songs with "mandolin" in the lyrics

**jim simpson** · Feb-23-2005, 10:09pm

Can you think of songs that mention "mandolin" but do not use mandolin on the recording? I can think of 2 or 3.
1. Wild Is The Wind by David Bowie
2. Mandolin Wind - Bruce Hornsby
3. "went to Staten Island to buy a mandolin.." by Joni Mitchell - I can't remember the title.
I think it would be more cool to actually use the instrument that you mention in the song.

**John Flynn** · Feb-23-2005, 10:36pm

One of the inspirations for my handle, "Mando Johnny." "Spanish Johnny," duet by Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings on Harris' "Evangeline" CD. I think there is actually a mandolin on the track, but it is not prominent and almost an afterthought.

For the hand so gentle to a child had killed so many men
He died a hard death long ago before the roads come in
And the night before he swung he sung to his mandolin

**ShaneJ** · Feb-23-2005, 10:46pm

Isn't Hornsby's called Mandolin Rain?

**John Flynn** · Feb-23-2005, 10:54pm

Originally Posted by

Isn't Hornsby's called Mandolin Rain?

Yep. "Mandolin Wind" is Rod Stewart, and I don't think that has a mandolin on it either.

**mandocrucian** · Feb-23-2005, 11:07pm

Originally Posted by

"Spanish Johnny," duet by Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings on Harris' "Evangeline" CD. I think there is actually a mandolin on the track, but it is not prominent and almost an afterthought.

Great track, written by Paul Siebel.

Re Mandolin - True (mandolin on cut); Untrue (not prominent).

The break played on "Spanish Johnny" was probably one of the best things, imo, that Ricky Skaggs ever played, but quite unlike any other stuff he's played, swingy (earlier period) or Monroe-ish. I've wondered if it might have been miscredited on the liner notes and was actually played by someone like Albert Lee, but the touch is a bit slicker than Albert's. Perhaps Emmylou told Ricky that she wanted something like an Albert Lee or James Burton guitar break, but on mandolin because of the tune title. I'd like to ask her about it if I ever had the opportunity, because there has to be something going on behind the scenes.

No, I'll revise my earlier statement and say that I think it was the best solo Skaggs ever played (that I've heard).

Niles Hokkanen

**hellindc** · Feb-24-2005, 12:29am

Guy Clark, "Picasso's Mandolin."

**Tim** · Feb-24-2005, 5:31am

From The Rankin Family's recording "The River"

When you cross that river
The rains will be your wine
The brambles your mandolins

**GVD** · Feb-24-2005, 7:54am

Originally Posted by

jflynnstl Posted

Yep. "Mandolin Wind" is Rod Stewart, and I don't think that has a mandolin on it either.

You're wrong about that tune as well, the mandolin is very prominent.

GVD

**John Flynn** · Feb-24-2005, 8:53am

Oh well, my memory isn't what it used to be back when, and I can't even even remember when that was!

**angrymandolinist** · Feb-24-2005, 9:42am

Spandau Ballet has a song simply titled "Mandolin." I've listened to it for a while, and I don't hear a mandolin in there. Could be mistaken though- there's a couple clean "guitar" breaks that sound a bit like mando chords.

"Oh mandolin, oh mandolin,
Waiting in the dark,
Centuries, oh centuries
Passed down upon your smooth Venetian skin...
As mandolin played, I cried for more."

**mandocrucian** · Feb-24-2005, 3:05pm

"Rueben and Cherise" CATS UNDER THE STARS - Jerry Garcia

NH
Yahoo Groups - RockMando

**mando bandage** · Feb-24-2005, 6:39pm

Originally Posted by

Quote
jflynnstl Posted

Yep. "Mandolin Wind" is Rod Stewart, and I don't think that has a mandolin on it either.

You're wrong about that tune as well, the mandolin is very prominent.

GVD

Seems to me I read somewhere some sad tale about the bloke who played the mandolin part being rewarded with a one time session check despite the money this song earned. Maybe he needed an agent.

R

**mandocrucian** · Feb-24-2005, 6:56pm

Ray Jackson of the band Lindisfarne play mandolin on Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story album. They were quite popular in the UK in the 70's (original lineup, first 3 albums) with a hit song ("Meet Me On The Corner") from their second album (Fog On The Tyne).

They never really had much success in the US, but I picked up the early albums as they came out.

Niles H

**OdnamNool** · Feb-25-2005, 3:44am

There is one by John Hyatt. I can't remember the title of the song, nor do I have a recording handy for listening... but the lyrics go something like, "I like my guitar, and I like mandolin..." As I recall, there is no mandolin in the song... But I could be wrong...

**plunkett5** · Feb-25-2005, 8:39am

Hey OdnamNool, Hiatt's song is Memphis in the Meantime. Great song.

Also Caty Ryan's "Ireland" has a line "with your mandolin...", but no mandolin, except when I play that tune!

**ira** · Feb-25-2005, 12:43pm

hey mandocrucian, beat me to the punch on reuben and cherise. when we named my son reuben, all of my deadhead friends simultaneously bought me cats under the stars on cd (i kept 2 and traded others for some other stuff- pete seegers kid's cd, etc...) pretty funny.
there is actually a great song by a guy named gerry tenny (bg, klezmer, etc...- a really fine picker from california) called "mandolin tears."
check it out at: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/14/music.php

there is also a really nice tune on the cafe mp3 section called "mandolin picker" i forget at present who did it, but its a beautiful tune.

lastly, yank r. did a song that i think is called "don't believe you love me no more" in which he sings " i;d walk from new york down to new orleans, if you would just come here me play the blues on this here mandoleeeeen."-classic!

