Composer writes song – ‘The Family Farm in My Front Yard’

Photo of Jean Elliott Manning, writer/composer.

Jean Elliott Manning writes, “This song is the finale of an entire musical I’ve written about how an urban lawn becomes a Food Farm. It’s called Daisy and the Wonder Weeds.” The songwriter is looking for a producer.

The Farm in My Front Yard 

By J.E. Manning
Writer/composer
SOCAN 2009

Key of G major

Ever since I lost my job, I’m making other plans
Yes, I’m changing my direction,
Now I’m headed for the land
Time to get back to my roots; it shouldn’t be too hard
Walking out my own front door
to the farm in my front yard  

Refrain: Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         Plant a little seed then watch it grow,
         Eieieioh On the farm in my front yard

Ever since I got laid off, I’m coming down to earth
I’m digging up my driveway and that artificial turf
I’m making room for corn ‘n squash ‘n tender little peas
And a chicken coop for the chickens
and a beehive for the bees

Refrain: Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         Plant a little seed then watch it grow,
         Eieieioh On the farm down by the bus stop

The family in the white house,
Grows their garden on the lawn
We decided WE CAN TOO, now we all get up at dawn
When the rooster crows in the old garage
We turned into the barn… at 5 am every morning

Good news is, We’ve all slimmed down
Since the markets took a fall
And MOST days we’re so busy we don’t even miss the mall
Our tomatoes are the very best, we’ve got living proof 
Up there on the balcony and way up on the roof

(Break)

I confess we never dreamed we’d be farming here today
so much for that law degree and that fancy MBA
When we don’t know the answers, Grandma shows the way!
She teaches gardening workshops
(sliding scale, if you can pay)

Tonight we’re having collard greens and dandelion wine
Bring your friends ‘n your guitar,
we’ll have ourselves a time 
Wherever your own garden grows, however BIG or small
As long as we can share the seeds,
The farm will feed us all

Refrain: Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         Plant a little seed ‘n watch it grow,
         Eieieioh On the farm in my front yard

w/ the beets n carrots ‘n the black-eyed peas
And fish in the pond and the apple trees
The goats and the rabbits and the bumblebees
On the farm in my front yard
        
         Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         Plant a little seed ‘n watch it grow,
         Eieieioh On the farm in my front yard
         eiei, eiei eieei oh!

Listen to the song The Family Farm in My Front Yard here.

Also these two songs from the J.E. Manning’s musical Daisy and the Wonder Weeds

Weeds, sung by Dandelion, Nettle, Burdock, Clover, Thistle,  Crabgrass et al.

I’ll be Back sung by Crabgrass as he lay dying (after being sprayed with Roundup)

Farm in My Front Yard (for Grownups) – slightly different version

By J.E. Manning
Writer/composer
SOCAN 2009

Verse 1:

      G                          C
Ever since I lost my job, I’m making other plans
      G                   D
Changing my direction, Headed for the land
      G               G7            C            A
Time to get back to my roots; it shouldn’t be too hard
       A
Walking out my own front door
         D
to the farm in my front yard  

Refrain:
     C           G
Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         
   D                        G
Plant a little seed then watch it grow,
   C         G       C  G
 What is compost? I don’t know
          D             
 On the farm in my front yard

Verse 2, chords same as Verse One)

Ever since I got laid off, I’m coming down to earth
I’m digging up my driveway and that artificial turf
I’m making room for corn ‘n squash ‘n tender little peas
And a chicken coop for the chickens
and a beehive for the bees

Refrain: Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
         I hate to see my Hummer go
         But we can’t afford the gas and so               
         It’s a planter in the yard

(VERSE 3, same chords as verse 1)

The Home Association used to tell us we were wrong
Then their homes were repossessed
and they sold them for a song
If the family in the white house,
Grows their garden on the lawn
We decided we can too, Now we all get up at dawn (cockle doodle doo! )

VERSE 4:
       C                
Good news is, We’ve all lost weight
            F             C
Since the markets took a fall
    Em   
And MOST days we’re so tired
                        D
we don’t even miss the mall
       B                                       Em
Our tomatoes are the very best, we’ve got living proof
    C                                      D
Up there on the balcony and way up on the roof

(Musical Break) Chords of Verse One

VERSE 5 (Same as verse One)

I confess we never dreamed
we’d be farming here today
so much for that law degree and that fancy MBA
When we don’t know the answers,
Grandma shows the way!
She teaches gardening workshops
sliding scale, if you can pay

VERSE 6 (same as verse 4)
Tonight we’re having collard greens
and dandelion wine
Bring your friends ‘n your guitar,
we’ll have ourselves a time 
Wherever your own garden grows,
however BIG or small
If everybody shares the seeds,
The farm will feed us all

Refrain:
 Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
 Plant a little seed and watch it grow
 There’s one less thirsty lawn to mow
 On the farm in my front yard
 
w/ the beets n carrots ‘n the black-eyed peas
And fish in the pond and the apple trees
My aching back and my aching knees
On the farm in my front yard
     
      Diggy diggy don, do-si-do
      Pick it fresh, and cook it slow
      Then tell that rooster where to go
               D              F   G
      On the farm in my front yard

Listen to the song The Family Farm in My Front Yard (Grownup version) here.

Contact:
Jean Elliott Manning
(514) 483-5205
Montreal, Quebec
Email: jeanelliott514@gmail.com

Jean Elliott’s songs have been heard around the world on FILM, TV and in musical THEATRE. She has written for Cinar: ( The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Wimzie, Babalous) and Productions La Fete: (Le Pont Suspendu, Regina.). Jean Elliott is the co-writer of the music and lyrics (with Libert Subirana) of Hugo and the Dragon, 2002 winner of Bamff International TV Festival.

Most recently, a short film of her song, Here Comes a Miracle, sung by Jann Arden, animated by Theo Zukev, Vaklyrie Films, has won international prizes in the Czech Republic (Best Video, Anifest 2004, Trebon, Czech Republic) and Seoul, Korea.

Trained at the Lehman Engle Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles, Jean Elliott is bi-lingual in French and English. Now in development for a new musical with Valkyrie Films in Montreal, her memorable melodies and inspired lyrics make her the perfect collaborator for any film or TV project.

See her website here.

Also see:

Here Comes A Miracle

Video and music
Jean Elliott Manning, Songwriter
Jann Arden, Vocals

Description: In the year 2020, the sprawling City of Megapolis is a tangle of freeways, off-ramps, and traffic jams. Over the traffic and the noise, the mysterious Voice proclaims a Brand New Spring when a daisy and a weed fall in love.

Link to music video here.