"Limbo Rock" is a popular song about limbo dancing written by Kal Mann (under the pseudonym Jon Sheldon) and Billy Strange. An instrumental version was first recorded by The Champs in 1961. The first vocal version was recorded in 1962 by Chubby Checker (on Parkway Records): it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number one on the Cash Box charts. Chubby Checker then released a sequel, Let's Limbo Some More, in 1963 and that peaked at #20 in the Billboard chart.

The song was covered by a long list of artists including Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, The Champs, The Ventures, Fozzie Bear, Sebastian the crab, Chet Atkins and Hank Snow (on their joint album C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow by Special Request), The Knickerbockers, Klaus Wunderlich, The Routers, Arthur Lyman, Skiantos. Because the song is literally about limbo, versions of the song by lesser-known cover bands appear on various latin music, Calypso music and reggae compilation records. It also appears on a number of children's music albums.

The Chubby Checker recording was featured in the film Hairspray.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo_Rock)

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_In The Philippines (circa 1990)
I first heard it on a garbage truck. Looping around my ears and feeling a bit panicked because my mom will shout and instruct us to gather all the trash bins and lined them in front of our house.  I didn't know that it was a famous tune because I don't listen to classical music at that time. I encountered it again when the band "The Youth" covered an alternative rock version (Basura) of this famous tune. "Tapon, Tapon Tapon Nyo, Basura Nyo!" (Throw Your Garbage..)

Also in Taiwan
Although this has been going on for some time now, I wasn't aware until recently that the mundane task of taking out the trash in Taiwan is a community-based event that comes with a healthy dose of musical accompaniment. On the tightly packed East Asian island nation, garbage trucks, like ice cream vans, are equipped with speakers that play music -- popular tunes include Beethoven's "Für Elise" and Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska's "A Maiden's Prayer" -- alerting citizens that trash time est arrivé.

(source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/09/taiwan-garbage-trucks-music_n_1195020.html)_

_"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːld lɑŋˈsəin]: note "s" rather than "z") is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially (but far from exclusively) in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions. The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, is loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".

The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns.Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.

(source: Wikipedia)

_"Lighters" is a song by American hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. As the second single from their first EP, Hell: The Sequel, Shady Records serviced the song for mainstream radio airplay in the United States on July 5, 2011. The song features American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, who was added after the original cut. The song was written and produced by Eminem, Battle Roy and The Smeezingtons. Eminem and Royce da 5'9" took a different approach, wanting to break the typical album format that stereotypical hip hop artists use. "Lighters" is an alternative hip hop song which has been said by critics to incorporate soul music, as well as influences of synthpop. It is noted for being different in style from any other song on the EP. The song features bass, cymbals and keyboards with percussion used in most of the song. The song was met with mixed reviews; some critics praised the change in style, as a break from more hardcore and aggressive themes of the other tracks found in Hell: The Sequel, while others criticized it for the same reason. Despite the mixed reception, the song performed generally well commercially, reaching the top ten in New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. "Lighters" was performed at the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the Lollapalooza music festival.

The accompanying music video was shot in July 2011 and was directed by Rich Lee. The two rappers guide themselves through underground tunnel with pipelines as red highway flares illuminate the setting, to reach an event by night. The video was met with positive reception for its positive and inspirational message. (source: Wikipedia)

* arrangement pattern : main Chorus and Bridge only


Here's the rendition of my Youtube friend Von.
Please check out his other solo guitar playing here:  http://www.youtube.com/user/gitaranivon

_DOWNLOAD your FREE music stuff here:

_"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England.[1] The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy puddings' that were very much like modern day Christmas puddings.[2][3] It is one of the few English traditional carols that makes mention of the New Year celebration.

(source: Wikipedia)

_“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 1739 in the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems, having been written by Charles Wesley. This is not the version widely known today. A sombre man, Wesley had requested and received slow and solemn music for his lyrics, not the joyful tune we now expect. What is more, Wesley's original opening couplet is "Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings". The popular version is the result of alterations by various hands, notably George Whitefield, Wesley's co-worker, who changed the opening couplet to the familiar one, and Felix Mendelssohn. A hundred years after the publication of Hymns and Sacred Poems, in 1840, Mendelssohn composed a cantata to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, and it is music from this cantata, adapted by the English musician William H. Cummings to fit the lyrics of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, that propels the carol we know today. (source: Wikipedia)

One of my early arrangements after finishing two semesters of Fretboard Harmony taught by Maestro Jose Valdez. Arranged around 2006, this was the result of my experimentation on Drop D tuning and I guess it worked somehow.

Enjoy and please share!

