Luyện nghe bài hát Story of Reuben Clamzo & His Strange...

by Arlo

Wanna hear something? You know that never ate
clams. They didn't have linguini! And so what
was that clams was allowed to unmolested in the
waters of America for millions of years. And
they got big, and I talking about clams in
general, I'm talking each clam! I mean each one
was a of million years old or older. So imagine
they have got bigger than this whole room. And
when they get that big, God gives them little so
they could walk around easier. And when they get
feet, they get dangerous. I'm talking about
dangerous. I ain't about sitting under the
water waiting for you. I'm talking about after
you.

Imagine being on one of them boats coming to
discover America, like or something, standing
at night on watch, everyone else is either drunk
or asleep. And you're for America and the
boat's going up and down. And you like it anyhow.
But you gotta stand there and watch, for what. he
knows, and he ain't watching. You the waves
lapping against the of the ship. The moon is
going the clouds. You hear the pitter patter of
footprints on deck. IS THAT YOU KIDS? IT AIN'T.
MY GOD. IT'S THIS GIANT CLAM!

Imagine those little feet coming on deck. A twice
the of the ship. Feet first. You're standing
there shivering with fear, you one of these. This
is a belaying pin. used to have these stuck in
the holes all around the ship ..you didn't
what this is for; you probably had an idea, but
you were wrong. They used to these stuck in the
all along the sides of the ship. Everywhere.
You wouldn't know what this is for you was that
guy night.

I mean, grab this out of the hole, run on over
there, BAM BAM on them feet! back into the
ocean go a hurt, but not defeated, humungus
giant clam. Ready to again when opportunity
was better.

You not even the coastal villages was safe from
them big clams. You them big clams had an inland
range of about 15 miles. of that. I mean our
early and the settlers built little houses
all up and the coast you know. A little inland
and stuff like that And they didn't have like
we got now, with bathrooms and stuff. They built
privies out back. And at night, maybe a kid would
have to go, and he'd go out there in the
moonlight. And all they'd hear for around...
(loud clap/belch)....one kid for America. One more
smiling, smurking, humungus clam.

So Americans built forts. Them forts. You know
pictures of forts with the wooden points all
around. You thought them points was for Indians.
But that's stupid! 'Cause know about doors. But
clams didn't. if a clam knew about a door, so what?
A couldn't fit in a door. I mean, he'd come stomping
up to a fort at night, put them on them points, jump
back crying, coming out of them everywhere. But
Americans couldn't live in forever. You couldn't
just build one big around America. How would you go
to the

So what they did was they formed of people. I mean
they had groups of all up and down the coast form
these little alliances. Like up it was call the
Clamshell Alliance. And farther down is was called
the Alliance. They had these Alliances all up and
down the coast defending themselves these
threatening monsters. humungus giant clams. And
go out there, if there was maybe fifteen of them,
they'd be singing songs in fifteen part harmony. And
one part disappeared, that's how they knew the clam
be.

Which is why Americans only sing in four part to
very day. That proved to be too dangerous. See, what
they did was they'd be singing these songs Clam
Chanties, and have these big spears called clampoons.
And they'd be walking up and down the beach and the
they eventually devised where they'd this guy, the
most strongest heavy duty true blue American,
type they could find and they'd have him out there
walking up and down the beach by himself other chicken
hiding behind the sand dunes somewhere.

He'd be singing the verses. They'd be the chorus.
And clams would 'em. And clams hate music. So clams
come out of the water and they'd come after this one
guy. And all see pretty soon was flying all over,
the sand UPANDOWNTHEBEACHMANMANCLAMCLAMMANMANCLAM


FINALLYTHEMANWOULD jump over a big dune, roll over
the side, the clam come over the dune, fall in the
hole and fourteen guys would come out and stab the
shit out of him with clampoons.

That's the way it was. was one way to deal with them.
The other way was to two clams together. l don't
believe it. I'm losing it. Hey. What can you do.
night to hell.

Hey, this was serious then. This was very serious.
I mean these songs now are piddley folk songs. But
then these songs were controversial. These was
radical, almost revolutionary songs. times was
different and was a threat to America. That's right.
So we want to sing song tonight about the one last...
You see what did was there was one man, he was one
of men, his name will always be remembered, his
was Reuben Clamzo, and he was one of the last great
clam men there was. He stuck the last clam stab,
the last clampoon into the clam that was ever seen
on continent.

Knowing he be out of work in an hour. He did it
anyway so that you and me go to the beach in
relative safety. That's right. Made America for the
likes of you and me. And so we this song in his
memory. He went into whaling most of them guys did.
And he got out of when he died. You know, clams was
much dangerous than whales. Clams can run in the
water, on the water or on the ground, and are so big
sometimes they can jump and they can spread their
kinda shells and kinda fly like one of them flying
squirrels.

You could be there thinking that your perfectly
safe and all of a WHOP....That's ' true...And so
this is the song of guy by the name of Reuben Clamzo,
and the song takes place right after he stabbed clam
and the clam was, going through kinda death dance
over on the side somewhere. The starts there and he
into whaling and takes you through the I next...

I sing the part of the guy on the by himself. I go
like "Poor old Reuben Clamzo" and you go "Clamzo Boys,
Clamzo". That's the part of the fourteen chicken over
on the other side. That's they used to sing. They'd be
calling these clams out of the water. taunting them,
fun of them. Clams would get real mad and come out.

Here we go. I want you to sing it in you ever have an
occasion to join such an Alliance. You know of these
Alliances are still around. Still America against
things like them clams. If you ever to join one, now
you have some historic background. So you know where
guys are coming from. not just some 60's movement or
something, these things go a long time.

Notice the distinction you're going to to make now
the first and easy "Clamzo Boys Clamzo" and the
more complicated "Clamzo Me Boys Clamzo". serious.
Folk songs are serious. That's what Seeger told me.
"Arlo I only want to you one thing...folk songs are
serious". I said "right". do it in C for Clam...
Iet's do it in B...for boy that's a big clam... s do
it in G for Gee, I hope big clam don't see me. Let's
do it in F...for he me. Let's do it back in A...for A
clam is coming. Better get this song quick. The Story
of Reuben Clamzo and His Strange in the Key of A.

1. Oh poor old Reuben
(I) boys Clamzo
Oh old Reuben Clamzo
(II) Clamzo me Clamzo

2. Oh, was no sailor
(Clamzo Clamzo) (Refrain I)
So shipped him on a whaler
(Clamzo me Clamzo) (Refrain II)

3. Because he was no (Ref. I)
He not do his duty (Ref. II)

4. Because he was so (Ref. I)
We him five and thirty (Ref. II)

5. Oh Reuben daughter (Ref. I)
She her dad for mercy (Ref. II)

6 She brang him wine and (Ref. I)
And a bit than she oughta (Ref. II)

7 Well he got his seaman's (Ref. I)
He's a terror to the (Ref. II)

8.And he sails where 'er the whalefish (Ref I)
As the hardest on the go (Ref. II)

9 Oh old Reuben Clamzo (Ref. I)
Oh poor old Reuben (Ref. II)