**journeybear** · Nov-16-2011, 10:52am

Hate to bump old threads (no, not really, but I needed a cheap and easy intro) but I found this while googling, thanks to Scott and company for their wizardry regarding web searches. It ought to be fun to revisit this.

Originally Posted by John Flynn

Yep. "Mandolin Wind" is Rod Stewart, and I don't think that has a mandolin on it either.

Actually, it does, but that is beside the point, which is "mandolin" in the lyrics, regardless of whether it is on the recording. In fact, I would say for the purpose of this list, please do not submit songs which have mandolin on them unless the word appears in the lyrics. That is the criterion. For this list.

I hope the OP hasn't lost a lot of sleep over no one giving him the title of the Joni Mitchell song, but it is "Sharon," from "Hejira."

As much as this is a songwriter's category, I think it is best to continue with listing the performer, as that is how most of these songs are going to be known. For instance, more people are likely to be aware of "Wild Is The Wind" being done by David Bowie than that it was written by Tiomkin/Washington (the same pair who gave us the similarly overwrought "Do Not Forsake Me" from "High Noon"). ICYWW, this is how I landed here in the first place.

A nice touch would be if people would include a lyric snippet (but maybe not the whole song) when contributing a song that is probably not well known.

So the list so far, plus a couple more, arranged alphabetically by song title, is:

"Hobo's Mandolin" by Tom Rush
"I Don't Believe You Love Me No More" by Yank Rachell
"Ireland" by Caty Ryan
"Mandolin" by Spandau Ballet
"Mandolin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby
"Mandolin Tears" by Gerry Tenny
"Mandolin Wind" by Rod Stewart
"Memphis in the Meantime" by John Hiatt
"Picasso's Mandolin" by Guy Clark
"Reuben and Cherise" by Jerry Garcia
"The River" by The Rankin Family
"Sharon" by Joni Mitchell
"There Is Something So Feminine About A Mandolin" by Jimmy Buffett
"Wild Is The Wind" by David Bowie

**Mandotarian** · Nov-16-2011, 11:23am

Kane, Welch, Kaplin - I Wish I Had That Mandolin

Kieran Kane on OM. Audio isn't great on this version but still pretty cool song.

**journeybear** · Nov-16-2011, 11:24am

Huh! I had no idea Bowie was so fascinated by the mandolin. Here is a song he wrote which mentions it:

"Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" by David Bowie

Solemn faced, the village settles down undetected by the stars
And the hangman plays the mandolin before he goes to sleep
And the last thing on his mind is the Wild Eyed Boy imprisoned 'neath the covered wooden shaft

I am so disappointed that this is my first contribution (other than the two in the previous post), but that is truth in reporting for you.

Sometimes you find something while looking for something else, and what can you do ...

BTW, there ought to be a ton of these in the bluegrass lexicon, I just can't think of any at the moment (bluegrass is not my strong suit).

**Mandotarian** · Nov-16-2011, 11:35am

Another Guy Clark one I just remembered from the song Walkin' Man:

"Hand me down my walkin’ shoes
Hand me down my cane
Tune me up my mandolin
I’ll be on my way, hey sure does smell like rain"

**mrmando** · Nov-16-2011, 12:34pm

Nick Lucas - Lady Play Your Mandolin
Horace Heidt - The Man with the Mandolin
Cheap Trick's "Mandocello" was, I think, an excuse for Rick Nielsen to play his electric mandocello, but artists such as Concrete Blonde have covered it without necessarily having a mandocello on the track.

**Psyberbilly** · Nov-16-2011, 12:45pm

Originally Posted by John Flynn

One of the inspirations for my handle, "Mando Johnny." "Spanish Johnny," duet by Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings on Harris' "Evangeline" CD. I think there is actually a mandolin on the track, but it is not prominent and almost an afterthought.

For the hand so gentle to a child had killed so many men
He died a hard death long ago before the roads come in
And the night before he swung he sung to his mandolin

GREAT song ! Actually , the whole album is pretty darned good . And their are two mandolin leads ( Skaggs , I think) not long ones , but two short solos .And a couple of nice fills

**journeybear** · Nov-16-2011, 12:53pm

"The Mandolin Man And His Secret" by Donovan. "The Hurdy Gurdy Man" was a much bigger hit, but this is a very nice, quiet little song. Kind of my personal theme song.

**Psyberbilly** · Nov-16-2011, 1:07pm

" The Day the Mandolin Died " by The Red Dirt Rangers.

" The fiddle moaned , and the guitar broke time ,
And the grass turned the bluest the day the mandolin died "

**journeybear** · Nov-16-2011, 11:51pm

Great going! Nearly doubled the number of songs on the list in half a day.

The list so far:

"The Day the Mandolin Died" by The Red Dirt Rangers
"Hobo's Mandolin" by Tom Rush
"I Don't Believe You Love Me No More" by Yank Rachell
"Ireland" by Caty Ryan
"I Wish I Had That Mandolin" by Kane, Welch, and Kaplin
"Lady Play Your Mandolin" by Nick Lucas
"Mandocello" by Cheap Trick
"Mandolin" by Spandau Ballet
"The Mandolin Man And His Secret" by Donovan
"Mandolin Rain" by Bruce Hornsby
"Mandolin Tears" by Gerry Tenny
"Mandolin Wind" by Rod Stewart
"The Man With The Mandolin" by Horace Heidt
"Memphis In The Meantime" by John Hiatt
"Picasso's Mandolin" by Guy Clark
"Reuben and Cherise" by Jerry Garcia
"The River" by The Rankin Family
"Sharon" by Joni Mitchell
"Spanish Johnny" by Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings
"There Is Something So Feminine About A Mandolin" by Jimmy Buffett
"Walkin' Man" by Guy Clark
"Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" by David Bowie
"Wild Is The Wind" by David Bowie