Digital Download
23633659
The Ballad Of Blind Tom
23633659
23633659
23633659
Details
String Quartet Cello, Viola, Violin - Level 5 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1809592
By Elton John. By Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Arranged by Marc Donatelle. This edition: pdf, streaming. 21st Century, Historic, Pop, Rock, Singer/Songwriter. 21 pages. Marc Donatelle #1369762. Published by Marc Donatelle (A0.1809592).Thomas (“Blind Tom”) Wiggins was born in 1849 into a slave family, blind at birth, and from written accounts likely autistic. At a very early age he could accurately imitate natural sounds like bird songs and rooster crows with his voice.
By age 4 he could play back music he heard once and by age 5 he composed his first tune, "The Rainstorm" after a hearing an afternoon storm roll in.
As a child Tom toured across the United States and Europe and was the first African American to perform at the Whitehouse for Abraham Lincoln.
Elton John wrote this Ballad to Blind Tom in 2013. The lyrics tell Tom’s story:
Verse 1
Say that boy's a wonderment
No! The kid's a freak
But that kid he don't care none
His black hands resting on the keys
Hoppin' like a big old frog
And hissin' like a train
Entertaining royalty
All points east, west and in-between
Chorus
Play me anything you like
I'll pay it back to you
Be careful what you call me though
Some things cut clear on through
I may be an idiot
I may be a savant
I didn't choose this life for me
But it's something that I want
He inserts a piano refrain in between verses to honor its single importance to Blind Tom.
I also added quotes in this refrain from Blind Tom’s compositions:
March timpani- composed at 31 years old
Oliver Galop- composed at 10 years old
The Rainstorm- composed at 5 years old.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.
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