Bawdy times at Half-Price

After waking up at 6ish this AM, I was faced with either trying to sleep until a more reasonable hour (like noon) or arise, so I went with the latter. I made a few attempts at being productive, and then gave that up for lost and went out for food and amusement.

After a stirring meal of chicken and dressing at a much loved cafe, I meandered over to that haven of literature that is known as Half Price Books. The one in Dallas I like to go to is enormous, a veritable warehouse of obscure books, records, magazines, and movies, plus they have a coffee shop. It's the kind of place you could wander around in for a few hours and emerge with either an armful of books or just read them in any random corner of the store with a cup of joe for company. I actually made a couple of purchases today, but I wanted to talk about what I didn't buy.

There is an area dedicated to music, covering musical history, theory, performance, etc. Stacks of songbooks and sheet music are found in this section, and while idly scanning through their selection I came across The Dirty Song Book. Interesting, I thought. Would anyone with a sense of fun be able to resist a quick perusal? I didn't think so.

The author of the book gave his reason for its existence as being frustrated that nobody wants to acknowledge in print that dirty songs are out there. You sing them at pubs, at summer camp, during cattle roundups, and while on shore leave, and yet no one has made an anthology of these classics? Unacceptable. This book is his gift to society.

I'll admit, I don't really know any dirty songs right off hand. The closest thing I can think of is something about "Comet, it makes you want to vomit", not really anything bawdy, you know? Flipping through the pages of this book was an educational experience. I'm already regretting leaving it in the store, if only because I don't think some people will believe that it exists. However, I have found evidence of it online, so it makes me feel a bit better. Also found online is a website that has an extensive collection of field recordings and lyrics to dirty songs.

So, all in all a good day so far.

Random link: Because sometimes our inner geek needs caffeine