A scrupulously
edited book of ten longtime popular singalong Maori songs, each with
an English translation, guitar chords and a simplified music score,
plus some background information.
Most older Pakeha women will know these songs, and will respond to the
emotions expressed in them: Pokarekare Ana, Tomo Mai
(Hoki Mai), Pa Mai, Me He Manu Rere, He Putiputi Koe, Hoea Hoea
Ra, Hoki Hoki Tonu Mai and Putiputi Kaneihana.
Pianists
and choirmasters might prefer the full piano scores of the similar Inia
Te Wiata's Maori Songbook, with singable English lyrics
(though not accurate translations).
Backing musicians who want a compact little booklet with the first verse,
melody lines and guitar chords for fifty or so of the most popular Maori
songs, might prefer Keith Southern's Century of Maori Song.li
New visitors to marae will find Kare Leathem's Waiata
Mai: 35 Maori Songs most useful.
All four
of these songbooks have companion CDs to help you learn the songs.
Full details of all available Maori Action Song books are HERE
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2009
- Coming Soon
'The
Phil Garland Songbook'
this will bring all Phil's work up to date....mostly his original
songs.
- to be published by Kiwi Pacific Records in the very near future.
Neil
Colquhoun has updated 'Songs of a Young Country'
and he has added a further 23 songs
- this will be published sometime this year by Steele Roberts.
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Faces
in the Firelight
Phil Garland
Steele
Roberts Publishing Ltd, Wellington, NZ 2009
An
in-depth look at Kiwi history through�a swag of songs about sealers,
whalers, pioneers, goldminers, drifters, rogues and scoundrels,
shearers, stockmen, gumdiggers,�hard drinkers�and moonshiners�in
company with�a colourful collection of tall stories, bush verse,
yarns, toasts and ditties.
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Hear
Our Voices, We Entreat
Max Cryer
 Exisle
Publishing Ltd, Titirangi, Auckland, 2001
Max
correctly describes his book as "the extraordinary story of
New Zealand's national anthems," (plural). And it is
an extraordinary journey through the mindset of 19th century New
Zealand colonists as they competed to find anthems and symbols of
their identity.
As well as the story of Bracken's "God Defend New Zealand,"
which you can read in part on this website HERE
there is the history of other competing lyrics and sheet music covers
dedicated to Maoriland, Zealandia, Dominion of Beauty and Sons of
Motherland.
Kiri
Te Kanawa's comment in the foreward is perceptive: she notes how
when she was young, it was played as a mournful brass band tune.
But gradually it came to be sung by New Zealanders with pride. "The
song has identity - and the identity is ours."
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The Singing Kiwi
Willie
Wag Productions 1996
 Printed
in Australia by a desktop publisher, with a useful spiral binding,
it rounds off the collections of Neil Colquhoun and Les Cleveland
with 120 more on-the-edge-of-New Zealand songs.
About
60 of these are either written by Phil himself, or are other people's
rhymes Phil has put a tune to. It is solid evidence of Phil's lifetime
of effort collecting, singing, writing and recording
folksongs. In most of these songs you hear the voices of sailors,
gold-miners, swaggers and high-country shepherds, isolated men on
the edge of their world.
These
songs are best experienced at a bush-band dance, while you are stomping
around a back-country hall and singing along to lively bush-dance
songs like Wool Away Jack, and The Wool Commandeer.
Then, while you are slumped exhausted on the plank-seating, a massive,
bearded singer with a 12 string guitar regales you with a stirring
rendition of The Stable Lad, Farewell to Geraldine, or Smoko!
Spello!.
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The Great New Zealand Songbook
Les
Cleveland
 Godwit
Press 1991
Very
nicely produced in the style of Song of a Young Country and
contains several songs from that earlier songbook. Lyrics, melody,
guitar chords, lots of documentary photographs and scholarly notes.
Les
Cleveland (bushman, soldier, balladeer, photographer, university
lecturer) has special knowledge of World War II army songs, and
post-war tramping songs: I love his inclusion of the poignant Rolling
Wheels and Dear Mr Fraser, and the boisterous No Boots,
and No More Double-Bunking.
But
can a book that omits the Chesdale
Cheese Song really claim to be the great New Zealand songbook?
Read
more about Cleveland and his work with folksong and other popular
NZ artforms in " Les Cleveland: Six Decades" (Victoria University
Press 1998)
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The Metsers Songbook
 Publisher
unknown 1987
Paul
brought out this book after leaving NZ and working as a professional
folk singer in the UK for several years. The book, complete with
melodies, lyrics, chords, illustrations and photographs, contains
about 50 of his songs, including the NZ folk standards Farewell
To The Gold, The
Seal Children and The Swag and the Shiner.