I would like to thank my Youtube friend Von for the interpretation. Please check out his other solo guitar playing here : http://www.youtube.com/user/gitaranivon

_Nestlé S.A. (French pronunciation: [nɛsˈle]) is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé. The company grew significantly during the First World War and again following the Second World War, eventually expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. Today, the company operates in 86 countries around the world, and employs over 280,000 people. (source: Wikipedia)

'Rock-a-bye Baby' is a nursery rhyme and lullaby. The melody is a variant of the English satirical ballad Lilliburlero. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 2768.

Various theories exist to explain the origins of the rhyme.

One identifies it as the first poem written on American soil, suggesting it may date from the 17th century and have been written by an English immigrant who observed the way native-American women rocked their babies in birch-bark cradles, which were suspended from the branches of trees, allowing the wind to rock the baby to sleep. A difficulty with this theory is that the words appeared in print first in England in c. 1765.

In Derbyshire, England, local legend has it that the song relates to a local character in the late 18th century, Betty Kenny (Kate Kenyon), who lived with her charcoal-burner husband, Luke, and their eight children in a huge yew tree in Shining Cliff Woods in the Derwent Valley, where a hollowed-out bough served as a cradle. However this "late 1700s" date is incompatible with the poem's appearance in print c. 1765.

Yet another theory has it that the lyrics, like the tune "Lilliburlero" it is sung to, refer to events immediately preceding the Glorious Revolution. The baby is supposed to be the son of James VII and II, who was widely believed to be someone else's child smuggled into the birthing room in order to provide a Roman Catholic heir for James. The "wind" may be that Protestant "wind" or force "blowing" or coming from the Netherlands bringing James' nephew and son-in-law, William III of England, a.k.a. William of Orange, who would eventually depose King James II in the revolution (the same "Protestant Wind" that had saved England from the Spanish Armada a century earlier). The "cradle" is the royal House of Stuart. The earliest recorded version of the words in print appeared with a footnote, "This may serve as a warning to the Proud and Ambitious, who climb so high that they generally fall at last", which may be read as supporting a satirical meaning. It would help to substantiate the suggestion of a specific political application for the words however if they and the 'Lilliburlero' tune could be shown to have been always associated.


The first printed version from Mother Goose's Melody (London, c. 1765), has the following lyrics:

Hush-a-by baby, on the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will fall baby, cradle and all.

The most common version used today is:

Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetops
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

(source: Wikipedia)

_Selecta is a brand of ice cream and milk sold in the Philippines and also in Australia by Mead Johnson Company, who also made Sustagen and Enfamil. The ice cream brand is co-owned by the Philippines' RFM Corporation and the food giant Unilever under the subsidiary Unilever RFM Ice Cream, Inc.[1] The company's beginnings can be traced back to Selecta Ice Cream and Refreshment Parlor, owned by Ramon Arce, Sr. and family, and founded in the 1930s. It later expanded its business by selling its ice cream and milk with Mead Johnson nationwide.

In 1990, RFM Corporation bought Selecta from the Arce family, and formed Selecta Dairy Products, Inc.. In 1999, RFM entered a partnership with Unilever to produce and market Heartbrand brand umbrella, while marketing its milk products under the original Selecta logo. Under their name Selecta Moo, they make milk with special flavors, such as melon and ube (sweet purple yam). (source: Wikipedia)

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Leron Leron Sinta is about a man named “Leron” and her sweetheart “Neneng”. The song revolves around the adventures of the two sweethearts as they pick fruits from trees (papaya and tamarind trees) one day.

Leron Leron Sinta is a classic work song that is believed to have originated in the provinces and was traditionally sang during the papaya harvest season. It has a call and response verse pattern and is typically sung in duet by a man and a woman, with some minor alteration in the lyrics. It is also a favorite performance piece by choral groups. With the combination of an upbeat feel and witty lyrics, Leron Leron Sinta has become a timeless Philippine folk song loved by millions of Filipinos from the heydays of the “kundiman” era to the generations to come.

(source: http://www.allphilippines.com/?p=424)

Hush, Little Baby is a traditional lullaby. It is thought to be American (mockingbirds are from the American continent), but the author and date of origin are unknown. The lyrics promise all kinds of rewards to the child if he or she is quiet.

The structure is simple enough for parents to ad-lib further verses as required. This song has had the unusual distinction of two separate manifestations as a popular song, first as the song "Bo Diddley" by the singer of that name, and then as "Mockingbird", a well-selling song by the brother-and-sister team, Inez and Charlie Foxx in 1963, and then, for then husband and wife, James Taylor and Carly Simon in 1974, singing the Foxx arrangement. Toby Keith and his teenage daughter Krystal covered the song in 2004. (source: Wikipedia)

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann. It is sung to the tune of the French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman (oldest known publication 1761). The English lyrics have five stanzas, although only the first is widely known. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7666.

Many songs in various languages have been based on the "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" melody. In English, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", the "Alphabet Song", and a variant of it is used for "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep". It is also the basis of the Scots song Coulter's Candy.

The German Christmas carol "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann", with words by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian Christmas carol "Hull a pelyhes fehér hó", and the Dutch "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek".

