Here's a short (but soon-to-be long and out of control) list of some of my favorite historic places that you must visit with your children immediately. Tomorrow if you can.
- Ulysses S. Dee
The African-American Heritage Trail in Boston features Underground Railroad sites, the oldest known black church in America, a memorial to the 54th Massachusetts (the all-black Union army unit dramatized in Glory), and no end of cool stuff. www.nps.gov/boaf
Harper's Ferry in West Virginia
The spot where John Brown made his famous raid is a well-preserved historical town framed by three mountains and two rivers. It's pretty exciting to stand there and imagine what it must have been like for Brown and his 21-man army to attack such a well-protected place. And in a nearby town, if you're interested in such things, you can see where Brown was hanged. www.nps.gov/boaf
The Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum in Philadelphia
The Dees went here after our show at World Cafe Life to see Baldy's head, which resides here along with a research library full of Civil War books (many of which I'd never heard of, but now want to read), some of Grant's artifacts including a uniform and some letters, General George Meade's slouch hat and coat he wore at Gettysburg, and other shocking stuff. Skip the "LOVE" sculpture and the cheese steaks and go straight to this place. We even stumbled on a replica of Henry Box Brown's box upstairs! www.cwurmuseum.org
Sagamore Hill on Long Island
Teddy Roosevelt's house on Long Island offers a great glimpse into the lost world in which he lived. Be sure to check out his wife Edith's room, which, with its soft color palette and delicate furniture, provides a sort of contrast to Teddy's den full of dead animals and dark wood, but still, alas, has some dead animals strewn around! I guess Teddy ran out of room.
Most importantly, though, find this guy, this one tour guide. You'll know who he is. Elderly gentleman. Wears an old-timey vest with a watch fob. I first learned about the incident where Teddy got shot then proceeded to give a long speech before going to a hospital from this man. He's a storytelling legend and your life will be sadder if you never get to hear him talk.
www.nps.gov/sahi
The Jumel Mansion, uptown Manhattan
Aaron Burr lived here with his final wife, Eliza Bowen. His bed is quite small and his chamber pot is nearby. There's also this neat triangular room from which Washington surveyed the five boroughs and New Jersey (before of course, the trees grew too tall to be able to see all of this.)
www.morrisjumel.org
Trinity Church, downtown Manhattan
Alexander Hamilton is buried here. A little exhibit inside has some replicas of the pistols he and Burr used. Name someone of note before 1800 and they probably entered this church. Just go sit in a pew one afternoon.
www.trinitywallstreet.org
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Historical Reading List for Grown-Ups
The historical songs on Freedom in a Box are the result of many years of obsessively reading biographies and other histories, visiting museums and historical sites, searching the web for new info, watching PBS, and walking around New York and other cities reading signs and talking to people who also love the past as much as I do. Below is a brief list of some books I'd recommend if you'd like to find out more about the characters we sing about on the album. See also the posts titled "Historical Places to Visit" and "Websites We Like."
- Ulysses S. Dee
Books (organized by song):
"Henry Box Brown"
Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown - Henry Box Brown
"Teddy Days"
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt - Edmund Morris
Theodore Rex - Edmund Morris
Empire - Gore Vidal
"Aaron Burr"
Burr - Gore Vidal
Founding Brothers - Joseph Ellis
"Underground Railroad"
John Brown, Abolitionist - David S. Reynolds
"Baldy"
Mr. Catton's trilogy about the Army of the Potomac introduced me to Baldy and I'd recommend reading the whole thing if you, like Baldy, enjoy stories of "battles and bullets and gettin' shot." What sets his books apart, though, is his re-creation of the daily life of soldiers: the food they ate, the songs they sang, the horrible clothes shoes they wore, all of it.
Mr. Lincoln's Army - Bruce Catton
Glory Road - Bruce Catton
A Stillness at Appomattox - Bruce Catton
- Ulysses S. Dee
Books (organized by song):
"Henry Box Brown"
Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown - Henry Box Brown
"Teddy Days"
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt - Edmund Morris
Theodore Rex - Edmund Morris
Empire - Gore Vidal
"Aaron Burr"
Burr - Gore Vidal
Founding Brothers - Joseph Ellis
"Underground Railroad"
John Brown, Abolitionist - David S. Reynolds
"Baldy"
Mr. Catton's trilogy about the Army of the Potomac introduced me to Baldy and I'd recommend reading the whole thing if you, like Baldy, enjoy stories of "battles and bullets and gettin' shot." What sets his books apart, though, is his re-creation of the daily life of soldiers: the food they ate, the songs they sang, the horrible clothes shoes they wore, all of it.
