Sunday, January 19, 2025

"The Family Tree Blues" - A Genealogist's Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence

I've used FREE Artificial Intelligence tools to create biographies, poems and songs about my ancestors lives, genealogy research, and family history in the recent past. Today, I want to share a poem and a song today about one of the challenges faced by all genealogists researching their family tree.

(image created by ChatGPT4)

I requested ChatGPT4, Grok, Gemini and Claude (all FREE AI tools) to create a poem and song lyrics about the family tree blues.

1)  Here is the Prompt information I used for the poem and the song lyrics:  Please create a poem for a sad genealogist trying to research his family tree on Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage, but hitting "brick walls" on some lines.

2)  I chose the poem created by Claude Sonnet 3.5 today.  Here are the stanzas:

 THE FAMILY TREE BLUES

Through digital pages I endlessly scroll, 
Each record a piece of my ancestral whole. 
Church registers, censuses, passenger lists— 
Yet so many branches remain in the mist.

Great-grandmother Sarah, where did you dwell 
Before Ellis Island cast its immigrant spell? 
Your maiden name changes with each document found, 
Your parents' names lost in time's turning round.

I chase every leaf that Ancestry shows, 
Follow each hint that MyHeritage knows. 
FamilySearch offers a glimmer of hope, 
Then leads to dead ends where I blindly grope.

DNA matches bloom like spring flowers, 
I message my cousins through endless hours. 
Some respond kindly with photos to share, 
While others stay silent, leaving questions in air.

Each breakthrough is sweet, like morning's first light, 
When parish records finally set something right, 
Or when cemetery stones, worn by rain, 
Reveal dates that break through a genealogy chain.

So I'll keep on searching through day into night, 
Building my tree to its uppermost height. 
For in every brick wall that blocks my view, 
There's a window waiting to let answers through.

3) Here are the AI created song and lyrics for "The Family Tree Blues" (with song lyrics created on ChatGPT4o used as custom lyrics on Suno.com), using a contemporary style in an upbeat tempo:

THE FAMILY TREE BLUES 

Verse 1
I’ve got a list of names and dates,
But the trail runs cold, and the mystery waits.
An old census line, a faded will,
Leaves me chasing shadows, searching still.

Verse 2
On Ancestry, I’ve scrolled for years,
Through dusty records and pioneer tears.
FamilySearch won’t show me the key,
MyHeritage whispers, “They’re lost to history.”

Chorus
Brick walls in my family tree,
Ancestors hiding their legacy.
I dig and I dream, I won’t let it be,
I’ll break through the walls in my family tree.

Verse 3
Great-great-grandpa, where’s your face?
You vanished without leaving a trace.
A parish book or a land deed's line,
Might help me claim what’s truly mine.

Verse 4
Sarah and Henry, I call your name,
In faded echoes, I feel your pain.
Your stories whisper, just out of reach,
Like waves retreating from the sandy beach.

Chorus
Brick walls in my family tree,
Ancestors hiding their legacy.
I dig and I dream, I won’t let it be,
I’ll break through the walls in my family tree.

Bridge
Every name’s a thread in the tapestry,
Every clue is a part of me.
Through tears and time, I’ll persevere,
For the voices of the past are calling clear.

Chorus (with variation)
Brick walls in my family tree,
But I’ll keep searching relentlessly.
I’ll piece the puzzle, they’ll speak to me,
And I’ll break through the walls in my family tree.

Outro
Brick walls crumble, stone by stone,
With every step, I’m not alone.
The roots run deep, the branches high,
And I’ll find them all, by and by.

The AI tools do this so much better than I could, and weaves the poem and song along a story theme that is true and heartfelt. Each tool provides a different poem and song from the same prompt --I love fishing in all of the AI streams!! Frankly, doing the poems and song are the most genealogy fun I have every week!

4)  These stories, told in verse and song, are part of my genealogy and family research.  My hope is that they will be passed down to my grandchildren and their descendants to highlight the importance of sharing stories, memories, admiration, and love of our ancestors. I will add them to my Google Drive and to my YouTube channel and my FOREVER account.

==============================================

My blog posts, and those of other genealogists, using Artificial Intelligence tools are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

Subscribe to receive a free daily email from Genea-Musings using www.Blogtrottr.com.

 

No comments: