It seems to me I've heard that song before

Lately I have been listening to two different television shows that feature young people singing and trying for the big prize. The prize includes money, but the best thing is that it helps them get ahead in the musical world. I try my best to like the songs they are singing but it's hard for me to even distinguish the words of most of the songs. The good looking young people are staged with flashing lights, fog, bubbles or other distractions (for me) in front of an enthusiastic crowd of young people waving their arms and responding. It is obvious that the audience enjoys the renditions and the three judges also respond favorably even while giving constructive criticism. It seems that the louder the contestants sing and the longer they can hold a note the more the judges praise them.

I'm sure those skills and talents are good in the musical world, but I long for the days when a singer could just stand by a piano or in front of a band or orchestra and share their voices with us while letting the words add to the music. I know I'm an old fogey, but to me the words of a song are important.

It doesn't matter if it is a nonsense song like "Mares Eat Oats" or a sad melody such as "Old Man River." I enjoy the melody and the emotions the words bring to me. Our generation had plenty nonsense songs which we could sing as we were walking along or on a riverbank picnic. Some of my favorites were "Six Tall Slim Slick Sycamore Saplings," "Chickery Chick," or "Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Worm." I'm not positive that last one was a song, but we chanted it together.

During World War II there were romantic songs about our loved ones far away. I liked "Waiting for the Train to Come In" and "It's Been a Long, Long Time," but I also liked the funny songs about the service like "This is the Army, Mr. Jones." But sentimental songs such as "I Left My Heart in the Stage Door Canteen" and even "Don't Sit under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me" were very popular.

I also liked songs we could share with older people such as parents, aunts and uncles or even older siblings. Some of those were old, old folk songs like "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain," "Clementine," "The Bear Went over the Mountain" and "Billy Boy."

During the summer when we could sleep late, my mother would play hymns from the old Cokesbury Hymn Book on our upright cherry wood piano while she was waiting for us to come eat breakfast so she could clean up the dishes and relax for the rest of the day. The other two meals and clean-ups were the responsibility of us girls during the summer. Ones I knew she would always play were "In the Garden" and "Onward Christian Soldiers."

I can remember the words to some more recent popular songs of course. I was a Bing Crosby fan and loved all his movies and songs. Of course we all remember his Christmas songs that get renewed every December, but I also liked songs from his musicals. When he played an Irish priest and sang "The Irish Lullaby" to his ailing older priest I would cry each time.

Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra had many popular songs that I liked, but I was never carried away with either of them as some teenaged girls were. I preferred Danny Kaye and Jimmy Cagney and their songs. Jimmy Cagney's "Give My Regards to Broadway" makes me want to get up and dance. However by the time I get up I'm too tired to dance!

I even got caught up in some of the songs our four kids liked to sing. The Beach Boys' songs were snappy and the words easy to remember. When our oldest boy was three or four, he loved "Davy Crockett" and went around the house singing that. Of course I loved it too. Shirley liked Doris Day and "Que Sara" and Susan introduced me to guitar music and stars like Willie Nelson.

But I think I must end with "When I Grow Too Old to Dream, I'll Have You to Remember." I don't think I'll ever get too old to dream, but I surely will have lots of people and lots of songs to remember.