Mr. Lincoln's Army - Bruce Catton
Glory Road - Bruce Catton
A Stillness at Appomattox - Bruce Catton
Underground Railroad lyrics and brief notes
Underground Railroad
music by Anand Mukherjee & Tavo Carbone, words by Lloyd Miller
arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, Anand Mukherjee
Innocent Dee - electric guitar, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee - upright bass, vocals
Otto von Dee - drums, vocals
Booker Dee - banjo, vocals
The Underground Railroad wasn't actually a railroad. It was a system made up of people, their houses, their businesses, their horses and carriages, and all sorts of other things. The system had one purpose: transport slaves to freedom. Runaway slaves and their helpers, known as "conductors," hid in the back of wagons and in barns, disguised themselves, rode all night in total darkness on horseback and did all sorts of other awesome, but extremely dangerous things.
The most famous conductor of all was Harriet Tubman, known to many as "Moses" because she helped people escape slavery just like Moses in the Book of Exodus. This song is a chance for you to cheer her adventures and shout out the names of many of the cities involved in the wide-reaching and complicated network known as the Underground Railroad.
LYRICS:
Boston New York Montreal
Chester Cairo Ironton
New Haven Montpelier
Chicago and Port Huron
Boston New York Montreal
Albany and Rochester
Toledo Detroit Port Huron
Chicago and Davenport
Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman
freed 300 slaves, ain't that something?
Boston New York Montreal
Philadelphia Cumberland
Springfield Des Moines Percival
New Bern Charleston Leavenworth
you don't need a ticket just a secret password:
"friend of friends" all aboard!
Bucktown, Maryland she was born
but her name wasn't Harriet it was Araminta
later in life they called her Moses
cos she lead slaves to freedom I supposes
Boston New York Montreal
Albany and Rochester
Toledo Detroit Port Huron
Chicago and Davenport
music by Anand Mukherjee & Tavo Carbone, words by Lloyd Miller
arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Lloyd Miller, Anand Mukherjee
Innocent Dee - electric guitar, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee - upright bass, vocals
Otto von Dee - drums, vocals
Booker Dee - banjo, vocals
The Underground Railroad wasn't actually a railroad. It was a system made up of people, their houses, their businesses, their horses and carriages, and all sorts of other things. The system had one purpose: transport slaves to freedom. Runaway slaves and their helpers, known as "conductors," hid in the back of wagons and in barns, disguised themselves, rode all night in total darkness on horseback and did all sorts of other awesome, but extremely dangerous things.
The most famous conductor of all was Harriet Tubman, known to many as "Moses" because she helped people escape slavery just like Moses in the Book of Exodus. This song is a chance for you to cheer her adventures and shout out the names of many of the cities involved in the wide-reaching and complicated network known as the Underground Railroad.
LYRICS:
Boston New York Montreal
Chester Cairo Ironton
New Haven Montpelier
Chicago and Port Huron
Boston New York Montreal
Albany and Rochester
Toledo Detroit Port Huron
Chicago and Davenport
Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman
freed 300 slaves, ain't that something?
Boston New York Montreal
Philadelphia Cumberland
Springfield Des Moines Percival
New Bern Charleston Leavenworth
you don't need a ticket just a secret password:
"friend of friends" all aboard!
Bucktown, Maryland she was born
but her name wasn't Harriet it was Araminta
later in life they called her Moses
cos she lead slaves to freedom I supposes
Boston New York Montreal
Albany and Rochester
Toledo Detroit Port Huron
Chicago and Davenport
Teddy Days lyrics and brief notes
Teddy Days
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Anand Mukherjee, and Lloyd Miller
Booker Dee - piano, keyboards, vocals
Otto von Dee - drums, vocals
Innocent Dee - electric guitar, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee - electric bass, vocals
This tune is a celebration of what the Deedle Deedle Dees do on our "Teddy Days," days when we recreate (in our mind) the action-packed days of one of America's great overachievers. The first two verses chart Teddy's rise from sickly childhood to robust manhood. Following his father's advice, he began a rigorous program of exercise that helped transform him into the burly bear of a president most people know. He also hunted big game, busted up illegal activities as police commissioner, fought in the Spanish-American war, negotiated treaties between world powers, survived an attempt on his life, and tried to read every book ever written. The song's finale is based on Teddy's actual journal where he meticulously cataloged his physical measurements and all his recent reading.
