Every year I read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Last year, I saw this book and added it to my “want to read” stack. It is a fictional telling of how Dickens came to write the book.
The book intertwines facts and fiction as it tells the story. Check out the Amazon.com synopsis:
A beloved, irresistible novel that reimagines the story behind Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic
Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. His newest book is an utter flop, the critics have turned against him, relatives near and far hound him for money. While his wife plans a lavish holiday party for their ever-expanding family and circle of friends, Dickens has visions of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a Christmas book to save them all from financial ruin, he refuses. And a serious bout of writer’s block sets in.
Frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace in his great palace of thinking, the city of London itself. On one of his long night walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets the mysterious Eleanor Lovejoy, who might be just the muse he needs. As Dickens’ deadlines close in, Eleanor propels him on a Scrooge-like journey that tests everything he believes about generosity, friendship, ambition, and love. The story he writes will change Christmas forever.
I truly enjoyed this book. I read the book, The Man Who Invented Christmas, which was more true to the real story of the story’s evolution. It was also the basis for the movie of the same name. What makes this story different is there is an element of, let’s say mystery and fantasy to it. I don’t want to give too much away.
If, by chance, you do read this, I’d love to hear what you thought. As it all came together at the end, it hit me in the “feels.” If you didn’t know it was fiction, you might actually believe that this was the way it happened.
I went through some of my holiday photos this week. This was taken at my maternal grandmother’s house. Quite a few things stand out in this picture to me.
First, the television set! I was once a remote control for one of those, LOL! Man, those things were something. My grandma had one of those card holders that she set on top of it. Directly above that you can see the bottoms of a HUGE wooden fork and spoon that hung on the wall. I have no idea who the gal in front of the TV is.
My mom, my grandparents and SO many people draped garland around fireplaces, photos, window and more. I love how you can see it hanging there. I love the fact that there is a fire in the fireplace!
Dig my dad’s sideburns! Those were the thing in the early 70’s! My brother is holding onto a jeep I do not remember at all. I’m the one with his back to the camera and checkered pants.
I looked at this photo and did not recognize the camper looking thing. I did some digging and found the box online. It was a Weebles Camper! Weebles wobble but the don’t fall down, remember.
We had a lot of Weebles growing up. I remember many of the sets, but not this one. I know we had a treehouse and a boat. This looks pretty cool, as the camper top came off and it turned into a car.
This is one of those instances where I wonder if my folks had saved all of these, if they’d be worth anything today …
Fun stuff! maybe I should put a Weebles trivia question in my company’s holiday game we play each year?
It was back to work this week for me, but what a weekend to look back on! I find myself full of gratitude with each day.
Turkey Day Miracle?
We stayed home on Thanksgiving. I put the turkey in the oven about noon, knowing it would be done around 4:00pm. I made a pot of coffee and sat down to watch the Lions game. They dominated the first half. The Bears sure showed up in the second half. It looked like we were heading for another Thanksgiving loss.
If you didn’t see the final two minutes of the game – you need to. I was floored. I truly do not know how we won that game!
When the clock wound down to :00, I couldn’t believe it. They cut to players on the field who were stumped as well. I was speechless. Honestly, though, that kind of loss was commonplace for the Lions a few years ago. It seemed like we always found a way to lose. It was almost odd to see it happen to someone else.
It was an ugly win, but it was a win. It makes this Lions fan proud to celebrate the many milestones this year!
Watching Jameson Williams hurdle the Bears players on the field was simply amazing!
Gingerbread
Nana invited the kids over on Friday to make Gingerbread houses. I’ve never done this in my life. It was fun to watch them decorate them. I think most of the candy went in their mouth instead of on the houses!
Works of art!!
Their cousins joined in when they got there. They all had so much fun.
Wild Lights!
We took the kids to the Detroit Zoo for the Wild Lights event later that night. I’m always impressed at the displays each year.
The kids loved every minute of it!
I won’t lie, it was cold! We try to do this early to miss the cold, but this year was probably the coldest year yet.
These animals are spectacular. I wish my camera took better pictures. Some of the shots I tried to take blurred. I can’t seem to figure out the “night vision” feature.
The kids were loving the “glow” stuff.
And they had this wall of lights with flowers on it. As the kids moved their hands across it, it played music, like bells.
We don’t have many traditions, but I truly love this one.
Catching Up … With Santa?
Saturday night, an old friend surprised his family by traveling to Michigan from Wyoming. It had been over 10 years since I have seen him. The last time he was in town, we were unable to hook up. This time, he reached out to me and asked to message some of our friends to arrange a visit.
We found a burger place and planned on being there around 5. Not every one was able to make it, which was sad. But we really had a great time catching up. Since I saw him last, he has grown out his beard and looks like Santa! I kidded him and told him I forgot my list.
The visit was a couple hours filled with laughter and stories. I had the kids at my mother in law’s and he had to head out to to his dad’s birthday party, so the party broke up all too quickly. Hopefully, it won’t be so long between visits and we can get the rest of the crew next time.
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.
In 1999, I turned 29 years old. In September of that year, I would venture into a marriage that would fail years later. Two great sons came out of it though, and that was a great thing.
1999 was also the year that I began receiving monthly CDs with new music on them. It was a great was to always be sure to have clean edits of songs and be current. I received my first CD in May of that year and thankfully so!
I had been hired to DJ a prom. It was the first one I had ever done. I had been able to scrounge up some of the “newer” songs thanks to friends. However, a lot of the brand new stuff not in stores yet. (This is probably before I got my iPod and iTunes). Two days before the prom, that CD had the hottest song on the radio at the time. The song was Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca.
