'Skiffle Crew' in a light-hearted bio about my journey as a guitar man.  ere's the lyric;
Skiffle Crew
INTRODUCTION

 VERSE
I found a Spanish-style guitar when I was ten years old.             
It had three rusty, half-frayed strings. Its soundbox reeked of mould.
Inside the case Burt’s ‘Tune-a-Day’ announced ‘this is the key’, 
That book unlocked a strummer’s door and showed a track to me.
My hopes soared high on Hippodromes and fervent fans galore.
I dreamed that Lonny Donegan and Cliff came on my tour.
I learned two chords on those three strings; Burt named them ‘G’ and ‘D’. 
I hung ‘Tom Dooley’ from an oak a thousand times off-key.
CHORUS
And Cliff was ‘Travellin’ Light’ back then, I couldn’t match his pace.
I heard the sound of missing chords and ‘C’ filled out the space.
Then oh! The three-chord universe exploded into view.
The repertoire was massive when I joined a skiffle crew.

INTERLUDE
  
My ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ stayed good-as-new, we ‘Rocked Around the Clock’.
Our ‘Chewing Gum’ was bed-posted, stuck there with ‘Jailhouse Rock.
‘Beethoven’ rolled and rolled and rolled, we saw ‘The Lights Go Out’.
‘La Bamba’ taught me Spanish cheek; we learned to ‘Twist and Shout’.
We pounded ears with ‘Chains of Love; and ‘Money’ pushed the trend.
My ‘Freight Train’ Kept a-Rollin’ till it reached a fateful bend.
But then I cracked a hidden vault; rock’s iron safe got popped:
I learned that ‘G’ was just one key. The train could not be stopped!
CHORUS
And Cliff was ‘Travellin’ Light’ back then, I couldn’t match his pace.
I heard the sound of missing chords and ‘C’ filled out the space.
Then oh! The three-chord universe exploded into view.
The repertoire was massive when I joined a skiffle crew.
 
INTERLUDE
VERSE
The Darby lads scooped up the loot with ‘Boys’ and ‘Little Child’.
‘Slow Down’, ‘I’m Down’, ‘You Can't Do That’, and ‘Hound Dog’ drove us wild.
‘Matchbox’, ‘The Word’, and ‘Sally’ roared: ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, ‘Lucille’.
I sang along with Phil and Don to ‘Tell You How I Feel’.
When Tin Pan Alley’s pale ‘Blue Moon’ birthed ice-cream songs like ‘Dream’.
‘Love Hurts’ ‘Oh Carol’, ‘Donna’ too, schmoozed a soppy stream.
But Cliff asked, ‘Do you Wanna Dance?’ The Year was ’62.
Chord 6 (the Minor) was endorsed. We raced to learn it too.

CHORUS
And Cliff was ‘Travellin’ Light’ back then, I couldn’t match his pace.
I heard the sound of missing chords; and ‘C’ filled out the space.
Then oh! The three-chord universe exploded into view.
The repertoire was massive when I joined a skiffle crew.

VERSE
I said, ‘Have All the Flowers Gone?’ at fourteen, I recall.
I saw them ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’.
And overnight, pop’s bubble burst, the angry poets spoke.
I sold the green Rossetti for a passkey into folk.
A blonde acoustic Levin was my instrument of choice.
It helped me ‘Sow the Seeds of Love’ and find my English voice.
With ‘Marrow Bones’ and ‘Johnny Lad’ I ‘Sailed the Ocean Wide’,
the passion and the poetry in chorus at my side.

CHORUS
And Cliff was ‘Travellin’ Light’ back then, I couldn’t match his pace.
I heard the sound of missing chords; and ‘C’ filled out the space.
Then oh! The three-chord universe exploded into view.
The repertoire was massive when I joined a skiffle crew.

Alan Wagstaff. ©
 
 
 


Skiffle Crew

Strongly influenced by folk and Celtic, though I do write in other genres: orchestral rock, melodic rock, and Country.

New tracks tagged #Lively Fiddle, accordion, guitar, and bass. Strong chorus.