I also grew up in NE Ohio in the 70s, like another contributor here, and this song always reminded me of home, and hauntingly, of my grandfather, who also grew up in NE Ohio in the 1920s and 30s. I was unaware of the reference to Nick Drake; I'll definitely check him out. I looked up the lyrics this evening, as we are expecting a winter storm to roll through Ohio this evening.
I often feel that songs like this that have melodies that affect people so profoundly must be very old. Perhaps the melody was around thousands of years ago and it resonates in our cells. Like so many others, I always think about the past when I hear it - perhaps because of the lyrics, but even without them, they create such a longing in my heart that I feel I've known this song in past lifetimes!
Fascinating it reminds you of home in NE Ohio, daris. This record is so English, you can almost see the backdrop of a smoking chimney against an overcast sky. Nice to see it works outside of these shores too.
Fascinating it reminds you of home in NE Ohio, daris. This record is so English, you can almost see the backdrop of a smoking chimney against an overcast sky. Nice to see it works outside of these shores too.
Wow. That's two people from Ohio that struck a chord with this song before I even found this site. I'm from a small town in northwest Ohio, and this song specifically reminds me of the annual Memorial Day parade.
Wow. That's two people from Ohio that struck a chord with this song before I even found this site. I'm from a small town in northwest Ohio, and this song specifically reminds me of the annual Memorial Day parade.
When I was child in the mid 70s and early 80s, the Memorial Day parade was a big town event. The whole town would be there and you dare not miss it. The morning really would last all day. This was a time when the WWII veterans would talk about the war, about friends they had lost, and...
When I was child in the mid 70s and early 80s, the Memorial Day parade was a big town event. The whole town would be there and you dare not miss it. The morning really would last all day. This was a time when the WWII veterans would talk about the war, about friends they had lost, and about how the town had changed throughout their lives. The children drunk lemonade and waited on the sidewalks for candy to be tossed from the floats. The parade would end at the cemetery with a 21 gun salute at the tomb of unknown soldier. The silence afterwards was profound. We would shake hands and head home. Take it easy on yourself.
The world changed throughout the 80s and 90s as I was growing up. I wanted to get out of that town so bad. I was pushing the town away, and moving on.
I went to the parade one last time when I was a senior in high school, and it had practically dwindled to nothing. It was so sad. The seniors that had made the parade what it was were almost all dead an no one was filling in the gaps.
It's gone now. Just a faded memory in my head, but this song brings it back. It's like I can hear the ghosts from that parade as I left that town, asking " Where you going now? Away from this little town, huh? Well, take it easy on yourself. "
I also grew up in NE Ohio in the 70s, like another contributor here, and this song always reminded me of home, and hauntingly, of my grandfather, who also grew up in NE Ohio in the 1920s and 30s. I was unaware of the reference to Nick Drake; I'll definitely check him out. I looked up the lyrics this evening, as we are expecting a winter storm to roll through Ohio this evening.
I often feel that songs like this that have melodies that affect people so profoundly must be very old. Perhaps the melody was around thousands of years ago and it resonates in our cells. Like so many others, I always think about the past when I hear it - perhaps because of the lyrics, but even without them, they create such a longing in my heart that I feel I've known this song in past lifetimes!
Fascinating it reminds you of home in NE Ohio, daris. This record is so English, you can almost see the backdrop of a smoking chimney against an overcast sky. Nice to see it works outside of these shores too.
Fascinating it reminds you of home in NE Ohio, daris. This record is so English, you can almost see the backdrop of a smoking chimney against an overcast sky. Nice to see it works outside of these shores too.
Wow. That's two people from Ohio that struck a chord with this song before I even found this site. I'm from a small town in northwest Ohio, and this song specifically reminds me of the annual Memorial Day parade.
Wow. That's two people from Ohio that struck a chord with this song before I even found this site. I'm from a small town in northwest Ohio, and this song specifically reminds me of the annual Memorial Day parade.
When I was child in the mid 70s and early 80s, the Memorial Day parade was a big town event. The whole town would be there and you dare not miss it. The morning really would last all day. This was a time when the WWII veterans would talk about the war, about friends they had lost, and...
When I was child in the mid 70s and early 80s, the Memorial Day parade was a big town event. The whole town would be there and you dare not miss it. The morning really would last all day. This was a time when the WWII veterans would talk about the war, about friends they had lost, and about how the town had changed throughout their lives. The children drunk lemonade and waited on the sidewalks for candy to be tossed from the floats. The parade would end at the cemetery with a 21 gun salute at the tomb of unknown soldier. The silence afterwards was profound. We would shake hands and head home. Take it easy on yourself.
The world changed throughout the 80s and 90s as I was growing up. I wanted to get out of that town so bad. I was pushing the town away, and moving on.
I went to the parade one last time when I was a senior in high school, and it had practically dwindled to nothing. It was so sad. The seniors that had made the parade what it was were almost all dead an no one was filling in the gaps.
It's gone now. Just a faded memory in my head, but this song brings it back. It's like I can hear the ghosts from that parade as I left that town, asking " Where you going now? Away from this little town, huh? Well, take it easy on yourself. "