https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:27:47 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366057 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:02:57 +0000
Hopefully this is clearer :D Thanks for the feedback. :wink:

***Poof Changes Made :mrgreen: *** he sang of grammar, he sang of grammar

Hi Chris,
Yes! :mrgreen:
It took me all of 4 words into reading the lyrics... "I knew a man..." and I was saying "..Bojangles... Thanks for the confirmation :D
"but most nights I spend my time behind a computer, 'cause I write songs a bit". Great! I really liked that switch as well. :P

Thanks for the listen and post :D

James]]> Sunday Songwriters Group jamestoffee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366057 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366053 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:07:33 +0000

James Yes! :mrgreen:

It took me all of 4 words into reading the lyrics... "I knew a man..." and I was saying "..Bojangles..." But of course it does make a difference that Mr Bojangles is one of my tiny repertoire of learned songs. :wink:

If you're going to borrow a tune then there's not too many better than that one. I liked your version of it. I was especially taken by the lines "but most nights I spend my time behind a computer, 'cause I write songs a bit". Replacing the original lines about his addiction "'cos I drinks a bit" with a reference to being hooked on songwriting was great. And being shackled to your computer instead of "behind these county bars" was also a really neat switch that appealed to me a lot.

Good listening too. :)

Chris]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Chris C https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366053 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366049 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 04:53:16 +0000
Thanks for the listen and post :D
You don't sing OF verbs and OF nouns - you use them..... This is where I might have gotten too technical with the ESL teacher vibe....Actually, I did mean to say "sing about".....but most listeners probably wouldn't get the reference.

Using songs in ESL is one way I try to teach the students parts of speech. There is this great old series of videos called Grammar Rock that used to play on television on Saturday mornings between cartoon shows.

Grammar Rock
Nouns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc-ukN1Rvb8
Verbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4QEzJe6_ok&feature=related
Subjects & Predicates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7S_B9GcRI0

BTW is it obvious that this song is a version/reference to Mr. Bojangles? I meant it to be to practice taking the structure of another songs lyrics and phrasing and writing new lines....once you hear the original, it's obvious......just wondering :?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMcfUjIguSs

Thanks again for the listen and feedback :wink:

James]]> Sunday Songwriters Group jamestoffee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366049 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366047 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 04:26:13 +0000
One line I'm not sure about....

he sang of verbs, he sang of nouns....? Maybe he played with verbs, he played with nouns? You don't sing OF verbs and OF nouns - you use them.....

But again, that's a very minor quibble - LOVE the song.

:D :D :D :D :D

Vic]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Vic Lewis VL https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-366047 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-41174 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:09:56 +0000
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10549696

============Revised Version=================
I knew a man Mr. James Conrad and he'd play for you
with his guitar
He had brown hair with a tinge gray,
Shirt and slacks from St. John's Bay;
the ESL teacher
He'd play those chords, play those chords
Then he'd lightly touch the guitar and played the harmonics

I met him on the third floor in a mall in Bangkok; He was
buying new strings
He looked to me to have the calluses of a guitarist
as he said he liked to sing
he sang of grammar, he sang of grammar
and sentences he'd conjugated; with his open chords arpeggiated

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play

He said his name "Mr. James" and he played a lick
there in the mall
Barre chords, open chords, and power chords
He played them all
He wiped his brow, then after he wiped his brow
He put his bandanna back; back in his pocket

He played for Thai students and international schools
throughout Bangkok
He spoke through his tears of 13 years how his lap top and him
traveled about
The lap top crashed, the lap top crashed
And after 2 years he still uses Windows XP

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play

He said I play now at every chance in ESL class
for salary and benefits
but most nights I spend my time behind a computer
'cause I write songs a bit
He bought new strings, and as he bought his new strings
I saw the cashier give him a receipt

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play



============Original Version=================
I knew a man Mr. James Conrad and he'd play for you
with his guitar
He had brown hair with a tinge gray,
Shirt and slacks from St. John's Bay;
the ESL teacher
He'd play those chords, play those chords
Then he'd lightly touch the guitar and played the harmonics

I met him on the third floor in a mall in Bangkok; He was
buying new strings
He looked to me to have the calluses of a guitarist
as he said he liked to sing
he sang of verbs, he sang of nouns
and sentences he'd conjugated; with his open chords arpeggiated

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play

He said his name "Mr. James" and he played a lick
there in the mall
Barre chords, open chords, and power chords
He played them all
He wiped his brow, then after he wiped his brow
He put his bandanna back; back in his pocket

He played for Thai students and international schools
throughout Bangkok
He spoke through his tears of 13 years how his lap top and him
traveled about
The lap top crashed, the lap top crashed
And after 2 years he still uses Windows XP

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play

He said I play now at every chance in ESL class
for salary and benefits
but most nights I spend my time behind a computer
'cause I write songs a bit
He bought new strings, and as he bought his new strings
I saw the cashier give him a receipt

Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, Mr. James Conrad, play]]> Sunday Songwriters Group jamestoffee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y9w25-mr-james-conrad-the-esl-teacher/#post-41174