Several classical compositions have been inspired by the tune:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" (K. 265 / K. 300e) (1781 or 1782)
• Franz Joseph Haydn, The Surprise Symphony[5] (1791)
• Camille Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals (1886), 12th movement (Fossiles) quotes the tune
• Ernő Dohnányi, Variations on a Nursery Tune, op.25 (1914)
• Erwin Schulhoff, Ten Variations on 'Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman' and Fugue
• John Corigliano, The Mannheim Rocket
• Franz Liszt, Album Leaf: "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (1833) (S.163b)
• Theodor von Schacht, 3rd movement (Allegretto con variazioni) of his clarinet concerto in B flat major
• Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck, Variations and finale for organ on "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman", op. 90 (pub. 1828)
• Jean-Baptiste Cardon (1760–1803), Variations for harp on "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman"

(source: Wikipedia)

I do not know how to classify this. It is classical for me, but it hardly classifies as such in international standards. It maybe folk or maybe country.

The song Ugoy ng Duyan, literally translated to "the swaying of the hammock", was composed by Lucio San Pedro and the lyrics were by Levi Celerio, both National Artists whose memories will live on long after their death in 2003. More than a year ago, I saw an article about this song. It was actually made while one of the artists (or maybe both) were travelling by water and they/he had the inspiration as they/he felt the lulling of the waves.

What is the song about? Mainly, it is the love and longing a child feels for his mother who has either been long gone, or still alive but, you know, one really misses the simplest times in his life. It is deep and moving and, if you're the mushy type, may make you want to cry...

However, my research before brought me to the discovery that the song is not only about the mother-and-child relationship, but is rather more of the nationalistic nature. Still, it is not the nationalistic part that gets to a lot of people, but the mother-and-child bonding that makes you want to go back to those good ol' days.

Different artists have recorded the song, most recently Regine Velasquez, Lea Salonga, and Aiza Seguerra.
(source: http://lildovefeather.multiply.com)

It originated during the Spanish Time here in the Philippines. It is said that the song acts as a protest song for the Filipino women.

The meaning of the song is this: during that time, some women are selling their own bodies (prostitutes) to the Spanish colonizers (the military, especially, the friars) with exchange for money and food.The lyrics of the song could be a proof.Understand it carefully.

Read the lyrics and there are phrases such as "Nagwas de-ohetes ang palalabasin; haharap sa altar at mananalamin" ..naguas de ohetes is like an underskirt...and it is shown in front of the altar?..."At saka lalakad na pakendeng-kendeng"...like she is seducing...and a Filipina that time is known for their "mahinhin" factor... (source: WikiAnswers)

Cradle Song is the common name for a number of children's lullabies with similar lyrics, the original of which was Johannes Brahms's Wiegenlied: Guten Abend, gute Nacht ("Good evening, good night"), Op. 49, No. 4, published in 1868 and widely known as Brahms's Lullaby. The lyrics of the first verse are from a collection of German folk poems called Des Knaben Wunderhorn and the second stanza was written by Georg Scherer (1824–1909) in 1849. The lullaby's melody is one of the most famous and recognizable in the world, used by countless parents to sing their babies to sleep. The Lullaby was first sung by Brahms's friend, Bertha Faber, as the piece had been written to celebrate the birth of her son. Brahms had been in love with her in her youth and constructed the melody of the Wiegenlied to suggest, as a hidden countermelody, a song she used to sing to him. (source: Wikipedia)

Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth. According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." The song's base lyrics have been translated into at least 18 languages.

The melody of "Happy Birthday to You" comes from the song "Good Morning to All", which was written and composed by American siblings Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893. Patty was a kindergarten principal in Louisville, Kentucky, developing various teaching methods at what is now the Little Loomhouse; Mildred was a pianist and composer.

The sisters created "Good Morning to All" as a song that would be easy to be sung by young children.

It is often the tradition that at a birthday party, the song "Happy Birthday to You" is sung with the birthday person seated in front of a table where there is a birthday cake with candles that have just been lit, with the other guests gathered around. The number of candles is often the same as the age of the birthday person. After the song is sung (usually just once), sometimes party guests will add phrase like "And many happy returns!" or "And many more!" expressing the hope that the birthday person will enjoy a long life. The birthday person is asked to make a wish ("Make a wish!") -- which is done silently—and then blow out the candles. Traditionally, the blowing out of the candles is felt to signify that the wish will come true. Once the candles have been blown out, people often will applaud, and then the cake is usually served—often by the birthday guests—and eaten. Often, after the cake is eaten, each guest gives a gift, usually wrapped in festive paper, to the birthday person. Often the birthday person will then open the gifts, revealing their contents to all. That usually concludes the ritual aspect of a birthday party, which then proceeds much like any other but with the birthday person being treated as the guest of honor. (source: Wikipedia)