Ukulele Anthem - Amanda Palmer (Studio Version)

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Download link (it's a name your price download with free as the minimum donation): http://music.amandapalmer.net/track/ukulele-anthem

No copyright infringement intended. The song and its properties belong to Amanda Palmer.

Lyrics:
sid vicious played a four-string fender bass guitar and couldn't sing
and everybody hated him except the ones who loved him
a ukulele has four strings, but sid did did not play ukulele
he did smack and probably killed his girlfriend nancy spungen

if only sid had had a ukulele, maybe he could have been happy
maybe he would not have suffered such a sad end
he maybe would have not done all that heroin instead
he maybe would've sat around just singing nice songs to his girlfriend

so play your favorite cover song, especially if the words are wrong
'cos even if your grades are bad, it doesn't mean you're failing
do your homework with a fork
and eat your fruit loops in the dark
and bring your etch-a-sketch to work
and play your ukulele

ukulele small and forceful
brave and peaceful
you can play the ukulele too it is painfully simple
play your ukulele badly, play your ukulele loudly
ukulele banish evil
ukulele save the people
ukulele gleaming golden on the top of every steeple

lizzie borden took an axe, and gave her father thirty whacks
then gave her mother thirty-one, and left a tragic puzzle
if only they had given her an instrument, those puritans
had lost the plot completely
see what happens when you muzzle
a person's creativity
and do not let them sing and scream
and nowadays it's worse 'cause kids have automatic handguns
it takes about an hour to learn how to play the ukulele
about same to teach someone to build a standard pipe bomb
YOU DO THE MATH

so play your favorite cover song, especially if the words are wrong
'cos even if your grades are bad, it doesn't mean you're failing
do your homework with a fork
and eat your fruit loops in the dark
and bring your flask of jack to work
and play your ukulele

ukulele, thing of wonder
ukulele, wand of thunder
you can play the ukulele, too
in london and down under
play joan jett, and play jacques brel
and eminem and neutral milk hotel
the children crush the hatred
play your ukulele naked
and if anybody tries to steal your ukulele, let them take it

imagine there's no music, imagine there are no songs
imagine that john lennon wasn't shot in front of his apartment
imagine if john lennon had composed "imagine" on the ukulele
maybe folks would have more clearly got the message

you may think my approach is simple-minded and naïve
like if you want to save the world then why not quit and feed the hungry
but people for millennia have needed music to survive
and that's why i've promised john that i will not feel guilty

so play your favorite beatles' song
and make the subway fall in love
they're only $19.95, that's not a lot of money
play until the sun comes up
and play until your fingers suffer
play LCD soundsystem songs on your ukulele
quit the bitching on your blog
and stop pretending art is hard
just limit yourself to three chords
and do not practice daily
you'll minimize some stranger's sadness
with a piece of wood and plastic
holy fuck it's so fantastic, playing ukulele
eat your homework with a fork
and do your fruit loops in the dark
bring your etch-a-sketch to work
your flask of jack
your vibrator
your fear of heights
your nikon lens
your mom and dad
your disco stick
your soundtrack from "karate kid"
your ginsu knives
your rosary
your new rebecca black CD
your favorite room
your bowie knife
your stuffed giraffe
your new glass eye
your sousaphone
your breakfast tea
your nick drake tapes
your giving tree
your ice cream truck
your missing wife
your will to live
your urge to cry
remember we're all going to die
so PLAY YOUR UKULELE

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Amanda Palmer
• Ukulele Anthem
• Dresden Dolls
• Amanda Fucking Palmer
• Shadowbox
• Neil Gaiman
• Ukulele
• Occupy Wall Street

[beckabee91]

I saw Amanda Palmer sing this in Melbourne when I went to a talk by Neil Gaiman. We were waiting to get in and she just jumped on to the bar and belted it out. Really awesome, and I can't help but smile at this song (and I'm thinking of getting a ukele)

[DrFinkelstein99]

@beckabee91 I first saw Amanda while seeing The Dresden Dolls in 2005. They were opening for Nine Inch Nails. I met her and Brian after the show and loved it. I met them again when they did the No, Virginia West Coast tour in '08 and I stood in line until almost 2am during the WKAP tour to meet her again. She remembered me which was amazing and she gave me a kiss on the cheek. I gave her some artwork and she gave me the biggest hug back. Such a genuine lady.

[DrFinkelstein99]

This video has 0 dislikes. Maybe there is hope for the world after all.

[awhellnoshaniqua]

@DrFinkelstein99 Now there's one. Probably just to spite you.

[DrFinkelstein99]

@awhellnoshaniqua Yeah, probably. 

[TheGeesetreats]

some of your lyrics are wrong.

[DrFinkelstein99]

@TheGeesetreats I copied and pasted the lyrics directly from the download link so if they are wrong it isn't my error.

[justmegodie]

I really want a ukelele now...

[AbagailGrayce]

@DrFinkelstein99 amanda tends to change lyrics from the original written ones quite a lot.

[dobermuffin]

@justmegodie They're seriously fun, easy, and cheap. I've seen them new as cheap as $20, like the song says, but even a pretty nice one (like mine) will only run you about $100, $150. Lanikai or Oscar Schmitt are good brands. Anyone with musical experience can learn to play well in a weekend; without experience in about a week or so.

I play piano, violin, and ukulele. While the piano is pretty useful and of the three I'm best at the violin- Uke is probably my favorite. :D

[BOBtothe7thpower]

Amanda is... I don't even have a word to describe her. Bodacious, euphoric, sensational, incandescent... Eh whatever fancy words. You get the point.

Amanda Fucking Palmer is Fucking Amazing

[TheMooseOfMayhem]

You have my sword! And my bow! And my axe! ...And my ukulele!

[kiaralouisee]

Saw her perform this on a tram today :)

[sidearmin]

@daliahussein156 Did you hold up a wine glass and look to your right when you said "True story"?

[daliahussein156]

My ukulele got stolen a few weeks ago.

And I let them take it because I remembered this song.

True story.

[LurkerPlus]

I saw Amanda play this at the ninja-gig yesterday in Adelaide. It was a joy to behold.

[awhellnoshaniqua]

I bought a ukulele. I will make my idol proud by sucking fantastically at playing it.

[BexAlternative]

Hello first song of 2012 that I will listen to right now whilst Im a bit drunk kinda..

Have a happy new year everyone <3