Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, Accentual Options

[JaxMyth]

THE DANIEL JAZZ

Darius the Mede was a king and a wonder.
His eye was proud, and his voice was thunder.
He kept bad lions in a monstrous den.
He fed up the lions on Christian men.


Daniel was the chief hired man of the land.
He stirred up the jazz in the palace band.
He whitewashed the cellar. He shovelled in the coal.
And Daniel kept a-praying:--"Lord save my soul."


Daniel was the butler, swagger and swell.
He ran up stairs. He answered the bell.
And he would let in whoever came a-calling:--
Saints so holy, scamps so appalling.
"Old man Ahab leaves his card.
Elisha and the bears are a-waiting in the yard.
Here comes Pharaoh and his snakes a-calling.


Here comes Cain and his wife a-calling.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for tea.
Here comes Jonah and the whale,
And the Sea!
Here comes St. Peter and his fishing pole.


Here comes Judas and his silver a-calling.
Here comes old Beelzebub a-calling."
And Daniel kept a-praying:--"Lord save my soul."
Daniel kept a-praying:--"Lord save my soul."
Daniel kept a-praying:--"Lord save my soul."


His sweetheart and his mother were Christian and meek.
They washed and ironed for Darius every week.
One Thursdy he met them at the door:--
Paid them as usual, but acted sore.


He said:--"Your Daniel is a dead little pigeon.
He's a good hard worker, but he talks religion."
And he showed them Daniel in the lions' cage.
His good old mother cried:--
"Lord save him."
And Daniel's tender sweetheart cried:--
"Lord save him."


And she was a golden lily in the dew.
And she was as sweet as an apple on the tree
And she was as fine as a melon in the corn-field,
Gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea,
Gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea.


And she prayed to the Lord:--
"Send Gabriel. Send Gabriel."


King Darius said to the lions:--
"Bite Daniel. Bite Daniel.
Bite him. Bite him. Bite him!"


Thus roared the lions:--
"We want Daniel, Daniel, Daniel,
Wewant Daniel, Daniel, Daniel.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"


Here the audience roars


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


And Daniel did not frown,
Daniel did not cry.


He kept on looking at the sky.
And the Lord said to Gabriel:--


The audience sings this with the leader, in the old negro tune.


"Go chain the lions down,
Go chain the lions down.
Go chain the lions down."


And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Daniel got out of the den,
And Daniel got out of the den,
And Daniel got out of the den.
And Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
And gave him his job again,
And gave him his job again,
And gave him his job again.

[Guest_Kathy_*]

You wrote this for a musical of some sort, Jax? Jazz eh?
It has a child-like quality. The tale unwinds like a ballad, with repetition, and there's audience participation like a Pantomime. Interesting. Lots happening. You build urgency at the end when Daniel is in the lions' den; I feel involved.

I have a little difficulty with the metre here and there. EG

Here comes old Beelzebub a-calling.

They washed and ironed for Darius every week.

So shall mark out the stresses. Where it falls at line's end, I'll just put it at the end of the word, but when its in a sentence I'll put it where I see the stress falls.

THE DANIEL JAZZ

Dar/ius the Mede/ was a king/ and a wonder./
His eye/ was proud,/ and his voice/ was thunder./
He kept/ bad lions/ in a mon/strous den./
He fed up/ the lions/ on Christ/ian men./

Very clear intro, Jax. And fun.

Dan/iel was the chief/ hired man/ of the land./
He stir/red up the jazz/ in the pal/ace band./
He white/washed the cell/ar. He shov/elled in the coal./
And Dan/iel kept a-pray/ing:--"Lord save/ my soul."/


Dan/iel was the but/ler, swagger/ and swell./
He ran/ up stairs./ He an/swered the bell./
And he/ would let in/ whoev/er came a-calling/:-- A little trouble here, for me,
24/442/441/4141/
Saints/ so holy,/ scamps/ so appalling./
"Old man/ Ahab/ leaves /his card./
Elish/a and the bears/ are a-wait/ing in the yard./ This is fun, Jax.
Here/ comes Phar/aoh and his snakes/ a-calling./


Here/ comes Cain/ and his wife/ a-calling./
Shad/rach, Me/shach and Abed/nego for tea./ a bit cramped, and not easy to say. Maybe take out 'and' ?? The idea makes me smile, and my tongue enjoyed the challenge.

Shad/rach, Meshach/ and Abed/nego for tea/ ah, this way fits better. Is this how you intended it?

Here/ comes Jon/ah and the whale,/
And the Sea!/ hahahaha!
Here/ comes St. Pet/er and his fish/ing pole./


Here/ comes Jud/as and his sil/ver a-calling./
Here comes/ old Beelz/ebub a-calling."/ another not-so-easy bit

Here comes/ old Beel/zebub/ a-calling."/ Or does it go this way?

And Dan/iel kept a-pray/ing:--"Lord save/ my soul."'
Dan/iel kept a-pray/ing:--"Lord save/ my soul."/
Dan/iel kept a-pray/ing:--"Lord save/ my soul."/


His sweet/heart and his moth/er were Christ/ian and meek./
They wash/ed and iron/ed for Dar/ius every week./ a bit awkward
One Thurs/day he met/ them at the door:--/
Paid/ them as us/ual, but act/ed sore./


He said:--/"Your Dan/iel is a dead/ little pigeon./
He's a good/ hard work/er, but he talks/ religion."/
And he show/ed them Dan/iel in the li/ons' cage./
His good/ old mother cried:--/
"Lord save him."/ I am not sure where to put the stresses here.... (cried 4 Lord 4 save 4 )And Dan/iel's tend/er sweet/heart cried:--/
"Lord/ save/ him."/ ??? Is this right?

And she/ was a gold/en lil/y in the dew./
And she/ was as sweet/ as an a/pple on the tree/
And she/ was as fine/ as a mel/on in the corn/-field,
Glid/ing and love/ly as a ship/ on the sea,/
Gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea.


And she pray/ed to the Lord:--/
"Send Gab/riel. Send Gab/riel."


King Dar/ius said/ to the lions:--/
"Bite Dan/iel. Bite Dan/iel.
Bite him./ Bite him./ Bite him!"/


Thus/ roared the lions:--/
"We /want/ Dan/iel, Dan/iel, Dan/iel, Is this as you intended?
We/ want Dan/iel, Dan/iel, Dan/iel. Or this?
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"


Here the audience roars


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


And Dan/iel did not frown,/
Dan/iel did not cry./


He kept/ on look/ing at the sky./
And the Lord/ said to Gab/riel:--


The audience sings this with the leader, in the old negro tune.


"Go chain the lions down,
Go chain the lions down.
Go chain the lions down."


And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Gabriel chained the lions,
And Daniel got out of the den,
And Daniel got out of the den,
And Daniel got out of the den.
And Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
Darius said:--"You're a Chrisitian child,"
And gave him his job again,
And gave him his job again,
And gave him his job again.
[/quote]

[Guest_Kathy_*]

Silly me; I thought you wrote this, Jax. That'll teach me to read the title flag. Not to mention the forum! :redface:

I thought it was unlike you! (Hmmmm this is a new aspect of Jan!) Visions of you taking part in a church musical....

Anyway, did I get the rhythm right?