I Write the Song

Every generation thinks its music is the best. Well, they are all wrong! The music of the sixties and early seventies was beyond compare with any music that came before or after.  Am I biased? Sure!  Am I close minded about this? Absolutely! Am I correct? Without a doubt!

So where is this coming from on a quiet summer Sunday? Last night I saw the movie “Echo in the Canyon” at Civic Theater in Allentown.  The canyon is Laurel Canyon outside of LA. It’s about all of the artists, writers, and mostly musicians that lived here in the sixties. The film focused on a few. You know all the names. The Mamas and the Papas, the Beach Boys, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Association.  Interviews with Tom Petty and Stephen Stills and Roger McGuinn and Michelle Phillips intersperse the great music. The host was Jakob Dylan and the movie was dedicated to the memory of Tom Petty.

The creativity. The cross pollination. The competition with the British Invasion. Brian Wilson heard The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album and it made him write the Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds. Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper was born. Wow!

My own forays into music have been pretty disappointing. A flutophone concert in fourth grade was my high point. That was followed by playing the cornet for Mr. Scarseletti. A stint on the St. John’s UCC Confirmation Choir followed that. Two failed attempts to learn guitar haunt me still.

I guess what I am saying is that I love and admire creativity and wish that I had more of it. Writing is as close as I get. I am still working on that. But wait! I did write a song once!

It’s called “Sweet Potato”. I wrote it while attempting to get baby Emma to eat her Gerber’s sweet potato baby food. For the music, think of maybe a sea chantey or a folky melody. Here is the chorus:

“They call them sweet potatoes in the north. They call them yams  in the South. I don’t care what you call them. Just stick them in my mouth!”.  Hahaha. My musical claim to fame. Hardly California Dreaming, but I like it. For What Its Worth.

Enjoy what’s left of your Independence Day Weekend. Be creative! The world needs more of that. And don’t forget to look for “Sweet Potato” on Spotify! You won’t find it, but look at all the good music you will uncover on your search.