The Housemartins' Caravan of Love (piano vocal cover, originally Isley Jasper Isley)

This song was originally a hit for Isley Jasper Isley (effectively the Isley Brothers), but the Housemartins' a cappella version (a Christmas number one in 1986) is probably better-known. If I ever get around to recording multiple vocal tracks, the Housemartins' version of this song will be high on my list of tunes to attempt.

The structure of the song is very simple - with a four chord sequence (A, F#m, Bm, E) accompanying almost the entire song (the "Now the children..." and "We'll be living..." sections are the only exceptions). As with George Michael's Last Christmas (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmGa4-wZM94), I enjoy many songs that employ a variety of melodic variations over a single short chord sequence. Obviously part of the reason for this is that it makes the song easy to learn, but I also admire a songwriter's ability to conjure up several catchy variations on a theme.

I sing the lyrics pretty much as below. Some of the lyrics are disputed, but the "Marvel land" and "Warm the carpet" suggestions seem a little odd to me...


***

Are you ready...

Are you ready for the time of life
Its time to stand up and fight
It's alright
It's alright

Hand in hand we'll take a caravan to the motherland [marvel land?!]
One by one we gonna stand up with pride
One that can't be denied [warm the carpet tonight?!]
Stand up
Stand up
From the highest mountain of valley low
We'll join together with hearts of gold
Now the children of the world can see
This a better place for us to be
The place is which we were born
So neglected and torn apart

Every woman every man
Join the caravan of love
(stand up) stand up
Stand up
Every body take a stand
Join the caravan of love
(stand up) stand up
Stand up

Im your brother
Im your brother don't you know
She's my sister
She's my sister don't you know

We'll be living in a world of peace
In the day when everyone is free
We'll bring the young and the old
Won't you let your love flow from your heart

Every woman every man
Join the caravan of love
(stand up) stand up
Stand up
Every body take a stand
Join the caravan of love
(stand up) stand up
Stand up

Im your brother
Im your brother don't you know
She's my sister
She's my sister don't you know (waiting for the caravan)

So are you ready (he's coming) ...
You better get ready ...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• the
• housemartins
• caravan
• of
• love
• isley
• jasper
• brothers
• piano
• vocal
• cover
• christmas
• number
• one
• 1986
• are
• you
• ready

[BibiyyZulmaej672]

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[KiraaJanee]

Thats good (:

[dantweedy]

Musical talet abounds, but as a comparison to the original or the HM remake, really?

[Kittybrew]

Out of 100.

[ChristophPan]

one of my favorite songs. your version is great.

nice grettings from Germany

[MarcelMiddelhoff95]

Booyah! I'm really excited! The best cover I have ever heard! 5 stars