This is a swing tune lead sheet with lyrics, chord symbols, and guitar fret boards, for a jazz or swing group, large or small, with
a singer and solo instrument. It serves as the foundation for many possible
arrangements and improvisations.
The audio sample is an iReal jazz swing accompaniment combined with my melody from Finale PrintMusic. You'll hear a singer and a trumpet alternating on the melody line.
This song was inspired by a dear friend of my wife and me, Deborah (DeDe) Anderson. For example, she brought us a delicious chicken stew when we were down sick. As a result, the lyrics carry an appealing message related to well-being -- both physical and spiritual. It draws a clever comparison of the benefits of nutritious food to the value of true friendship. "Chicken Stew" serves as an apt metaphor.
Composer's Notes:
Chicken Stew has several themes, like many classic rags -- in this case, four themes in all -- A, B, C, and D,
each of length 8 bars. There is also a 4-bar introduction and a 4-bar
ending. Themes A and B appear twice. The order of performance in the lead sheet is: Intro,
A, B, C, A, D, B, End. Lyrics appear in the first appearance of theme A, in theme C, and in the second appearance of theme
A.
This structure, while a little more complex than many standard swing tunes, flows nicely and covers only 56 bars in about 2 minutes, at 120 quarter notes per minute.
Here are the lyrics to Chicken Stew:
Well, you can chew down a lot of corn chips,
And cake and mac and cheese taste good, we all know it's true.
But if you frown at what goes through your lips,
Then your body you would please with chicken stew!
The people that you meet at a bar on lonely evenings
May smile and tell jokes and even flatter you.
But when you are beat, or lost all your earnings,
You need a friend who's true.
So consider what's good for your health,
Not just the physical, but what your inner self needs!
Do what you know that you should - for genuine wealth,
You may follow where your better light leads!
To be a friend who's true, give chicken stew! Yeah!