From Marie,
So these two songs are an attempt to put music to a friend’s lyrics (and to collaborate on lyrics, as well- Rick’s given me a lot of license to adjust for rhythm and to add lyrics for the bridges). It’s such a different process, a real challenge and I hope to learn a lot from it.
I think Rick originally wrote the Monsanto Blues about a farmer in Michigan that got some uninvited GMO pollen in his organic corn field. Then they (Monsanto) tried to sue him for non-payment for the GMO corn. Which was ironic, as it ruined his crop from being certified organic- which had been his intended crop when he planted.
Sadly, he lost both ways- the pollen belonged to Monsanto and he had to wait 5 years to be re-certified organic. Not too surprising that the court sided with the big corporation. Now Michigan can’t seem to certify any organic cornfields- they’re all contaminated.
I’ve included both notation and tabs (with chords and lyrics, too)- just because this is the first time trying to share songs and not just poetry. Tab can be put on line, just use 6 lines for the guitar strings and numbers for the frets. I always use standard tuning, but have been trying to learn to play in open G and D tunings. There’s a bunch of cool, old Stones tunes, blues standards and some recent Civil Wars songs that use these alternate tunings. Of course, couldn’t get to the guitar while I was on lock- so it was really nice to get to play for a few minutes last night.
*Editor’s Note: Marie has requested that the Monsanto Blues song be taken down as she is re-writing it, in part to honor the original intent behind it by Rick. Stay tuned for the rewritten version shortly.
The Door Swings Both Ways
The Door Swings Both Ways- lyrics page 1a