Gobble
Gobble, Gobble
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble with a Wobble
Turkey Trot, Trot, Trot
Across the Lot, Lot, Lot
Feeling Fine, Fine, Fine
Until Thanksgiving Time
Trouble
Trouble, Trouble
Trouble, Trouble, Trouble, Trouble on the Double
Why I chose these lyrics: I knew I wanted to choose a song for Thanksgiving. Then, lo and behold on NPR I heard a story entitled Thanksgiving Music Gets its Due. My friend Marla had just emailed after Halloween, "Why oh why do we skip right over Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas?" So, when I heard this story, I knew I had to have a Weekend Lyrics dedicated just to Thanksgiving songs!
Marla is right of course. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday: all religions celebrate it, it doesn't involve the pressure of gift-giving and receiving. How many holidays (or how many times a year for that matter) do we simply take time to rest in gratitude and spend time with those we love?
The Christmas music has already started. Oh how I dread this time of year! I thought, "Well at least I can avoid it by listening to NPR--but it's even invaded their airwaves. Oh Good Grief!
Allyson Ledoux, the 2006 Vermont educator of the year, shared several Thanksgiving songs all worthy of 'Weekend Lyrics', but I chose the Turkey Trot Blues because, well, quite simply the song is hilarious! I really needed the humor this week. The song cracks me up every time, and now those of you with kids will NEVER get them to stop singing it if you listen to it on NPR and teach your kiddos. I've been singing it all day!
On a more serious note, Ledoux also chose the gorgeous melody "Come Ye Thankful People Come" as well as "Over the River and Through the Woods." She mentioned that many folks debate the latter: is it a Christmas song or a Thanksgiving song? Ledoux insists that it is a Thanksgiving song. If you've watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" a time or two, you may remember all of the Peanuts gang piling into the car to head to Thanksgiving dinner and singing just this song. "Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go..." they joyfully sing. The Peanuts gang tries making they're own Thanksgiving dinner (Chef Snoopy on hand) of toast and popcorn and pretzels and everything NOT Thanksgiving. Then, they pile into the car with invisible 'parental units' to head to a 'real' Thanksgiving dinner.
If anything the Turkey Trot Blues ought to give you a chuckle. And I bet it's one you haven't heard before. The other songs, well, you've heard them, and may just find yourself humming them for a few more days before you are ready to take all that Christmas music.
To hear Annie Ledoux sing each of these songs and discuss Thanksgiving songs, go to www.npr.org and search for "Thanksgiving Music Gets its Due" or go directly to the link to listen to the story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16404393.
The NPR story ended with the following thought:
"Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings."
--J. Robert Moskin, American Writer--
Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving,
Emily
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