For
those who revel in such guitar tunings as DADGAD or CGCGCD, or finely
crafted songs with ecological spirituality, this should be a goldmine.
For
copies of the songbook, or just to send Paul cheery NZ folkie greetings,
write or phone:
Mint Cottage, Gilthwaiterigg lane, Kendal, Cumbria (Lakes District)
LA9 6NT, United Kingdom. Phone 44 (0) 1538 724707.
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A Homestead in New Zealand
Kiwi
Pacific, 1987
It
describes itself as "The music of the settlers and pioneers from
the early days to today." It is notable for including a song writen
and sung by Barry Crump, "A Dog Called
Blue. A useful little booklet of words, chords, and music of
a dozen songs, plus tourist information, included with a cassette
issued by Kiwi Pacific
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 NZ
Folk Foundation
'Scrub
and Blackberry'
Cityfolk
Music Company 1981
A selection
of songs from the NZFF's 1981 folk songwriting competition. Lyrics,
melody and guitar chords.
A
nice little paperback with songs mainly by Paul Bond (Scrub and
Blackberry), Kath Tait (Song For an Old Lady), Rudy Sunde
(Seasons in the Valley), John Archer (Super-man),
and Val Neimann (Flop yer Belly).
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Black Billy Tea,
New Zealand Ballads
Joe
Charles
 Whitcoulls
1981
Joe
Charles was a South Island farmer who wrote bush ballads, lively
ones, telling stories which create vivid pictures in your head.
This is is happy book to read, and to hum along to. It is beautifully
produced, with lots of illustrations, and notes about the origin
of his songs.
And
a challenge to musicians! You must put your own tunes to most of
the lyrics. There
are no melody lines or chord sequences, and few recordings available.
(McKenzie and his dog, Around the Coleridge
run, The phosphate flyers, Black billy tea on Les Cleveland's
1950s 45 record - Wool away Jack on Phil Garland's 1975 LP
- Wool away Jack, Billy on the boil on Graeme Wilson's
1982 LP - Billy on the Boil on Cats Been Spayed's 1993 CD
- Black billy blues on Phil Garland's 2001 CD)
But
no worries; each song has its own unique rhyme and rhythm, perfectly
suited to the content of the ballad. The tunes practically jump
out at you as you read the words.
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Song of a Young Country,
New Zealand Folksongs
 Neil
Colquhoun
AH
& AW Reed Ltd 1972
Beautifully
produced. Lyrics, melody, guitar chords, and notes for 50 songs,
mostly old 19th century ballads.
It
sings of whalers and sealers (including the much-recorded Davy
Lowston ), settlers, gumdiggers, gold prospectors and rogues.
In the early 20th century we meet the swaggers and rural farm workers,
and it concludes with union songs.
You
can listen to all the songs on a companion LP, Songs of a Young
Country.
Neil
Colquhoun and Roger Steele are currently preparing a revised and
extended version of this book.
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Shanties By The Way
 Rona
Bailey & Herbert Roth
Whitcombe
& Tombs, Christchurch 1967
A collection
of 79 songs and recitations, ranging from whaling, sealing and goldmining
days to contempory ballads, with some musical arrangements and brief
supporting notes.
This
was a ground-breaking piece of research. A most useful book, and
many of the songs in it have been repeatedly recorded. From the
19th century come David Lowston, Come all you tonguers, The New
Chum, Bright fine gold, The Wakamarina, The shanty by the way, The
digger's farewell, Waitakauri everytime, I've traded with the Maoris,
He came from Maoriland and Shearing's coming round.
And
songs written closer to 1967 have also flourished: Old Billy
Kirk, The magpies, Down the Hall, By the wild Cardrona., and
Down on my luck.
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Tararua Song Book
TTC
PO Box 1008 Wellington 1971
 This
notebook-sized songster has the words of about 80 of the songs that
were sung by young office and factory workers when they headed away
for a weekend of exercise and socializing with the opposite sex
in the mountains behind Wellington. The songs tell of their adventures,
both alpine and sexual.
Away,
away with billy and pack, a rollicking down the mountain track,
we'll
all get lost and never come back, in the Tararua Ranges.