He was a puny, sickly child
until he found the weights (and lifted 'em)
He was a loudmouth vice president
until McKinley passed away
Teddy Roosevelt didn't start out cool
he used to be interested in birds
On my Teddy Days, I raid saloons selling beer on Sundays
and sleep under the snow at night
On our Teddy Days, we strap on chaps and bison say, "Look out!"
Maybe they've got beginner's luck like (oh no) Roosevelt!"
He was a narrow-chested, asthmatic child
but then he charged up San Juan Hill
He took his father's words to heart ("you must make your body")
after that Teddy never stopped working out
Teddy Roosevelt didn't start out cool
he used to have trouble with math in school
On a Teddy Day, my horse-drawn carriage could throw me to the street
and I'd just stand up and say, "Neat!"
On a Teddy Day, we might take a bullet on our way to give a speech,
but we'd still give the speech, we'd even show the crowd where our chest was bleedin'
Edith hoped that Teddy's days
would mellow out after his second term
but he had a ticket for Africa
Theodore left for a year of wild animal Teddy days
Now my chest is 34 inches
and I just read book 4 of Gibbon
Now my waist is 261/2 inches
and I just finished the Nibelungenlied
Now my thigh is 20 inches
Goethe, Raleigh, red-thrushes, and finches
Now my calf is 12 1/2 inches
Swinburne, Homer, Virgil, and Dickens
Now my neck is 14 1/2 inches
Horace, Socrates, and Lincoln
Now my shoulders are 41 inches
Naval War of 1812 is full of statistics
arms up I measure 101/2 inches
the Russo-Japanese War is ended
arms straight I measure 9 3/4 inches
now my forearm measures 10 inches...
words & music by Lloyd Miller, arrangement by Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, Anand Mukherjee, and Lloyd Miller
Booker Dee - piano, keyboards, vocals
Otto von Dee - drums, vocals
Innocent Dee - electric guitar, vocals
Ulysses S. Dee - electric bass, vocals
This tune is a celebration of what the Deedle Deedle Dees do on our "Teddy Days," days when we recreate (in our mind) the action-packed days of one of America's great overachievers. The first two verses chart Teddy's rise from sickly childhood to robust manhood. Following his father's advice, he began a rigorous program of exercise that helped transform him into the burly bear of a president most people know. He also hunted big game, busted up illegal activities as police commissioner, fought in the Spanish-American war, negotiated treaties between world powers, survived an attempt on his life, and tried to read every book ever written. The song's finale is based on Teddy's actual journal where he meticulously cataloged his physical measurements and all his recent reading.
He was a puny, sickly child
until he found the weights (and lifted 'em)
He was a loudmouth vice president
until McKinley passed away
Teddy Roosevelt didn't start out cool
he used to be interested in birds
On my Teddy Days, I raid saloons selling beer on Sundays
and sleep under the snow at night
On our Teddy Days, we strap on chaps and bison say, "Look out!"
Maybe they've got beginner's luck like (oh no) Roosevelt!"
He was a narrow-chested, asthmatic child
but then he charged up San Juan Hill
He took his father's words to heart ("you must make your body")
after that Teddy never stopped working out
Teddy Roosevelt didn't start out cool
he used to have trouble with math in school
On a Teddy Day, my horse-drawn carriage could throw me to the street
and I'd just stand up and say, "Neat!"
On a Teddy Day, we might take a bullet on our way to give a speech,
but we'd still give the speech, we'd even show the crowd where our chest was bleedin'
Edith hoped that Teddy's days
would mellow out after his second term
but he had a ticket for Africa
Theodore left for a year of wild animal Teddy days
Now my chest is 34 inches
and I just read book 4 of Gibbon
Now my waist is 261/2 inches
and I just finished the Nibelungenlied
Now my thigh is 20 inches
Goethe, Raleigh, red-thrushes, and finches
Now my calf is 12 1/2 inches
Swinburne, Homer, Virgil, and Dickens
Now my neck is 14 1/2 inches
Horace, Socrates, and Lincoln
Now my shoulders are 41 inches
Naval War of 1812 is full of statistics
arms up I measure 101/2 inches
the Russo-Japanese War is ended
arms straight I measure 9 3/4 inches
now my forearm measures 10 inches...
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