The Big T and I were talking this morning about the holidays we used to have when the boy-child was small. Looking back, they seem frequent and filled with sunshine, and I was reminded of these lyrics from Summertime …
… One of these mornings you’re gonna rise up singing
And you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain’t nothin’ can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin’ by
— ‘Summertime’, George Gershwin. From Porgy and Bess
I think we all dream of keeping our children safe, but know in our hearts we must give them space and confidence to take wing.
It’s a wonderful song, and this version by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong is probably my favourite.
Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.
Why not join in — as Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind so brilliantly puts it “casual players welcome.”
Zimmerbitch 
The boy-child looks like he is practising his skateboard moves in that last photo. You were brave to let him be a skateboard demon. 🙂
I love that song. It is bittersweet. I have had the very great fortune of singing in a (secular) gospel choir. I’ve written about it before. We sang a lot of African American spirituals and we learnt the meaning behind the lyrics (from Eric Dozier and from NZer, Tony Backhouse). When the slaves sang in the fields, they would use certain songs to let others know when there would be an escape attempt. Sorry for introducing that dark note. Have you ever been to a Tony Backhouse workshop? I highly recommend it.
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I didn’t know that about the gospels – how ingenious!
Really love this song so much too. 😊
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I only know of Tony Backhouse from The Crocodiles, and I didn’t know anything about the history of spirituals. Thank you for that Tracy.
The boy-child found his way to skateboards at a very early age, and had natural talent, so it wasn’t something I really wanted to suppress. His dad is a skater too, and he falls off more often. 😬
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🙂
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Oh! Oh! I have! I have! Twice. Amazing workshops.
(Sorry to eavesdrop. I just got excited at the mention of Tony Backhouse. 🙂 )
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Haha. It is hard not to get excited about a Tony Backhouse workshop. Sounds like you had fun.
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I’m not a singer (except in the car and when I’m home alone), but feeling the enthusiasm with which you’re both talking about his workshops, I kind of wish I was. 🙂
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You don’t need to be a Singer (with a capital S) to do one of his workshops. Just to enjoy singing. If you get the chance to do one, you should take it, Su. You’ll love it.
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😀
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Ah, two of the greats. Thanks for the dark side, Tracy! 🙂 Still a good song.
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Lovely thought Su. A child, over time, disappears into an adult.
Leslie
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I love this—the images go perfectly with the lyrics. And Summertime is one of my favorite songs—being such a big summer person! And yay—summer is just about here!
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So glad you like it 😀
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Wonderful pictures of the Boy-Child! He looks radiant with happiness. 😄
This song makes me believe that there’s still something good left in humankind whenever I hear it. Two of the greatest artist ever!
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Thank you. He was a happy child (once he learned to sleep).
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They don’t stay young for long do they? Precious memories.
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One of my favorite musicals.
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I got quite nostalgic last summer about the all-day excursions to the beach with the boys when we would take a pile of food, set up the shelter against the wall and just spend the day swimming, boogie boarding and digging in the sand. There was a cafe just up the path so coffee and hot chips were easily sourced. Thanks for the reminder again. They were hard work when they were little but with time I’ve forgotten that side of it and just miss the fun and noise.
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I miss that too. The thing about having an only is that either the house is empty, or all the kids in the neighbourhood/band/soccer team/skate crew/whatever are around. I loved the conversations with those boys, and listening to their excitement and silly humour. Almost without exception they were really lovely human beings, and I’m sure still are.
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another stellar post and choice. Agree with you on the interpretation. Have the CD too!
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Thanks so much. I’m glad you like it too 🙂
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