Transcriber: Anna Canatan Reviewer: David DeRuwe
(Ukelele music)
(Singing)
One sunny day in May, I took a walk downtown,
and who did I meet on the square?
An ukulele lady from Tennessee,
strumming along without a care.
She sang about a bee chasing a firefly, and the bee was so in love.
Well, the crowd they laughed and smiled with her
showing the rows of Tennessee River pearls.
Tennessee ukulele,
Tennessee Ukulele Lady.
Go if you hear she’s playing anywhere,
you better run like a Volunteer!
Tennessee ukulele,
Tennessee Ukulele Lady.
You’ll never find another like this ukulele strummer
in the whole ukesphere!
Come on, now!
Show me how you clap your hands.
(Thumps)
That’s right. Show me how you clap your hands.
(Thumps and claps)
Show me how you stomp your feet.
(Thumps)
Show me how you stomp your feet.
(Thumps)
Now, show me how you rock your head. Rock, rock, rock!
Show me how you rock your head. Rock, rock, rock!
Show me how you do your dance. Dance, dance, dance!
Go and grab your brother. Don’t forget your neighbor.
We’re gonna have a real good time.
Put your hands together. Shake your tail feather.
Ukulele makes the whole world smile.
Tennessee, you say - ukulele.
Tennessee Ukulele Lady
Go if you hear she’s playing anywhere,
you better run like a Volunteer.
Tennessee, you say - ukulele.
Tennessee Ukulele Lady.
You’ll never find another like this ukulele strummer
You’ll never find another like this ukulele strummer.
You’ll never find another. You’ll never find another.
You’ll never find another
in the whole Ukesphere!
(Applause)
(Ukelele and singing ends)
(Applause)
Hey everybody, I’m Kelle Jolly,
the Tennessee Ukelele Lady,
and I believe that life gives me the blues.
Yeah!
You know, some people feel like the blues is sad,
and other people feel like the blues is for dancing,
but I believe that the blues is all of those things.
The blues, to me, is the truth,
and the more I learn about my life, the world, and the music,
I feel like the blues is the music that helps me tell the story of my life.
I’ve learned about African-American songwriters like Leola Manning,
Ida Cox, and Bessie Smith
who used the blues to document what was going on in their lives.
Well, I've discovered that I can do the same thing for my life, too.
I can use blues music to tell my story,
to take snapshots of what’s going on in my life, just like a photograph.
It helps me tell the story of “who am I.”
(Singing and playing ukelele)
Who am I?
Someone that you pass on the street.
What you do?
You pretend you don’t even see my smile, my color.
You don’t even wonder. How about the person inside?
Between the lines, there’s a lesson in the story that I’ve told you.
What’s the past?
Yesterday has taught us so well.
What’s ahead?
Only time will tell.
Will we grow together, getting stronger and better?
This time we'll get it right.
Between the lines, there’s a lesson in the story that I’ve told you.
Sometimes it makes you want to fly.
Sometimes you laugh until you cry.
But I’ve got to tell you the truth,
life gives me the blues.
I said, sometimes it makes you want to fly.
Sometimes you laugh until you cry.
But I’ve got to tell you the truth,
life gives me the blues.
Life gives me the blues.
(Singing and ukelele ends)
I’m Kelly Jolly, the Tennessee Ukulele Lady.
(Applause)
Thank you!
(Applause)