#177 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Saturday October 23)
Happy weekend!
MUSIC AND POETRY OF LYRICS
I was driving the other day and I heard Dan Fogelberg’s Leader of the Band, an ode to his father. It got me thinking about songs that lament the loss of a parent or an acknowledgement of the value of a parent and the obligations we owe them. I was going to save this list for Fathers Day or my father’s birthday but, remembering his admonition that we needn’t pay attention to Hallmark holidays, I present it now. Here is a short compilation, together with some of the lyrics:
The Leader of the Band, by Dan Fogelberg. This is a moving tribute to his father from Dan Fogelberg (Fogelberg’s explanation of the song precedes the song, which begins 1:00 in):
I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And, Papa, I don't think I said 'I love you' near enough
FYI, Fogelberg’s father, actually a leader of a band, lived to hear this song.
The Living Years, by Mike + The Mechanics, https://www.google.com/search?q=the+living+years&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS738US738&oq=the+living+years&aqs=chrome..69i57j46i433i512j0i512l4j46i512j0i512j46i512l2.2019j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years
The story of some mixed emotions and learning—perhaps too late—that there’s more commonality between children and their parents than they think. As one of the comments on this video notes, this is the most underrated song of the 80s…
Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler, not really about parents…but it could be…
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be
I could fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings
My Father’s Eyes, by Eric Clapton
I'm loving what I can see
With His spirit alive in me
I'm finding beauty for the first time
Looking through my Father's eyes
My Old Man, by Zac Brown Band,
He was a giant
And I was just a kid
I was always trying
To do everything he did
I can still remember every lesson he taught me
Growing up learning how to be
Like my old man
Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Owl City,
He doesn't fight crime
Or wear a cape
He doesn't read minds
Or levitate
But every time my world needs saving
He's my Superman
Some folks don't believe in heroes
'Cause they haven't met my dad.
Father and Son, Cat Stevens,
It's not time to make a change
Just sit down, take it slowly
You're still young, that's your fault
There's so much you have to go through
FINALLY, THE WEEKEND
I can watch this over and over. It’s less than four seconds long but will make you smile. I promise:
Have a good weekend!
Glenn
From the archives: