Help me with this problem:
This winter I'm going to go into the studio with my band, the Deedle Deedle Dees, to record the material for two new albums. One of the planned records is a collection of nature songs I've written for the toddler nature education and music program that I teach in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. It will include songs about folks like John Muir and Frederick Law Olmstead for older kids as well as the simpler tunes about ducks and trees that we sing every week in class. The other album is a bunch of new American history songs, many of which we've been playing live this past year. Amelia Earhart, Satchel Paige, Emily Roebling, and some of our other favorite people from the past will all make appearances.
Once these albums are recorded, we have two options. We can:
A) have them pressed and released and sell them just like we did our last record, at shows and online http://cdbaby.com/cd/deedle2. Our last album, Freedom in a Box, has sold nearly 1000 copies in this way.
B) not have any physical CDs pressed and give the songs away free
Most of the people to whom I've mentioned Option B, have demanded to know how I expect to make any money by doing this. I tell them that we still haven't broken even from the first album and that we have nothing to lose by trying something new. Granted, Freedom in a Box came with a free coloring book that ran up production cost, but even if we eliminate this nice extra and just press a simple CD like other bands do, breaking even is really the best we can hope for financially from these new CDs. More importantly, not enough of our albums aren't getting into the hands of the people we want most to have them: teachers, librarians, and the kids in their classrooms and libraries. Some schools and libraries have bought copies and we've given away many more to the schools and libraries where we've performed, but most of our customers are well-off New Yorkers who can afford to come see us perform at Manhattan prices ($15 a person). We're happy these parents want our album, but ultimately we want to reach a wider audience with our music and don't know how.
When I say "a wider audience," I'm not saying that I want a marketing platform like Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel -- instead I want to be able to communicate directly with teachers and parents around the country so that I can give them songs that will help them teach their kids about what is important to them. The internet is an ideal place for this kind of a dialogue, but right now I don't know how to make it happen. In other words, I don't know how the Deedle Deedle Dees can afford to give away our music for free unless we happen upon some amazing grant that will fund this venture for several years.
Do you have any ideas? Can you help us? Our library of original educational songs -- not only about American history, but also science, literature, and "core academic subjects" as they like to call them -- is ever-growing and there's no way we can afford to record and release all this material in the traditional way. Ideally, we'd like to create a digital online resource that any teacher or parent can visit and take away what they'd like to use. No more albums, just songs on demand. For free.
A musical American history textbook, written by the Deedle Deedle Dees with your help. A book that's never finished, that keeps growing as more of you supply us with suggestions and ideas. How can we do it?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
New songs from PS203 in Brooklyn
Today the Deedle Deedle Dees performed with fifth-grade students from PS203 (on Avenue M in Brooklyn) at Southpaw, a rock club that opens during the day once or twice a month for a family show. Over the past eight weeks, the kids have been writing songs with me based on what they're studying in social studies. The four songs we debuted today were:
Lucy & Fanny - a song about two women who were central figures in the battles for voting rights in America. Lucy Stone was an early advocate for the vote for women and an abolitionist. Fanny Lou Hamer was a sharecropper who (to quote the words the kids wrote) "tried to vote and got beaten black and blue." She went on become a fearless civil rights worker.
More on Lucy at the National Women's Hall of Fame:
www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=153
More on Fanny Lou at this SNCC website:
www.ibiblio.org/sncc/hamer.html
The Grizzly Bear - A song with a simple premise: the most dangerous animals on Earth are humans. The class that wrote this song was very interested in climate change, pollution, litter, and other environmental issues and this was our musical response:
The grizzly bear
the snake
the hawk in the sky
the shark in the sea
and the wolf in the dark night
fear no animal 'cept humankind
the hungriest killers are you and i
we got teeth that tear holes in the ozone
feet that make filthy footprints in oceans
machines that fill our air up with poison
eyes that are blind to all the destruction
and always wanting more...
but there's not much more...
St. Bessie Blues - a true hip hop song, this song lifts the famous opening verse of "St. Louis Blues" for its chorus then tells the rough-and-tumble story of Bessie's Smith life in rapped verses. Here are some of their rhymes:
My name is Bessie Smith and I love to fight
I got into a car accident just the other night
I sing at lots of places where they have lots of crimes
All the money I get is always worth lots of dimes
I died in the hospital just the other week
Man, people thought I went to sleep!
Trapped in the Attic -- based on Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. If you haven't read this, read it. If you're a high school English teacher, put all those copies of The Great Gatsby back in the closet and read it with your class. If you teach a younger grade, paraphrase the basic story for them and have your kids write a song like we did. Here's the chorus and first verse:
I was trapped in the attic
I was trapped in the attic
I was trapped in the attic
I had a peephole
trapped in the attic
I had a peephole
trapped in the attic
I watched my children grow
trapped in the attic
Why was Harriet trapped in the attic? Read the book and find out!
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11030
Coming next post:
A breakdown of how the PS203 kids and I wrote the songs. Feel free to steal my lesson plans for your class!
Lucy & Fanny - a song about two women who were central figures in the battles for voting rights in America. Lucy Stone was an early advocate for the vote for women and an abolitionist. Fanny Lou Hamer was a sharecropper who (to quote the words the kids wrote) "tried to vote and got beaten black and blue." She went on become a fearless civil rights worker.
More on Lucy at the National Women's Hall of Fame:
www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=153
More on Fanny Lou at this SNCC website:
www.ibiblio.org/sncc/hamer.html
The Grizzly Bear - A song with a simple premise: the most dangerous animals on Earth are humans. The class that wrote this song was very interested in climate change, pollution, litter, and other environmental issues and this was our musical response:
The grizzly bear
the snake
the hawk in the sky
the shark in the sea
and the wolf in the dark night
fear no animal 'cept humankind
the hungriest killers are you and i
we got teeth that tear holes in the ozone
feet that make filthy footprints in oceans
machines that fill our air up with poison
eyes that are blind to all the destruction
and always wanting more...
but there's not much more...
St. Bessie Blues - a true hip hop song, this song lifts the famous opening verse of "St. Louis Blues" for its chorus then tells the rough-and-tumble story of Bessie's Smith life in rapped verses. Here are some of their rhymes:
My name is Bessie Smith and I love to fight
I got into a car accident just the other night
I sing at lots of places where they have lots of crimes
All the money I get is always worth lots of dimes
I died in the hospital just the other week
Man, people thought I went to sleep!
Trapped in the Attic -- based on Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. If you haven't read this, read it. If you're a high school English teacher, put all those copies of The Great Gatsby back in the closet and read it with your class. If you teach a younger grade, paraphrase the basic story for them and have your kids write a song like we did. Here's the chorus and first verse:
I was trapped in the attic
I was trapped in the attic
I was trapped in the attic
I had a peephole
trapped in the attic
I had a peephole
trapped in the attic
I watched my children grow
trapped in the attic
Why was Harriet trapped in the attic? Read the book and find out!
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11030
Coming next post:
A breakdown of how the PS203 kids and I wrote the songs. Feel free to steal my lesson plans for your class!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Nellie Bly Pre-K teaching ideas
Here are some ideas for using our song "Nellie Bly" in your Pre-K classroom:
Find or create large pictures of the following:
- an airplane
- a bus
- a mini-van
- a sampan
- a rickshaw
PREPARATION:
1. Tell the story of Nellie Bly very briefly. You can do this simply by saying "Nellie Bly was a woman who took a trip around the world."
2. Explain that the class be listening to a song about the places she went and the different moving things she used to get to those places.
LISTENING: Give each child large copies of all five of these pictures. Ask them to hold up the correct picture as they hear each mode of transportation mentioned.
COMPREHENSION
This is an additional advanced activity for a different day or for a class that wants to listen to the song again.
1. Announce that now you're going to try to find out which moving things Nellie Bly did ride in and which ones she didn't ride in.
2. Play the song. Nod or shake your head if you think your class needs these prompts.
3. Hold up the picture of the airplane. Ask students "Did Nellie Bly fly in an airplane around the world?" If the students disagree on whether she did or not (or if they all say "Yes, she did"), say, "Let's listen to the song again." Play the part of the song that mentions the airplane again and shake your head as we sing "She didn't fly an airplane. No airplane!" Ask the students again if she flew in an airplane. Repeat for each moving thing.
FUN
Color a picture of one of the moving things. Or ask your students to draw a picture of themselves riding in their favorite moving thing.
Find or create large pictures of the following:
- an airplane
- a bus
- a mini-van
- a sampan
- a rickshaw
PREPARATION:
1. Tell the story of Nellie Bly very briefly. You can do this simply by saying "Nellie Bly was a woman who took a trip around the world."
2. Explain that the class be listening to a song about the places she went and the different moving things she used to get to those places.
LISTENING: Give each child large copies of all five of these pictures. Ask them to hold up the correct picture as they hear each mode of transportation mentioned.
COMPREHENSION
This is an additional advanced activity for a different day or for a class that wants to listen to the song again.
1. Announce that now you're going to try to find out which moving things Nellie Bly did ride in and which ones she didn't ride in.
2. Play the song. Nod or shake your head if you think your class needs these prompts.
3. Hold up the picture of the airplane. Ask students "Did Nellie Bly fly in an airplane around the world?" If the students disagree on whether she did or not (or if they all say "Yes, she did"), say, "Let's listen to the song again." Play the part of the song that mentions the airplane again and shake your head as we sing "She didn't fly an airplane. No airplane!" Ask the students again if she flew in an airplane. Repeat for each moving thing.
FUN
Color a picture of one of the moving things. Or ask your students to draw a picture of themselves riding in their favorite moving thing.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Historical Places to Visit
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
- 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
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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