For this weekâs Stream of Consciousness Saturday, we were asked to âfind a word that starts with the letter âuâ and use it however youâd like.â Someone wrote a piece about the âukuleleâ which got me thinking. Hereâs my stream of consciousness:
How many people do you know who play the ukulele? Unless youâre from the glorious state of Hawaii, I bet your answer is the same as mine: None.
Oh, Iâve heard people playing the ukulele. If youâre old enough youâll remember Arthur Godfreyâs ukulele playing and his signature greeting of âHow Ah Ya? How Ah Ya? How Ah Ya?â. And letâs not forget Don Hoâs âTiny Bubblesâ. Hell, even George Harrison mastered the ukulele; he played the instrument for at least 20 Beatles songs; bet you didnât know that. I have no idea how many ukes George owned but you can be sure it was a lot; he didnât just like the instrument â he was obsessed with it.
Still, I never gave the ukulele much thought. I had nothing against it; I just never thought about it until one day I heard something so wondrous, so ineffably sweet and touching, I sat mesmerized by the magic coming from the radio. It was only after the song was over that I realized I was crying.
Give a listen, wonât you? Donât worry if you cry; itâll be our secret.
NAR © 2022
NB â Israel Kamakawiwoâole suffered from obesity throughout his life, at one point weight 757 pounds while standing 6â2â tall. He endured several hospitalizations because of his weight. With chronic medical problems including respiratory and cardiac issues, he died at the age of 38 in the Queenâs Medical Center on June 26, 1997, from respiratory failure.
PS – I read recently that some readers outside the US, especially in the UK, cannot view the videos I post. That’s a shame because they are relative to the story and make for some damn good viewing. If you are unable to watch these videos, please drop me a line in the comments section. I think there’s a way around it; how easy it is I have no idea but I want you all to get the full benefit of my stories. Thank you!
Great to know about ukulele! So beautiful! And yes, the video played fine here in India. Thank you, Nancy !!
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Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the story and the music. I have since found out that two of my WP friends play the uke, including Cindy Georgakas whom I believe you know. Thank you for letting me now the video played for you. đđŒ
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It’s my pleasure, Nancy. Yes, I know Cindy, my friend, an extraordinary person.
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Ok Nanc,
I Canât get the video here but you gilotta know Iâll go look on my lap top.
In the meantime I LOVE the uke and take lessons whe I go to Hawaii and then I get home and life gets in the way but I do sing and poets some songs in my yoga class!
I live it!!
đâ€ïžđ
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Of course you do because you’re the amazing Cindy G!! I think subconsciously I knew that about you and the uke but forgot. Anyway, sorry you can’t play the vid but thanks for letting me know. You gotta look it up; it’s really touching so get the Kleenex out. Can you play the George Harrison vid which Mr. Bump posted? Just trying to get an idea as to what’s working and what isn’t. I love it too and reminds me a little of my dad who played the mandolin. Totally different sound but you get the idea. Have a great day Cin! Luv ya, girl!! đđđđ
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Aww you are too sweet!
Itâs working Iâm sure it my phone but Kleenex is ready and willing!!
Thanks đ
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A wonderful share. Israel Kamakawiwoâole is a talented artist. đ
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Yes he was. Itâs a beautiful rendition of a favorite song.
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I’ve always liked the way he did this song. Lovely.
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Yeah, it sure is a thing of beauty! Thanks for stopping by.
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Whenever I think of the ukulele I think of Tiny Tim. đ Thanks so much for joining in to SoCS!
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That’s right! How could I have forgotten about Tiny Tim. Thanks for the reminder! âșïž
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I play the ukulele! Dad taught me on his. My favorite song to play is a ragtime called âMy Gal Sal.â
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I know that song and I’d love to hear you play it!
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Kamakawiwoâole’s Over the Rainbow has long been one of this Dorothy’s absolute favorites!
Love the Harrison video too, thanks for the Sunday entertainment!
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My pleasure! Anything George Harrison does is a delight to me! đ¶
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Me too! He was my favorite Beatle when I was a kid because of the most important fact that he was the only one who I shared an initial with! I also started making my capital Gs like he did after I saw his autograph on a Beatles bubblegum card.
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Haha! What a fabulous answer! He was always my favorite too because he was so quiet and his birthday was right around mine! All that stuff was so important to us back then!
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Absolutely!
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That video played fine in the UK.
But how can anyone not know about George and the uke?
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Beats the hell outta me! Sadly there are some who still don’t know all the wonders of the Beatles! đđđđ
And thanks for the video update; appreciate it!
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It’s often copyright. We see that a bit on Songshine just because we post lots of music. NopeNotPam (in Aus) seems to have particular trouble playing things. It seems so dumb when it’s music from the Eighties – god knows whose copyright these people think they’re protecting.
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Great to see and listen to this and the young faces of Jules Holland and Joe Brown! đ
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both superb musicians
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Yes indeed đ
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Joe Brown playing/singing “I’ll See You in My Dream” at the Concert for George always brings me to tears. đč
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agreed.
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đ
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