"He'd glide across the floor,
with the girl he adored,
and the band played on.
...
He'd ne'er leave the girl
with the strawberry curls,
and the band played on!"
with the girl he adored,
and the band played on.
...
He'd ne'er leave the girl
with the strawberry curls,
and the band played on!"
That's the song my mental jukebox had cued up for my morning.
Very odd, right?
I had not been watching anything even remotely associated with that the night before.
I mean, sure, I may have danced along with the Jackson Five when I watched the Carol Burnett Show yesterday...
and she is a redhead...
might that have sparked that long-ago tune in my brain?
For "long-ago" it is.
"The Band Played On" was written at the end of the 19th century.
I'm pretty sure it would have been introduced to me through a 1941 movie that had the song played by Guy Lombardo's orchestra during a dance number.
And just how did I come to know of "The Strawberry Blonde"?
It was a musical, see, and as a girl I would watch the musicals with Mama, see?
(smile!)
That was me doing my best James Cagney impression.
He was in that film.
So, this song got me to thinking about my introduction to music.
Bugs Bunny and Pink Panther laced classical music and opera in with their comedy, so I became familiar with those genres long before I knew any of the composers.
For those unfamiliar with their works, that would be pop and broadway tunes, jazz and big band, and classical piano and movie soundtracks.
Daddy had albums by Charlie Pride and Hank Williams, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and also Roger Miller.
Some might say those were all of the same ilk, but that would be incorrect.
They were, respectively, smooth country, old-time country western, bluegrass, and pop country with a side of humor.
(smile!)
Growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, I had the benefit of variety shows to broaden my musical palate, in addition to my parents' records, the cartoons, and musical films.
Some of those I still watch fairly frequently as reruns: "The Carol Burnett Show", "The Lawrence Welk Show", "Heehaw", "The Partridge Family".
Others have been gone for decades; shows by Sonny and Cher, Donny and Marie Osmond, "Laugh In", "Soul Train", "American Bandstand", "The Muppets".
How very fortunate I am to have had these to stock my jukebox!
(smile!)
I regard the shaded blocks of temperature range as being notes on a musical staff.
Perhaps that's from my Glee Club days in middle school, right?
But I take delight in literally singing along with the placement of the shaded areas as if they were musical notes.
La La LAH
La la La LAH
Nice, right?
I can accept the low's just fine, as I can see the high's on the way.
Such a nice little tune for the upcoming spring!
(smile!)
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