Tag: lyrics

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Loving all the things you are

I’ve no idea why, but I found myself getting unexpectedly emotional off and on throughout the day.

It started when I woke up from a dream with a melody playing in my mind. No, not an original melody of my own(!), but the beautiful jazz standard, “All the Things You Are.”

Of course, I had to look it up and learned it was from a 1939 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein musical that I’d never heard of before, titled Very Warm for May.

Well! Over two hours and many renditions later, I finally have a version of this beautiful song to share in today’s blog. But I must confess that it was quite the rabbit hole I went down.

First of all, I wanted a version that included the intro. I also wanted to hear expressivity on the part of the singer, as if they actually were feeling what they were singing about.

It was fascinating hearing so many different approaches, by so many different types of singers from different eras — jazz, Broadway, crooners, pop, you name it!

But what I found extremely disappointing was the number of times when I was sure I had found the perfect version — with the intro; a beautiful voice; sensitively sung — only to have the singer suddenly shift into overdrive as they neared the end, then ending the song with a huge crescendo to a jarring high note that they held out forever…basically just to show off.

Oohhh…I get so irritated because to me that’s disrespecting the essence of the song. Only my opinion, of course. But I believe Kern and Hammerstein really tapped into something. That there’s something about the combination of the uplifting, soaring melody and the evocative, tender, hopeful lyrics that can touch us on a very deep level. In fact, I think it calls to the part of us that yearns for the divine adventure and a divine love.

And now that I’m done with my rant, I hope you find the song as beautiful as I do.

All the Things You Are
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure
Something to make my heart beat the faster
What did I long for, I never really knew.
Finding your love, I found my adventure,
Touching your hand my heart beat the faster
All that I want in all of this world is you.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights the star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Someday my happy arms will hold you,
And someday I’ll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine.

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From Sunday music to Don McLean

Our ensemble had a really fun rehearsal before Sunday service yesterday. You know everyone’s enjoying themselves when the rehearsal ends but instead of leaving the dais they stand around chatting.

I finally had to remind the singers that the Sunday service set-up crew was patiently waiting to prepare for the purification ceremony. As I did so, I found myself vaguely remembering some song lyrics about a marching band refusing to yield the field.

I realized the words were from the song, “American Pie” (“Cause the players tried to take the field, The marching band refused to yield”), but when I mentioned it to a few friends (explaining the correlation of the ensemble refusing to yield the dais to the service team) none of them remembered it.

So, of course, I had to go home and look up the lyrics, and in the course of doing so I tuned into the fact that it’s been over fifty years since “American Pie” became a hit.

I also learned that Don McLean sold the original manuscript of the song lyrics for $1.2 million back in 2015. Amazing!

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Dr. Seuss memories

So, I was going to write about laundry, because that’s all I’ve been doing this evening.

In fact, I had made up a laundry song. The lyrics started out like this: “Laundry, laundry, I love laundry…”

But I realized I was singing it to the tune of a song from the Dr. Seuss songbook that I used to check out of the library when I was in elementary school. And, of course, it doesn’t make sense to share a song with a melody that no knows.

So, I went searching for what I remembered as the “Hungry, hungry, I am hungry” song, and I’m so tickled to have found it that I have to share both song and lyrics with you all.

Bottom line? I love Dr. Seuss just as much today as when I was a child!

The Super-Supper March Lyrics
Hungry, hungry I am hungry
Table, table here I come
I could eat a goose-moose burger
Fifteen pickles and a purple plum

I could eat three bowls of goulash
Half a pound of wuzzled wheat
I could eat a peck of poobers
Then I’d really get to work and eat

Oysters, noodles, strawberry stroodles
French fries, fish hash, one red beet
Lamb chops, wham chops
Huckleberry mish mash
Oh, the things that I could eat

Doughnuts, dump-a-lings
Blueberry bump-a-lings
Chocolate mush-mush, super sweet
Clam stew, ham stew,
Watermelon wush wush
Oh, the stuff that I could eat

Deep dish rhubarb, upside-down cake
I could eat a frittered flum
Hungry, hungry, I am starving
Table, table, table here I come

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Many million years ago

Sometimes I remember a song from childhood really, really well, except for maybe a word or two.

It can be frustrating because, growing up as I did before the internet or anything digital, it’s not always easy to find information about old books and/or songs online.

Which brings me to this particular song which has been going round in my brain for several days. The lyrics go something like this:

Many million years ago, when dinosaurs were,
All the mattresses that people had the floors were.

Many million years ago, hey donnie day down,
Children never went to bed they simply lay down.

I absolutely loved this song as a child. For one thing, it has a lovely melody (sorry I can’t easily demonstrate it for you), but I also appreciated the tongue in cheek quirkiness of it.

However, I’m not entirely sure about the “hey donnie day down” part, so a while back I started trying to find it online to see if I had it right or not. The problem is that I remembered the Maurice Sendak illustrations and searched for a “Where the Wild Things Are” songbook, obviously with no success.

Something brought it to my mind again the other day, so I did some more searching and — lo and behold — I found it! It was a songbook of lullabies and night songs, illustrated by Sendak, but with music by Alec Wilder.

