The Kitchen Musician ~ May 2011

Hello Friends,

Have you noticed gas prices are rising through the roof? I am very happy to announce that I have a solution to the energy crisis, revealed in this month’s award-winning song. Plus an added bonus… a rare cameo of me as the joker to encourage the summer to come. Welcome to my kitchen!

Index:
  Recent News
  This Month’s Song: “The New Old Cow Puncher”
  Upcoming Shows
  Featured Non-Profit: Catalog Canceling Challenge

Tom at Lizard Lounge
Tom at the Lizard Lounge ~ Photo: David Maccaferri


Recent News:

Margo and I have some great news to share. Our second grandchild, Andrew Hsu arrived last month. Everyone is in great shape. I think I feel another song coming on.


This Month’s Music

The New Old Cow Puncher
Lyrics: © 2010 Genny Haley and new words by Tom Smith
Tune: Traditional


Click the image above to play the video.

I am excited to share that this month’s song won the songwriting challenge at the Old Groton Inn Open Mic last month, hosted by my talented friend Gayle Picard. A panel of independent experts named “The New Old Cow Puncher” the best original environmental song (that was sung at the open mic that night). My first songwriting award! I was speechless when I received the handsome solid (simulated) gold trophy.

Recently we have seen a very steep rise in the price of gasoline. One day while I filled my gas tank, I found myself singing a song I hadn’t sung in a very long time. It was Genny Haley’s “Old Cowpuncher”, a parody of the traditional song “The Texas Rangers” (also “The Buffalo Skinners”). This happened to come at a time when I was working on a “Green Committee” at my school. We were trying to come up with ways to reduce our carbon footprint. A lot of good work came out of that committee. For example, we got parents to stop idling their cars at carpool line, to join together for carpools, to use local produce in our cafeteria, and much more. But the coincidence of the sticker shock at the gas station along with remembering Genny Haley’s parody was too much to ignore. So I rewrote Genny’s parody to show a way we can recycle a common greenhouse gas. By the way, I have tried and failed to share my song with Genny Haley. If anyone out there can give me her contact information, please send me an e-mail.

There have been scholarly articles written about the effect of bovine flatulence. For example, this article posted on the Global Warming Is Real web site discusses how we might be able to reduce the methane belching and farting by modifying the cows’ diet. I say, capture the methane and put it to good use!

I see by the calendar that it is the first week of May. So I leave you with a brief cameo appearance I made at my school’s May Day celebration a few years ago.

Summer is a’coming,

~ Tom

(I invite you to leave a comment. Just scroll down to the end of this page.)


Upcoming Shows

I am taking some time away from live shows in May and June as I work to make progress on my upcoming studio album.

May 7, Saturday, 7:30 – 9:30 pm, Nashua, NH My friend Jane Fallon and I will share the evening, each doing a 45 minute set to benefit the victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

Click to view all upcoming shows.


Featured Non-Profit: Catalog Canceling Challenge

I am so proud of the fourth graders at the school where I work. Led by their teacher Ted Wells, they have launched a national effort to cancel unwanted catalogs and make a positive impact on our environment. “Join a movement of over 8,200 children in 22 states who have canceled 56,897 unwanted sales catalogs to save trees, water, energy, and our climate. Scout troops have canceled 100s. Schools have canceled 1,000s! Best of all, this activity empowers children to know they can make a difference.”

You can join in the fun and good work too. Better yet, if you know about a school or scout troop that would like to help, please send them to www.CatalogCancelingChallenge.com.

What do you think?

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4 Comments
  • Tom
    May 2, 2011

    The New Old Cow Puncher
    Lyrics: © 2010 Genny Haley and Tom Smith
    Tune: Traditional

    I am an old cow puncher
    I’m known the world around
    I see you are a rustler,
    cause you rustled into town
    How do you do young feller
    Sit down and have some lunch
    And while you drink your coffee
    You can watch me punch

    Its a good time to be a puncher
    With the price of oil so dear
    I’m a harvester of methane
    It doesn’t take much gear
    I just fill my cows with green beans
    I bring them with my cart
    I stick a hose in their behinds
    I punch them and they fart.

    I run my car on methane
    I gather from my cows
    I convert it into power
    With which I heat my house
    In eco-bovine rhythm
    They bloat, then they deflate
    A perfect symbiosis
    I punch, they flatulate

    But it’s lonesome in the saddle
    Ever since my old horse died
    I have no friends nor fam’ly
    To ride here by my side
    My pungent occupation
    Drove them from my home
    I am an old cow puncher
    I punch my cows alone.

  • Kate
    May 3, 2011

    Oh, Tom, that Summer welcome is just magical! I love the moment when the children leap up and you all welcome in the “merry month of May.” Beautiful!!!

  • Jon McAuliffe
    May 4, 2011

    You’ve done it again. I suppose beans are a cheaper source of flatulence gas, but beer’s more fun for those of us who haven’t converted to strict vegan, un-alky diets. But as gas prices rise, there’s no money for beer. But well done, as usual!

  • Dennis Unger
    May 7, 2011

    You don’t need to punch the cows to get methane?