the Obvious Child
'The Obvious Child' is the first track on Paul Simon's 'Rhythm of the Saints' album.
Samba-Reggae band Olodum are the percussion players, filmed here in Pelourinho in Salvador, Bahia
NB After the entradas, the samba-reggae playing is the same as for the generic Samba-reggae
Audio Clips >
Here's the new structure from the Samba Ottawa session 18th March 2012: | |
Here's our new beginning December 2012: | |
Most of The Obvious Child(MP3 2.7MB) from a Samba Ottawa practice session - omits introduction and first couple of verses. | |
And some clips from the recorded version |
|
The rep. Entrada and the rest coming in | |
Decrescendo - for the quiet bit | |
The rep. call and response |
The original track by Paul Simon - warning 9.7MB file size.
Videos >
Here's us doing The Obvious Child at a gig - and omitting the introduction:
The original Paul Simon video:
It's easier to see & hear some of the horn stuff on live performances. Here's a live version in Roskilde, Denmark:
Olodum playing The Obvious Child
Patterns >
start - assertive
count |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
S:Terceira |
o |
o |
o |
o |
o |
o |
o |
o |
Main patterns
count |
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2 |
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4 |
2 |
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7 |
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8 |
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Caixas |
X |
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X |
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X |
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X |
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X |
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X |
x |
x |
X |
X |
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X |
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X |
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x |
Clavés (Bossa Nova clavé) |
X |
e |
& |
X |
2 |
e |
X |
r |
3 |
e |
X |
r |
4 |
X |
& |
r |
X |
e |
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X |
6 |
e |
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r |
7 |
e |
X |
r |
8 |
X |
& |
r |
S:Terceira |
o |
e |
& |
r |
2 |
e |
o |
r |
3 |
e |
& |
r |
o |
o |
o |
o |
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6 |
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7 |
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o |
o |
o |
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S:Segunda |
o |
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2 |
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o |
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4 |
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6 |
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8 |
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S:Primeira |
1 |
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3 |
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5 |
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7 |
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Other Patterns >
Main patterns
count |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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2 |
3 |
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2 |
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6 |
2 |
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7 |
2 |
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8 |
2 |
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Caixas |
1 |
e |
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r |
2 |
e |
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r |
3 |
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r |
4 |
e |
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r |
X |
x |
x |
X |
x |
x |
X |
X |
x |
x |
X |
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x |
X |
x |
x |
Clavés (Bossa Nova clavé) |
1 |
e |
& |
r |
2 |
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3 |
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4 |
e |
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X |
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6 |
e |
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7 |
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8 |
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S:Terceira |
1 |
e |
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r |
2 |
e |
& |
r |
o |
o |
o |
o |
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o |
o |
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6 |
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7 |
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S:Segunda |
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S:Primeira |
1 |
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3 |
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7 |
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count |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
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8 |
2 |
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4 |
Caixas |
X |
x |
x |
X |
x |
x |
X |
X |
x |
x |
X |
x |
x |
X |
x |
x |
X |
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X |
x |
x |
X |
X |
x |
x |
X |
x |
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X |
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x |
Clavés (Bossa Nova clavé) |
X |
e |
& |
X |
2 |
e |
X |
r |
3 |
e |
X |
r |
4 |
X |
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r |
X |
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& |
X |
6 |
e |
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r |
7 |
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X |
r |
8 |
X |
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r |
S:Terceira |
o |
e |
& |
r |
2 |
e |
o |
r |
3 |
e |
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r |
o |
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o |
o |
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r |
6 |
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r |
7 |
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r |
o |
o |
o |
o |
S:Segunda |
o |
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& |
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2 |
e |
& |
r |
o |
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& |
r |
4 |
e |
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r |
o |
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& |
r |
6 |
e |
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r |
o |
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& |
r |
8 |
e |
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r |
S:Primeira |
1 |
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& |
r |
o |
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& |
r |
o |
o |
o |
o |
o |
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& |
r |
5 |
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r |
o |
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& |
r |
7 |
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r |
o |
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r |
Samba Ottawa Arrangement >
Here's Samba Ottawa playing the new structure on 18th March 2012:
Words and Structure >
(Start: singing only)
I'm accustomed to a smooth rideOr maybe I'm a dog who's lost its bite (Caixa’s counted in)
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
I don't expect to sleep through the night
Some people say a lie's a lie's a lie
But I say why
Why deny the obvious child?