Now I can’t wait for it to arrive, so I can play it again on the piano while singing along — knowing I have the correct lyrics!

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“Now I sing: In Thy love I am free!”

This video of “I Wander With Thee” is from almost ten years ago; amazing how far video quality has come in that time!

Today I once again experienced the truth that if I’m stumbling over the lyrics to a song, it’s because I haven’t gone deep enough in understanding what I’m singing.

The opening song for today’s service was “I Wander With Thee,” one of Swami Kriyananda’s St. Francis songs. It’s a perky tune, sung in unison, and I think it’s often relegated to the category of “easy, simple, doesn’t have a lot to it.”

But it actually has a powerful message, which I was glad to finally tune into!

This is the introduction to the song written by Swamiji:
“In the spirit of St. Francis
Let us roam the earth
Spreading God’s joy everywhere,
And inflaming hearts with divine love.”

And here are the lyrics:
Father, now that I wander with Thee,
Flow’rs and fields are alive with Thy joy!
All that I owned to Thee I’ve given,
Now I sing: In Thy love I am free!

Father now that I dance in Thy name,
Birds and animals share in my song!
All my sorrows, all my merriment,
Join in music to set hearts aflame!

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In speechless wonder

We performed “Well Done, Lord!” for Sunday service today. It had been a long, long time since we last sang it (not sure why, because it’s one of our favorites).

Seeing as how it’s a rather wordy and poetic song, I was a little worried about remembering all the lyrics. But going over them mentally before service began, I was pleased to discover (yet again!) my tried-and-true secret for remembering words: go deeper into the meaning!

I’ve sung this song hundreds of times over the past twenty years, but today for the first time I really felt the laughter of the mountains as the gypsy clouds sailed by; I could imagine the fields of wheat or wildflowers smiling up at the sun while embracing the morning warmth; and I understood the elation of the trees…every true heart in creation in speechless wonder is bowed.

And once again I bow at Swamiji’s feet in gratitude for the amazing gift of this music.

Well Done, Lord!
In India there lived by the banks of a stream
A hermit whose prayers chose applause for their theme.
He gazed at the flowers, and he smiled at the sun,
Then he clapped with delight: “Lord,” he cried, “Oh, well done!”

Well done, Lord! Oh, very well done!
The mountains that laugh with the gypsy clouds!
The fields smile to welcome the sun;
All nature sings praises aloud.
The trees dance to show their elation:
A day on God’s earth has begun;
And every true heart in creation
In speechless wonder is bowed.

Well done, Lord! Oh, very well done!
The joy that You’ve planted in children’s hearts!
The thrill known in bearing a son;
The hope when a trial departs.
The gladness of men in their neighbors,
Of youth, in its victories won!
Our joys are the proof of Your labors:
How wonderful, Lord, are Your arts.

Well done, Lord! Oh, very well done!
At last I’ve discovered the mystic key:
The world’s joy, O Secretive One!
Replies to Your sweetness in me.
For here in my heart lies the answer:
Your love shedding light like the sun!
All life seems to leap like a dancer,
When, gazing, I see only Thee!

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Filled to the brim

We spent the evening with yet another amazing group of Living Disciples…singing and laughing and going deep into a number of our children’s songs (all composed by Swami Kriyananda).

Just for fun I’m listing my favorite two lines from each song that we sang. It’s a fairly random selection of phrases from a variety of simple children’s songs and yet…these simple lyrics are filled to the brim with enough wisdom and truth to last a lifetime!

Sing in the meadows and ev’rywhere:
Sing out a blessing to ev’ryone!

All the world is my friend
When I learn how to share my love…

Teach me all my friends to bless,
Hold them in Thy light.

Move, all you mountains that stand in my way,
Nothing can stop my progress!

Lightly I fly when I live in laughter,
Lightly I fly when my heart sings.

Serve Him with thought, with hand and limb;
Love Him without any reason.

All the world should be dancing,
For God made us all!

What a gift for children to have their consciousness filled with thoughts like these throughout their childhood.

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Living lyrics

At Oregon Creek Day Use Campground on the Middle Yuba River

This morning I lived the truth of some favorite song lyrics — we left home in the sunshine, drove by some meadows, and sat by a stream to just be! And boy oh boy was it nice. 🙂

Oregon Creek is only a few minutes from our home; we’re determined to visit regularly in the future in order to take advantage of its relaxing beauty.

Here are the full lyrics to There’s Joy in the Heavens (by Swami Kriyananda):

There’s joy in the heavens,
A smile on the mountains,
And melody sings everywhere.
The flowers are all laughing
To welcome the morning;
Your soul is as free as the air.

Leave home in the sunshine:
Dance through a meadow—
Or sit by a stream and just be.
The lilt of the water
Will gather your worries
And carry them down to the sea.

Men hunger for freedom,
But don’t see their dungeon
Is only the thought that they’re bound!
Desires are their shackles:
The hope that tomorrow
The doorway to joy will be found.

There’s joy all around us!
Why wait till tomorrow?
We’ve only this moment to live.
A heaven within us
Is ours for the finding,
A freedom no riches can give!