Songs In My Life

Just as Kino has songs in his life, I have many songs in my life. Because I am more than 3 times as old as each of you (yikes!), selecting just a few to write about was very difficult. I quickly filled up my brainstorming sheet, and as I listened to some of your ideas and songs I found myself constantly changing my list. The truth is that most of my significant moments could be tied to music -either because there is a specific song I associate with the event, or that there is a song that evokes the feelings associated with a particular event or time period. In any case, I decided that I would share my Songs of Childhood, and Songs of Happiness.

One of my favorite songs as a small child was "Old MacDonald".

I loved singing all the silly animal noises, just as I loved petting and feeding the farm animals at Broadacres , where I went to pre-school. I also have fond memories of teaching this song to my boys, even though I can not really sing. Does making animal noises even count as singing?

Speaking of singing, by the time I had my own children, I knew that I had no talent for singing, or playing music, (that is another story) but that did not stop me from loving music and singing to my babies in the quiet of the night. There is nothing particularly remarkable about a mother singing to her baby because this has been done for centuries. What is unusual is that when I sang to my babies, instead of a traditional lullaby, I sang a Christmas carol. I always sang “Silent Night”.“. To me, this is the most beautiful song ever. Here are the lyrics.

SILENT NIGHT
WRITERS JOSEPH MOHR. FRANZ GRUBER

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/c/carly_simon/silent_night.html accessed 1/14/08

This song brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I hear it. There is something about the phrases, “All is calm All is peaceful” and “Sleep in heavenly peace” that just seem to perfectly convey the exact feelings I wanted to share with my babies in the middle of the night. Holding my own baby made me so much more aware of what a precious gift Mary shared with us all. Of course my singing was off key, but it was always most heartfelt and usually sung to the rhythm of my rocking chair. “Silent Night” is much more than a Christmas carol to me. It makes me think of the quiet, peaceful moments in the middle of the night that I shared with my babies.

Now, if I did sing a lullaby it was always “Hush Little Baby, Don’t You Cry”. Of course I always sang “Mama” instead of “Papa”. I do not know why that is the one I sang- perhaps because I didn’t really have to learn the lyrics, but could for the most part make them up as I saw fit. I usually remembered the mockingbird and diamond ring, but after that it was whatever I was looking at in the nursery; trucks, books, diapers, whatever would fit in. If I couldn’t think of anything , I would just start all over. “Old MacDonald” and “Hush, Little Baby” are two of my Songs of Childhood.

One of my Songs of Happiness is “Sugar Magnolia” by the Grateful Dead. I just love the sound of this song. I am sure there are proper music terms I could use to describe what I like-perhaps words like melody, rhythm, etc. , but I admit that I am totally ignorant of them. I simply like the song. I particularly like the phrases “sunshine daydream” and “ A breeze in the pines and the sun and bright moonlight, lazing in the sunshine”. I grew up in California and love sunshine, but the song does more than remind me of many leisurely days spent in sunshine. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the little things. like breezes , moonlight, and people’s smiles. The videos I found on YouTube were live performances and did not have very good sound and a video with good sound but an animated story that just doesn’t fit what I think of when I hear the song. So, instead I have put the lyrics here .

Sugar magnolia, blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don’t care,
Saw my baby down by the river, knew she’d have to come up soon for air.

Sweet blossom come on, under the willow, we can have high times if you’ll abide
We can discover the wonders of nature, rolling in the rushes down by the riverside.

She’s got everything delightful, she’s got everything I need,
Takes the wheel when I’m seeing double, pays my ticket when I speed

She comes skimmin’ through rays of violet, she can wade in a drop of dew,
She don’t come and I don’t follow, waits backstage while I sing to you.

Well, she can dance a cajun rhythm, jump like a willys in four wheel drive.
She’s a summer love for spring, fall and winter. she can make happy any man alive.

Sugar magnolia, ringing that bluebell, caught up in sunlight, come on out singing
Ill walk you in the sunshine, come on honey, come along with me.

She’s got everything delightful, she’s got everything I need,
A breeze in the pines and the sun and bright moonlight, lazing in the sunshine yes
Indeed.

Sometimes when the cuckoos crying, when the moon is half way down,
Sometimes when the night is dying, I take me out and I wander around, I wander
Round.

Sunshine, daydream, walking in the tall trees, going where the wind goes
Blooming like a red rose, breathing more freely,
Ride our singin’, I’ll walk you in the morning sunshine
Sunshine, daydream. Sunshine, daydream. Walking in the sunshine.

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/grateful_dead/sugar_magnolia.html accessed 1/14/08

Many of my other Songs of Happiness trace back to my high school and college years . Almost all Rolling Stones” and The Who songs bring back a vivid memory of high school for me. American Pie” is a song from my college years.
This is the song that my sorority sang all the time. We had to memorize it as pledges and then we sang it during every party. I don’t know why we sang it, but it was a lot of fun belting out the lyrics. When I found the video, I particularly liked how the images reflected the lyrics. As I watched it, it reminded me of many events that we will be reading about when we read Rocket Boys and the video made me think that creating something similar might be a great assignment. If you had to pick images and music to reflect Steinbeck’s The Pearl what would you choose? What would you choose for a video about your eighth grade experience?

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One Response to “Songs In My Life”

Sarahsmiles
January 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Thank you for such a terrific lesson. I teach fantastic kids at Cary Academy in NC and I have a poetry unit I absolutely love sharing. Your ideas fit in beautifully and will add excellent opportunities for blogging, videos, using lyrics, … My kids are ‘gonna love this!’ Thank you! Sarah