Song Sung Blue – Where were you?
I was on the train this morning and my iPod shuffled onto “Song Sung Blue” by Neil Diamond. Suddenly, in an “Alice in Wonderland” moment, I was no longer on the train. I was no longer an adult. I was a whispy haired blonde child in my garden in South Africa, the sky was as blue as it can only be on a Highveld summer’s day, pigeons were cooing gently and Springbok Radio was floating in the breeze out of my mother’s kitchen playing “Song Sung Blue”. I could almost hear our neighbour and my mum’s friend, Aunty Bridget, going “Cooo eee” over the fence and asking whether we would like to come and have a cup of tea and a crumpet.
Songs for me hold memories and sensations locked in between their bars and notes and I just need a few chords and the chords of my memories are struck and pulled and I am somewhere entirely different. The song ended, the train shook, and I came flying back into my body as an adult on my way to work in Australia, but I took that little girl, who had been in the garden listening to the Harvards droning overhead and gave her a hug and thanked her for still being there with all her wonder for the world and her memories of sunny African childhood days.
Where were you when Song sung blue was floating on the soundwaves?
You are so right about sounds and songs taking you back to a happy place. I always remember the Harvards flying over the mornings when I’d be home sick in bed. I was always in my folks bed, the sun streaming in the window and a book in my hand. The Vicks and throat lozenges with the hiney tea on the bedside table. In my half medicated state, obviously a bit goofed, listening to the drone of those planes.
It was quite amazing a few years ago, one Harvard would fly over every so often on a Saturday morning. The Harvard Club would take people up for a fee. What a nostalgia trip every time I heard that sound.
I dont know where Song sung blue fits into my life, but I get a warm fuzzy feeling remembering it.
Lee, it sounds like we were in the same place. It must be a Springs song 🙂 I think my mother also danced to it with the broom. Actually, there are very few songs she did not dance to, with the broom, come to think of it!!! She still does it in fact…