The COVID Collection - Part 4 of 8

Sleepsongs 2 is the fourth episode in the 8 part series called COVID Kids and Companions where we celebrate a few of the positive things that came out of COVID as we serve up a virtual cornucopia of creature companions.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

You are listening to a special series on Acoustic Avenue. This is Ted Crouch, and I'll be your host for the next hour on today's program that has been co-produced with Joel Little in Calgary, Alberta. On Acoustic Avenue, we recognize with respect and gratitude that in the shoeswap, the land on which we live, work, and play our music is the unceded traditional territory of the Sukwat Mega people. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Zixika, the Kainai, and the Pekini, the Sudina, the Layaj Nokoda Nations, the Metis Nation, Region 3, and all the people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta. On the show today, we're going to continue with our special series, COVID Kids and Companions, where we celebrate through music a few positives that came out of the pandemic, mainly the arrival of so many newborns and the rather dramatic increase in animal adoptions. We enjoyed ourselves so much the first time we thought we'd do it once again. So we return to the land of Luleley, and the songs for the children the lullabies. What exactly is a lullaby? Anyway, to be sure, lullabies are softly songs that hopefully will help a fighting child to fall asleep. They are also an expression of our hopes and dreams and wishes for our children. Dreams and wishes. That seems like a good place to start our second offering of sleep songs. In the opening set, you will hear the mamas and the papas with Dream a Little Dream of Me. Katie Malouis sings Thank You Stars. And Harry Nielsen with Open Your Window. To start the show, here is Ukalele Ike with his 1940s hit When You Wish Upon a Star from the animated film Pinocchio.

SPEAKER_05 2:13

When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you. No request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star as dreamers do, she brings to those who love the sweet old filament of their secret laws like a bolt out of the blue. Suddenly it comes in view when you wish upon a star. Your dreams come true. When a star is born, they possess a gift or two. One of them is this they have the power to make a wish come true. When you wish upon us, make God dispos your heart desires will come to you.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

Suddenly you win upon a sky your dream, star shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper. I love you, birds singing in the sycamore tree. Dream a little dream of me. Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me. While I'm alone blue as can be a good idea. So thank you, stars. Some people think it's far away. Some know it's with them every day. You are the reason we found out. So thank you, Star. There are no winds that can blow it away on the air. When they try to blow it away, is when you know it will always be there. Just a minute to feel in the heart. And when you're out there on your way back. So thank you, Stu. So thank you. Soen your window and take a deep sigh. Think about letting the rest of the world go fly. A cat taking it easy is easy as pie. And holding your hand is such a natural high. I said flow hours We spend our hour. Do-the-do-do-di-dip dit-wait Do-de-shot. We could be happy. Think of the money which saves it as easy, as easy as pie, and holding your hand is such a natural high.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

You are listening to Ukulele Ike, The Mamas and the Papas, Katie Malua and Harry Nielsen. The second set continues with four more selections from our musical collection. From the 1963 album Moving, we will play a song with lyrics based on a 1959 poem written by Leonard Lipton, then a 19-year-old student at Cornell University. He was inspired by an Ogden Nash poem, The Tale of Castle the Dragon, about a really old little dragon. At the time, Lipton was roaming with fellow student Peter Yarrow, and used Yarrow's typewriter to get the poem out of his head. Yarrow found the poem. And then presented it to his animated magic dragon. Today we will play Rom Lullaby, composed by Johan Rahm in 1868 as a cradle song. Dedicated to his friend, Bertha Faber, on the occasion of the birth of her second son. Here is Peter Paul and Mary, John Stoddard, Julie Andrews, and Dave Bruback.

SPEAKER_06 15:48

Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. Little Jackie Paper loved that Jurassic puff and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. Oh puff the magic dragon lived by the sea and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hanna Lee. Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail. Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail. Noble kings and princes would bow when e'er they came. Irish ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name. Oh the magic dragon, live by the sea, and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hun a League. And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hunley. A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys. Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys. One gray night it happened. Jackie Paper came no more. And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. His head was bent in sorrow. Green scales fell like a rain. Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave. So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave. Oh puff the magic dragon live by the sea, and frolic in the autumn mist in a land called Hunley. Puff the magic dragon live by the sea, and frolic in the autumn mist in a land called the bigger.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

I can believe what God has done through us, He's given life to us.

SPEAKER_04 22:22

And you picky daddy ones. It's all the bed all it takes is top from you the buttons Top the back Top the bus Top Top That's watch My Two Listen She's calling the top Top Top Top Welcome back to the second half of today's program on Acoustic Avenue with your host Ted Crowd.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

COVID Companions. The previous set featured Peter Paul and Mary John Stoddard, Julie Andrews, and Dave Bruback. Parents everywhere face a common problem. Getting their babies to sleep. And there's a common solution. A lullaby. Lullabies don't just help babies with that, they help adults as well. In this next set, we have four adult musicians join us to share their lullabies. We'll begin with Billy Joel from his album River of Dreams and Lullaby. Good night, my angel. Also in this set, you'll hear Crosby Stills in Nash sing their version of Lennon and McCartney's Blackbird. That will be followed by Paul Winefield and his rendition of another John Lennon song, The Beautiful Boy. The song was for Lennon's son, John, his only child with Yoko Ono. It begins with John comforting his son from what is presumably a nightmare and develops into John passionately describing the love he has for his son and the joy John gave him. The lyrics contain a famous Alan Saunders quote Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. We will end this set with Baby Mine, a song originally from the 1941 animated film Dumbo, while also being covered by Bonnie Reid, Alison Krause, Brian Wilson, and others. The version we'll play today is by Bet Midler from the movie Beaches. Here is Billy Joel, Crosby Stills and Nash, Paul Weinfield, and Bet Midler.

SPEAKER_04 30:45

Good night, my angel. Time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me. I think you know what I've been trying to say. I promised I would never leave you, and you should always know wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away. Good night, my angel. Now it's time to sleep, and still so many things I want to say. Remember all the songs you sang for me when we went sailing on an emerald bed, and like a bowl along the motion. I'm rocking you to sing The water's dark, and deep inside this ancient heart, you'll always be a part of me. Now it's time to dream and dream how wonderful your life will be. Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby, then in your heart there will always be a part of me. Some day we'll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on, they never die. That's how you and I will be blackbirds singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly all your life. You were only waiting for this moment to arise Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see all your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free Black birth fly Black bird fly into the light of the dark black night. Into the light of the dark black night Blackbird singing in the dead of night take these broken wings and learn to fly all your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy Before you go to sleep a little prayer every day, every way it's getting better and better, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy on the ocean sailing away. I can hardly wait to see you come away, but I guess we'll both just have to be patient 'cause it's a long way to go, a hard road to hold, a long way to go, but in the meantime before you cross the street, take my hand. Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. Baby mind, don't you cry, baby mind dry your eyes, rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine. Little one when you play pain, no heed what they say. Let your eyes sparkle and shine never a tear, baby of mine. If they knew all about you, they'd end up loving you too, all those same people scold you what they'd give just for the right to hold you from your head down to your toes You're not much, goodness knows, but you're so precious to me, sweet as can be, baby of mine.

SPEAKER_00 41:43

That was Billy Joel, Crosby Stills and Nash, Paul Winefield, and Bette Midler. Well, this brings us to the final set for today's programme on Acoustic Avenue. Thank you to the songwriters and musicians who wrote the lyrics and composed the music, and I hope you enjoyed the love and ultimate joy they share through their music. And a very special thank you to Joe Little for co-producing this series COVID Kids and Companions. To take us home today will start the set and keep the mood bright and peaceful with uh Christina Perry and You Are My Sunshine from the album she dedicated to her daughter, Carmella. That is followed by Louis Armstrong singing We Have All the Time in the World. It is a James Bond theme, a popular song composed by John Barry, and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the title theme being the instrumental On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The song title is taken from Bond's final words in both the novel and the film, spoken after the death of Tracy Bond, his wife. Barry chose Armstrong to sing because he felt he could deliver the title line with irony. He also cited this as one of his favorite Bond compositions and one of the finest pieces of music he had written for a Bond movie, and also because of the pleasure working with Louis Armstrong. And to close the show today is one of our favorite artists, Eva Cassidy, noted by music critic Joel Siegel as one of the greatest voices of her generation. Eva's bandmate and bass player Chris Beyondi commented she was an angel, very humble and shy. She would listen more than talk. I remember lots of times we were playing and the room was almost empty. Eva seemed to like those nights because there wasn't as much pressure. In fact, she'd be more relieved when hardly anybody was out there. She recorded two albums before her passing of melanoma at thirty-three years of age in nineteen ninety-six.

SPEAKER_02 44:33

Sunshine You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away the other night dear as I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms when I awoke dear I was mistaken so I hung my head and cried You are my sunshine my only sunshine You make me happy when skies are gray you'll never know dear how much I love you please don't take my sunshine away the wishes we have the new five we need that we can't even see that I heard of one send both day to do Sunday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are fall behind Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops that's where you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_04 52:06

And wake up with the clouds of me.

SPEAKER_00 54:03

Thank you for listening to Acoustic Avenue. This is Ted Crow signing off, and on behalf of Joe Little, from our hearts to yours, stay safe and love the ones you're with.