DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device.
Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher.
Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more.
|
Mike Moss |

Posted by Mike Moss, written by Oley Speaks
[download]
- Play count: 72
Size: 5,962kb, uploaded 4/24/2013 8:44:53 AM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen
The banjo is featured in several of Rudyard Kipling's poems, including this one from the Barrack-Room Ballads: Mandalay. This one was famously made into a song by Oley Speaks which only included three verses. My "sing-along" arrangement only includes the first and last, but as you can see in the attached sheet music, it is quite possible to sing the entire poem simply by repeating the entire song with the first ending before finishing with the final flourish. Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem after returning from Rangoon to England; on the way, his steamer made a stop at Moulmein (nowadays called Mawlamyine), where he was struck by the beauty of the Burmese women. The poem is a tale of longing of a soldier who wishes to return to a simpler, healthier life and to the girl he left behind in Burma. Note that, in the poem, the girl plays the banjo -- what more can a man ask for? You can download the sheet music for my arrangement here: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?6ie362q72kbdevs This style of playing is known as Classic fingerstyle banjo. For more information visit: http://classic-banjo.ning.com/
Be the first to comment on “On the Road to Mandalay”
You must sign into your myHangout account before you can post comments.
Copyright Notice:
You are allowed to post recordings of yourself performing:
- public-domain (non-copyrighted) songs
- original songs written by yourself
- songs written by someone else and licensed through ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC
Anything posted in violation of this notice may be removed by the webmaster without prior notice, and may result in your myHangout account being locked. Read complete copyright policy.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent (EU/GDPR Only)
Copyright 2026 Banjo Hangout. All Rights Reserved.