God Bless America

Feeling Patriotic? God Bless America!
Just found this clip of the band I used to play in, The Farmington Valley Band. They recorded this track a couple of years back for a CD. I consider myself still a member, though I haven't been able to drive over there this past year to participate. It's on the other side of Hartford in Collinsville, about 45 minutes' drive from here. The pretty little Collinsville historically was an industrial town back in the time of the Talcottville Mill heyday, from the 1830's - 1890's but it produced Axes and implements instead of woolens and fabrics. We practiced in a building that went back to those days.

The musical arrangement includes some nice euphonium work by a friend named Chester, who is over eighty years old. You can hear it lofting above the rest. Also a strong vocal by Mark, who plays many instruments well, and sings operatic style.

Chinese Translation - a Parable

This song is so haunting and cozy, I can't help myself
listening to it many times. Ward's voice reminds me
of other singers, maybe Hoagy Carmichael or something.
These lyrics have extra meaning for me as well, somehow
searching for answers that might not exist.

Sing along with me:

I sailed the wild wild sea
climbed up a tall tall mountain
I met an old old man
beneath the weeping willow tree
he said now if you've got some questions
go and lay them at my feet,
but my time here is brief
so you'll have to pick just three.

and I said,

what do you with the pieces of a broken heart?
and how can a man like me remain in the light?
and if life is really as short as they say
then why is the night so long?

and then the sun went down
and he sang for me this song

see I once was a young fool like you
afraid to do the things that I knew I had to do
so I played an escapade just like you
I played an escapade just like you

I sailed the wild wild sea
climbed up a tall tall mountain
I met an old old man
he sat beneath the sapling tree
he said now if you've got some questions
go and lay them at my feet,
but my time here is brief
so you'll have to pick just three.

and I said,

what do you with the pieces of a broken heart?
and how can a man like me remain in the light?
and if life is really as short as they say
then why is the night so long?

and then the sun went down
and he played for me this song
. . . .