Hearing an oldie on the radio will sometimes trigger memories of when I first heard that song. Or the piece might evoke emotions from the past— some sweet, some sad; some of promising young love, some of life’s toll on relationships.
Forgive me if I take a stroll down my musical memory lane. Perhaps they’ll prompt you to reflect upon your own musical journey.
I remember my Dad, who had a good voice, singing “Home on the Range” to me when he tucked me into bed. My mother couldn’t sing a lick, but she loved it when I sang her the lyrics of a song learned at Boy Scout camp: “Be kind to your web-footed friends ‘cause a duck may be somebody’s mother.” She didn’t, however, love it when Frank Sinatra sang, “When somebody loves you, it’s no good unless they love you all the way.”
Who can forget “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis or “That’ll Be the Day” by Buddy Holly and the Crickets” or, later, the classic “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” by Simon and Garfunkel.
At my high school graduation, our choir sang, “When you walk through a storm, keep your head up high and you’ll never walk alone. Then on to the Bowdoin Glee Club and belting out the triumphant “Glorious Apollo” at Town Hall in New York City or Bowdoin songs such as the now outdated, “Rise Sons of Bowdoin.”
Bowdoin was also the site of some raucous ditties, such as “Lately I’ve Had Trouble Making Mary, Wow” and others too risqué to mention. And then there were those dreamy love songs, which got our hearts racing during fraternity parties: “Love Me Tender,” “Chances Are” and “Twelfth of Never.” And more raucous numbers, such as “The Twist,’ which allowed anyone, no matter how awkward, to throw ridiculous moves and get away with it.
I remember the Beatles New York tour in 1964 and being aghast, along with my clean-cut fraternity brothers, at the unruly locks of this British foursome. The whole country was brought to its senses with protest classics, such as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “We Shall Overcome.”
I recall living in New York City in the late 1960s and my mother treating me to “Man of La Mancha” with its memorable numbers, such as “The Impossible Dream” and the poignant “Dulcinea.”
I thrilled to the wonderful lyrics and music showcased at the long-running off-Broadway hit, “The Fantastics,” such as “Try to Remember” and “Soon it’s Gonna Rain.” In bemoaning the unpredictable course of young love, the father of one of the young lovers sings, “Plant a cabbage get a cabbage not a Brussels sprout; that’s why I like vegetables, you know what they’re about.” Brilliant!
I first heard the memorable “Send in the Clowns,” still one of my favorites, while doing background research for tiny Grove City College in Pennsylvania.
Barbra Streisand’s pitch-perfect renditions of “Memories” and “People” and, teaming with Neil Diamond, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” always move me. So does “Amazing Grace.” And “Edelweiss.”
Tina and I claim, “You Needed Me,” by the Canadian singer Anne Murray and “The Rose” by Bette Midler as “our” songs. We’re also devoted fans of Maine State Music Theatre, which has brought so much joy to mid-coast Maine audiences over so many years. In fact, Tina is one of the few people who can rightly claim that she’s seen at least one show at MSMT every year since its founding in 1959.
People of my age often claim that “They don’t make music like they used to.” Every generation probably makes that same claim. Whatever the case, thank God for music and for musical memories.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.
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