Green Fields of Fance

I used to have a job that recognized November 11 (Remembrance Day) as a statutory holiday. I always went to the cenotaph, but one year I couldn’t. I was driving that day, and just before 11:00, this song was on the radio. There are many wonderful verions, but this is the one that made me catch my breath that day.

Sweet Caroline

I don’t care how much of a Neil Diamond fan you insist you aren’t, we all know that no matter where you are – in the car, writing an exam, at a funeral -  as soon as he hits the chorus with Sweet Caroline, you can’t stop yourself from singing Bah, Bah, Bah in response. Don’t fell bad. I do it too.

Hot Child in the City

Later, I thought Nick Gilder was the Next. Big. Thing. I believed this was musical gold, bought the album, and learned the words to every song.

So young to be loose and on her own.
Young boys, they all want to take her home.

One YouTube commenters calls it “one of the most sleazy and perverted songs ever. Not wrong.

Seasons in the Sun

What nine year old wouldn’t crush on Terry Jacks? I mean he had big hair, fringed jackets and was part of the Poppy Family. This time we did find the record, and I played it over and over, until even the penny on the arm of my turntable couldn’t prevent it from skipping. Funny thing – I still love this song.

Snowbird

I remember, as a very little kid, going from store to store, looking for a single of this song. It was the first mainstream song I wanted, and it was sold out everywhere. Maybe we found it eventually, I don’t really remember. I probably went back to the albums of children’s songs that we had until my next desire hit…

Another Suitcase in Another Hall

My daughter thinks she discovered musical theatre all by herself, but she wasn’t paying attention. I played some – like the soundtrack to Evita constantly when she was small. Her brother was listening. I knew I was playing Les Mis too much when I caught him, aged 3, walking through the house singing, “I smell women, smell ‘em in the air”.

Children, Where did you go?

This song by the Rankin girls transports me to a much simpler time when my kids were small and still thought I was the bee’s knees. When I put this song on, they would both come running from whatever room they were in to dance around the kitchen table. People warn you how quickly those time go, but man…