June 15, 2023 (Song #1993): “Seasons In The Sun” based on Jacques Brel‘s “Le Moribond” (“The Dying Man”) with lyrics rewritten by Rod McKuen and performed by  Terry Jacks.  T-49* celebrates 1974, the year that this song was the #2 hit on the Billboard Chart and a huge  hit during bunk clean-up at Camp Pembroke;  all the key changes motivated us to sweep and clean the toilets with a little bit more enthusiasm.   Happy Birthday to Justin Heller, Steve Dodd, Paula Harvey, Kurt Anderson & Linda Ronstadt. SONG HISTORY LYRICS & CHORDS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY P.S. If you want to hear the song I wrote that was inspired by my time at Camp Pembroke, click HERE to hear “World Outside“.

June 14, 2023 (Song #1992): T-50* brings me to 1973.  Today is a big day for me in the recognition of my own little history: we are celebrating the moment this lucky human discovered harmony.  I remember, distinctly, being in the back of a Gibb Family’s Volvo on a trip home from Aspetuck where we went apple picking.  While we were concentrating hard to shine our apples using our t-shirts (I believe we were competing to see which of us could make her apple the shiniest), I became aware that the family was singing.  The song was “Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose” and their voices were sweet and soothing. But then, the proverbial lightning struck when they started to sing the same song at different times. The sound stopped me in my apple-shining tracks and brought me into a totally new sphere.  I am now, thanks to the Gibbs, forever chasing – and stumbling upon – beautiful harmony.  I will always be grateful to have been in the way back of that Volvo; thanks for inviting me, Cyn. xoxo  LYRICS & MUSIC Happy Birthday to Marissa Zeitlan & Suzanne Urban! xoxo

June 13, 2023 (Song #1991): “Brand New Key” (#1 in 1972) by Melanie.   Here’s my version recorded by Josh Margolis with Peter Propp. T-51* brings me to 1972, when this song was #1 on the Billboard charts. (I was torn about what to play today, since 1972 is also the first year I went to Camp Pembroke, which has had a humongous influence on my life.) After taking my first guitar lessons from Hank Anderson, I took group lessons at the YMCA with a woman named Pru Gabert.  She gave us tons of cool songs printed out on beautiful pastel-colored paper, but this one adhered to me like chain grease on a pant leg.  It always makes people smile when they hear it; I hope you love it as much as I do. LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

June 12, 2023 (Song #1990):  Here’s song #2 for today to bring us to T-52* and 1971, another memorable and formative year for me: the year I started playing guitar.  The story goes: on April 2, 1971, my sister Caroline received a Giannini classical guitar for her 6th birthday.  She started taking lessons from Hank Anderson and I spent every lesson lurking in the doorway of the living room watching and listening to him teach her “Here Comes The Sun”.  Caroline was not at all interested in learning to play the guitar and Hank told my parents that she might be better off with a ukulele (prescient for the Propps?).  Caroline resolutely refused the ukulele and later told us that she never wanted a guitar, much less a ukulele and was completely confused by the gift.  I, on the other hand, took to it all like a duck to water.  Thank you, Caroline, for graciously and unintentionally giving me the best gift ever, second only to having you as a sister.  P.S. There are no lyric videos with good fidelity for this song, but the visuals on this one are pleasing. LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

June 12, 2023 (Song #1989):   Today we post two songs, since I realized that I’m a day behind (the older I get, the more mistakes I make!). “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970) by Simon & Garfunkel.  T-53* brings me to 1970; this record was played over and over and over again in our house on Lone Pine Lane and there’s something about it that elicits memories of New York City and the Auto Pub restaurant and my Uncle Kenny, but I can’t, for the life of me, connect the dots, so I just enjoy the comforting feeling (I think Uncle Kenny, my dad’s twin brother, was acquainted with Art Garfunkel, but I’m not sure of the exact story or if that’s even true.) LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

June 11, 2023 (Song #1988): “Frank Mills” (click the CC button below the video to get lyrics to sing along) from Hair (1968)  written by Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot and performed by Shelley Plimpton.  T-54* brings me to consider 1969; I wanted to be a hippy and this song was my anthem.

Happy Birthday to Carole Robinson, Nancy Walker & Jenni Wilson Sinek. xoxoxo

June 10, 2023 (Song #1987): “Teenager In Love” (1959) by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and sung by Dion and The Belmonts. LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

Happy Birthday to Richard Foxhall, Maura Keating Hirschler & Sharon Freeman! xoxoxo

T-55* brings me to 1968 when my brother Russell was born; how lucky was I to get another amazing brother? This was his solo on our many car rides to and from Boston.

June 9, 2023 (Song #1986): “The Sky’s On Fire” written by me and Caroline in honor of our friend Noel DeCaprio; and performed by me and my brother Alex.

T-56 brings me back to 1967 when Alex was born; he has been an amazing brother and sings beautifully. Today his daughter Sophia celebrates her 23rd birthday and, coincidentally, she was nicknamed “Fire” by her aunt Caroline.  APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

June 8, 2023 (Song #1985):  “I Got Rhythm” (1930) written by George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin and performed here by Judy Garland. My favorite version is this one performed by Gene Kelly in the 1951 musical film An American in Paris: https://youtu.be/mM-K2xVFyk0.

T-57 is a nod to all of the old movies I love to watch with my mom. Special shout-outs to John Bayers, whose father passed away this week but not before singing this song, and to the birthday girl, 95-years young, Dodo Bacharach (I hope she likes this one as much as I do).  LYRICS & CHORDS SONG HISTORY  APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

June 7, 2023 (Song #1984): “Carolina In My Mind” (1968) by James Taylor.  T-58* is in honor of the year 1965, when my sister Caroline was born (thank you, mom & dad). She has brought joy to me and everyone who knows her every day since then.  This song was written in 1968, but it gave Caroline one of her best nicknames (thank you, Alison). Happy Birthday today to Griffin Burke (hope you enjoy the planes in the lyric video!). xo LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY