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

by Guthrie

Wanna hear something? You know that Indians ate
clams. They didn't have linguini! And so what
was that clams was to grow 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
could have got bigger than this whole room. And
when get that big, God gives them little feet so
that they could walk easier. And when they get
feet, they get dangerous. I'm talking about
dangerous. I ain't talking about under the
water waiting for you. I'm talking about coming
you.

Imagine being on one of them coming over to
discover America, Columbus 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 don't it anyhow.
But you gotta stand there and watch, for what. he
knows, and he watching. You hear the waves
lapping against the side of the ship. The is
going the clouds. You hear the pitter patter of
footprints on deck. IS THAT YOU KIDS? IT AIN'T.
MY GOD. THIS HUMUNGUS GIANT CLAM!

Imagine little feet coming on deck. A clam twice
the size of the ship. Feet first. standing
there shivering with fear, you one of these. This
is a belaying pin. They used to have these in
the all around the ship ..you probably didn't
know this is for; you probably had an idea, but
you wrong. They used to have these stuck in the
holes all along the 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 little feet! back the
would go a hurt, but not defeated, humungus
giant clam. Ready to strike again when
was better.

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

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

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

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

He'd be singing the verses. be singing 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 you'd see pretty soon was all over,
the sand UPANDOWNTHEBEACHMANMANCLAMCLAMMANMANCLAM


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

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

Hey, this was back then. This was very serious.
I mean these songs now are just folk songs. But
back then these were controversial. These was
radical, almost revolutionary songs. times was
and clams was a threat to America. That's right.
So we to sing this song tonight about the one last...
You see they did was there was one man, he was one
of these men, his name will be remembered, his
was Reuben Clamzo, and he was one of the last great
clam men there ever was. He stuck the clam stab,
the clampoon into the last 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. America safe for the
likes of you and me. And so we this song in his
memory. He into whaling like most of them guys did.
And he got out of that when he died. You know, was
more dangerous than whales. Clams can run in the
water, on the or on the ground, and they are so big
that they can jump and they can spread their
kinda shells and almost fly like one of them flying
squirrels.

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

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

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

Notice the distinction you're to have to make now
between the and easy "Clamzo Boys Clamzo" and the
more "Clamzo Me Boys Clamzo". Stay serious.
songs are serious. That's what Pete Seeger told me.
"Arlo I want to tell you one thing...folk songs are
serious". I "right". Let's do it in C for Clam...
Iet's do it in B...for boy a big clam... Iet' s do
it in G for Gee, I hope that big clam see me. Let's
do it in F...for he sees me. Let's do it in A...for A
clam is coming. Better get song done quick. The Story
of Reuben Clamzo and His Strange in the Key of A.

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

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

3. he was no beauty (Ref. I)
He would not do his (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 him wine and water (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 poor old Clamzo (Ref. I)
Oh poor old Reuben (Ref. II)