Back on the old Banjo-Lee

(Tony Lawrie)

The song is a humorously simple 1-4-5 chord progression in G using Verse Chorous format in the country style song that contrasts the fortunes of an amateur busking banjo player to the great bands, performers, and musicians in history.

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Now there's been some mean banjo players 
That everyone wants to hear and see!
There's J D Crowe
There's Don Reno
And good ol' Ralph Stanley
But nobody wants to hear me play
Cos I play so miserably
When I'm playin' the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee!

(Chorous)
Yes I'm back on the banjo
Back on the ol' banjo-lee
My strummin's bad
My pickin's sad
And I'm always singin' out of key
I busk on cold street corners
And people only tip on sympathy 
Now I'm back on the banjo
Back on the ol' banjo-lee

Now Rock Stars play in stadiums
And charge millions for a fee
I busk on cold street corners
And my tips sum 50p
Nobody comes to hear me play 
Cos' my playin's a real misery
When I'm playin the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again) 

Now the Beatles had their 'Fab Four
And Cream their Famous Three
The Everly's we're a Dynamic Duo
And Tiny Tim had his Ukulele
But all I've got is this ol' banjo
This ol' banjo and me
When I'm playin' the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again)

Now Beathoven had an entire Orchastra
To perform every symphony 
With violins and woodwinds
That could number fifty three
But I've got no one to perform with
Cos' I play and sing so miserably
When I playin' the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again)

Now BB King had his Lucille 
And Jerry-Lee his Painoforte 
And the Bird had his Saxophone 
And made it sing in any key
But all I've got is this ol' banjo
And I can only play it in G
When I'm playin the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again)

Now Slowhand he wrote Layla
And The Who wrote I'm Free
And The Stones wrote Satisfaction
And they've all gone down in history
But all I've wrote is this old song
And nobody will remember me
When I'm playin the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again)

(This next verse is the bridge before last verse) 

And I can't play 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown!'
Or Dead South's 'In Good Company!'
I can't play 'The Duelling Banjo's!'
They're all too hard for me!
Those Hillbillies they know all the licks and chords!
And I can barely play C and D
When I'm playin the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Last verse is repeat of first verse ) 

Yes there's been some mean banjo players 
Everyone wants to hear and see!
There's J D Crowe
There's Don Reno
And good ol' Ralph Stanley
But nobody wants to hear me play
Cos I play so miserably
When I'm playin' the banjo
The ol' banjo-lee

(Chorous Again)

(Repeat to fade) 
....Back on the ol' banjo-lee
....Back on the oooool' banjooooleee!
© Tony Lawrie 2020