The
first forty are mostly lyrics that Tony Nolan and Harold Gretton
set to well-known tunes like Rio Grande, Isle of Capri and The Workers
Flag (I used to be a mountaineer, but now I sit and guzzle beer)
Some of them have become classics: Good Keen Man, No More Double-Bunking,
No Boots at All, Anna Hooch. A
selection of these lyrics, and their tunes, are HERE
The
second half of the book are singalong songs, some old, some bawdy,
all with good choruses: Green grow the Rushes O, Tavern in the Town,
Klondyke Kate, Home on the Range, Keyhole at the Door, Oh You Can't
get to Heaven.
Others big tramping clubs in the same era produced similar songsters.
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The Songs We Sang
 Editorial
Services Limited: Wellington 1959
Les
Cleveland served with the 25th Battalion in Italy, and collected
songs Kiwi soldiers were singing there. In this collection he also
includes songs from North Africa collected by Jim Henderson.
Mafeesh
hasheesh, I have no hubbly bubbly,
I'd love to do what all good Kiwis do,
I'd like to take you by the river, in my V8 army flivver,
My little Gyppo bint, you're kwise kateer.
 Some
have been borrowed from the British Army - O'Reilly's Daughter,
I Don't Want to be a Soldier, My A25 etc - while others use
tunes of hymns and popular songs to express the Kiwis' feelings:
frustration in Trentham and Waiouru, coping with the sand and flies
and German shell fire in North Africa, nostalgia in Italy, Dear
Mister Fraser, won't you take us home? And songs of bitterness
in Fiji, being poorly equipped there, and away from the real fighting.
Though they had no ammunition, they were chock full of ambition,
As they waited in their camps beside the sea.
Les
took the best of these songs and made a couple of LPs in wartime
bar-room style. Sample MP3s from these are now on a university folklore
website.
The
Songs we Sang LP - More
Songs We Sang LP
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Boomerang
Songsters
When I was a boy at Mangamahu in the 1940s and 50s, we did a lot of singing,
mostly of the songs we had learnt from the hit parade on the radio. The
words of the latest of these songs were in the latest Boomerang Songster,
published every six months by Albert's in Australia.
Children Song
of Maoriland
Beside my Aunty May's piano was an Irish songbook and the sheet music of
Now is the Hour, Sons of the Anzacs, Come oh Maidens and Blue Smoke, and
my aunt taught me Dulcie and the Moa that she had learnt from the Children
Song of Maoriland. But there was no book of New Zealand men's working
songs. The rough pub songs of working men were kept at a distance from women's
prim parlour songs.
Songsheets
for special occasions
At anniverary
and farewell dinners the hostess distributed cyclostyed songsheets of verses
praising the honoured guests, set to tunes everyone knew. "It's
a long way to Whakatane, and we're sad to see you go..." But these
verses were not published: the women composed them fresh for every new occasion.
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Reference
Books
When The
Pakeha Sings of Home,
A Source Guide to the Folk & Popular Songs of New
Zealand
Godwit
Press 1992
Mike spent several years in libraries and
the Radio New Zealand record archives researching
NZ songs. This book contains marvellous lists
of locally made songs:- colonial songs, around-the-piano
songs, wartime songs, tramping songs, and
all those songs we heard on the hit parades
and at parties and thought we had forgotten.
He also has them cross-indexed to other lists
of all the records and songbooks where you
can still find the songs. Or you can hear
Mike himself; he now travels the country singing
the best of these songs live.
And
for the academically inclined, he also has
an exhaustive bibliography of books. articles
and songbooks.
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 Mervyn
McLean
Auckland
University Press, 1996
480
pages.
This
is a study of ancient Maori musical tradition and knowledge, and
an exploration of the impact of European music on this tradition.
It draws on diverse written and oral sources, and includes some
1300 recorded songs, interviews with singers and numerous eyewitness
accounts.
McLean went all over New Zealand with a Grundig tape recorder in
the 1950s and recorded over 800 tribal songs. He seems to have spent
the next 40 years analysing those tapes and building on the knowledge
he gained.
There are lots of interesting anecdotes as well as musicological
information. It is well illustrated with many musical examples.
His description of the communal folk process that was used to craft
and shape a new Maori song is especially interesting.
Mervyn McLean was until recently an associate professor of Ethnomusicology
and head of the Archive of Maori and Pacific Music at the University
of Auckland, New Zealand.
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More NZ Folk Music
Books
See Harding,
or the bibliographies at the back of the Spittle
and Cleveland songbooks.
More Maori songbooks and the titles of the songs in them, with brief
descriptions of the books, can be found here at Maori
Songbook contents
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