Why deny the obvious child?
(Tercera surdo counted in. Tercera comes in followed by rest of the surdos, the
shakers, and the claves)
And in remembering a road sign
I am remembering a girl when I was young
And we said These songs are true
These days are ours
These tears are free
And hey
The cross is in the ballpark
The cross is in the ballpark
We had a lot of fun
We had a lot of money
We had a little son and we thought we'd call him Sonny
Sonny gets married and moves away
Sonny has a baby and bills to pay
Sonny gets sunnier
Day by day by day by day
I've been waking up at sunrise
I've been following the light across my room
I watch the night receive the room of my day
Some people say the sky is just the sky
But I say
Why deny the obvious child?
Why deny the obvious child?
(Decrescendo – get softer)
Sonny sits by his window and thinks to himself
How it's strange that some rooms are like cages
Sonny's yearbook from high school
Is down from the shelf
And he idly thumbs through the pages
Some have died
Some have fled from themselves
Or struggled from here to get there
Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls
Runs his hand through his thinning brown hair
(Crescendo – get louder again)
Well I'm accustomed to a smoother ride
Maybe I'm a dog that's lost his bite
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
I don't expect to sleep the night
Some people say a lie is just a lie
But I say the cross is in the ballpark
Why deny the obvious child?
(Repenique plays call and response pattern, Terceira plays pick up and
rest of band joins in until whistle to signal end )
PDF version - can be printed >
Music >
verse 1 G |G | | Well, I'm accustomed to a | G |G D | smooth ride | Or maybe I'm a | G D |G D G | dog who's lost its |bite I don't expect to be | C |F C | treated like a fool no |more I don't ex | G D |D C | pect to sleep through the|night Some people say a | G D |G D G | lie's a lie's a |lie But I say | C |F C | why Why deny the |obvious child? | why Why deny the |obvious child? | verse 2 G |G D | |And in re membering a | G C | G D C | road sign | I am re membering a | G D |G | girl when I was |young | C |F C | | And we | G D |G D | said These songs are |true, These days are | G D |G D G | ours, These tears are |free, And hey | C |F C | The cross is in the|ballpark | The cross is in the|ballpark | Bridge G |G | | We| G |G | had a lot of fun | had a lot of money | G D C |C | | We | G |G | had a little son and we thought we'd call him Sonny | G D C |C | C D |G | Sonny gets married and |moves away | Sonny has a baby and |bills to pay | Sonny gets sunnier |Day by day by | By day by day by day by |day | G |G | G |G | Doh, doh, doh, doh (filler: ad lib) verse 3 G |G D C | Well I've been waking up at | G |G D | sunrise | I've been following the | G D |G D G | light across my |room I watch the | C |F C | night receive the |room of my | G D |G D C | day | Some people say the| G D |G D G | sky is just the |sky, but I say | C |F C | why Why deny the |obvious child? | why Why deny the |obvious child? | middle 32 ? G | C/G | G | etc Mm--------- C (D) (D) |G C G | D |C | Sonny |sits by his | window and | thinks to himself | How it's |strange that some | rooms are like |cages | Sonny's |year- book from | high school Is|down from the shelf | D C G |D | And he id- ly |thumbs through the | C |C | pages | | C Em |Am | Some have |died | Am |G | Some have |fled from themselves Or | C G D |G D G | strug- gled from |here to get | D |C G C | there Sonny |wan- ders be | D |C | yond his in- |terior | C |G C G | walls Runs his |hand through his | D |C | thinning brown | hair | verse 4 G | Well, I'm accustomed to a G |G D | smooth ride |Or maybe I'm a | G D |G D G | dog who's lost its |bite I don't expect to be | C |F C | treated like a fool no |more I don't ex | G D |D C | pect to sleep through the|night Some people say a | G D |G D G | lie's a lie's a |lie But I say | C |F C | The cross is in the |ballpark | C |F C | why Why deny the |obvious child? | outro repeat “Ooh”... G |G D | G |G D C | C |C G | D |D C |
Here's a JPG (1MB) of a first draft horn section arrangement: