the john muir exhibit - sound_and_music - john muir by the deedle deedle dees
John Muir
by the Deedle Deedle Dees
About the Song
This song is from the group's 2009 album, American History + Rock-n-Roll
= The Deedle Deedle Dees. The album celebrates a 12 figures
in American History; besides Muir, including Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt,
Cesar Chavez, and purposefully less-known people. This song, like other Deedle
Deedle Dee songs, seems geared toward simply identifying someone from American
history in a fun way, in hopes kids may then want to read more about them.
The group's educational philosophy according to founding member Lloyd Miller
goes like this: "During
the course of this song, they won't learn much more about these people than they
already knew"
-- but the kids will have fun and perhaps be inspired to learn more. Thus, the
silly lyrics of this song may make sense only in light of this philosophy.
The refrain goes like this: "Did you hear John Muir had a big old beard/And
he hopped over the wall/No pack on his back/Just a pocket of snacks/To the wilderness
alone?"
And then this: "And he walked around the redwood trees and he walked in
Yosemite, he walked and walked until he went to sleep." Then it gets even
more ridiculous: "So
pull your ears, John Muir/Stroke your big old beard/Hop over the wall...." The
song encourages kids to dance and sing along to the tune, and like Muir, "Walk
around a great big tree/Take walk in the park with me..." Some sound effects in the middle of the song sound like a tree
crashing in the forest on top of a car with tinkling glass.
About the Deedle Deedle Dees
The Deedle Deedle Dees style themselves as an educational rock band which
entertains kids in schools and families with songs inspired by history and
science. They have earned a reputation for turning out sounds and songs
that are original, clever, and frequently funny. Though the group’s characteristic
musical styling is fairly eclectic with a solid downbeat, expect a recipe of
danceable and singable rock n’ roll - not "fake rock for tots." On reviewer
comments: "They're serious about their mission to get kids excited about history—American
in particular—and to capture the essence of some important figures in
our past in a less stuffy way."
For album and concert information:
Website:
http://www.thedeedledeedledees.com/
E-mail:
thedeedledeedledees@yahoo.com
Other John Muir Songs