That night, I had requests for it and was surprised (and thankful) it was on the CD! I played it at least three times that night and knew my investment was a good one. Those CDs saved me plenty of times.
Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, which was around the time this song was conceived. Co-writer Desmond Child told Songfacts that Sinatra’s music was a strong influence on this song. He said, “Frank Sinatra’s music was coming out of the airwaves, and we were all of a sudden into this Rat Pack idea, and also the Latin Elvis concept that we had for him. So we put that into the songs, as well – there was a swing aspect to it. So the verses were more like that, and then the choruses were all out rock anthems, with horns. Because horns had fallen out of favor, we brought horns back.”
Paul McCartney’s guitarist, Rusty Anderson, played on the song. Co-writer Robi Rosa asked him to put some guitar on some sections that were blank slates. He remembers: “I was thinking more of a James Bond vibe actually. But I kinda liked the way it counter-balanced the song.”
Anderson recorded his guitar work at his studio intending it to just be a demo. “I didn’t have a reverb to print that I was happy with so I figured the mixer would have the perfect reverb in mixdown,” he explained. “That recording turned into the single. When I heard it on the radio, I was shocked that they left it dry!”
Many years later, the song re-entered my life when I took my son to the movies. In Shrek 2, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) sing it as the credits roll.
Livin’ La Vida Loca
Next is a song that I always felt should have been a bigger hit. I Know How The River Feels was a song that was recorded first by country singer Ty Herndon in 1996. His version was never released. Diamond Rio recorded it for their Unbelievable album and it was their third single from it.
I liked it because it gave Diamond Rio a different sound. This was the first song of theirs to feature outside instruments as they added a string section to the arrangement. The song, however, was met with some negative reviews from critics. It only went to #33 on the Country charts.
I love the way the song uses a river with its twists and turns to describe the search for love. Finally, when it reaches the sea – the search, the twists, and the turns – you reach the final destination.
Now I know how the river feels When it reaches the sea And finally finds the place It was always meant to be Holding fast, home at last Knowing the journey’s through Lying here with you I know how the river feels
I Know How The River Feels
Hey Leonardo by Blessid Union of Souls is a song that I liked for a few reasons. First, the parenthetical title is “She likes me for me.” Isn’t that what love is about? It’s not about the physical things, the status and such. It is about loving a person because they are that person. Next, I like when a song tosses in some pop culture references.
Songfacts says: This song is written in the form of a letter to someone named Leonardo – a reference to actor Leonardo DiCaprio. In the song, the singer lists many celebrities and the qualities they possess making them attractive to women. He emphasizes that while he does not have the same qualities, his girlfriend loves him just the way he is.
The celebrities that are referenced include: Tyson Beckford, Robert Redford, Steve Buscemi and the movie Fargo. It also references opera singer Pavarotti, model Cindy Crawford, Clint Eastwood’s characterization of Dirty Harry, and Jim Carrey in the movie The Cable Guy.
Hey Leonardo
For the longest time I had only ever heard the clean edit of the next song. When I downloaded “Why Don’t You Get a Job” by the Offspring, it was the album version. It certainly was not edited. As I think of the words that are edited from it, I chuckle. They seem tame compared to what words are allowed on the radio today.
Offspring’s Americana album was a concept album. It examined the unpleasant side of life in America. Songfacts says, The song fits the concept by examining how so many people get by in the country without being productive and contributing to society.
If you listen closely, the melody might sound familiar. That is because it is based on The Beatles song “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” with some elements of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia.”
Why Don’t You Get A Job
I’ve told this story before. When the Dixie Chicks first hit the radio, I did not think they would last. I felt that they had too much of a traditional sound and that listeners would not like it. I was wrong and I am glad that they went on to have radio success.
Their album Wide Open Spaces was full of hits. I came to really love the harmonies of the Dixie Chicks, especially on the last single from the album.
The Chicks’ version of “Tonight the Heartache’s on Me” was released in April of 1999. It had been recorded in 1994 by singer/songwriter Joy Lynn White, whose version was much slower. The Chicks version has a tempo and attitude that conveys all the feelings of the lyrics.
I love the play on words in the title. “The next round’s on me” is something you might hear in bars all over the country. The story of the song takes place in a bar. A gal sees her ex walk in with another woman and “Boom” – the hurt is there. “Bartender, pour the wine, ’cause the hurtin’s all mine. Tonight, the heartache’s on me!”
The song is a guilty pleasure, I suppose.
Tonight The Heartache’s On Me
I hate to say that Sheryl Crow is a cover artist, because she is not. However, her cover songs are really good! Take for example, her cover of 1987’s Sweet Child ‘O Mine.
It was originally done, of course, by Guns N’ Roses. The lyrics came from a poem Axl Rose was working on. Songfacts says that “he wrote the song about his girlfriend, Erin Everly, the daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. After dating for four years, they got married at a quickie wedding in Las Vegas on April 28, 1990, but just nine months later, the marriage was annulled, with Everly claiming abuse.“
The Sheryl Crow version appeared in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. It earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2000. Her version appears near the middle of the movie right after they take the kid away. The Guns N’ Roses original is also played in the movie (at the end with the credits.)
I think her voice compliments this song very well. Her voice is much better than some of the folks who attempted to sing this when I hosted karaoke!
Sweet Child O’ Mine
The aforementioned green ogre, Shrek, ties in with my next song. I think this is the one that most people associate with the Shrek films. I’m talking, of course, about All Star by Smash Mouth.
Like most Smash Mouth originals, it was written by their guitarist, Greg Camp. He said in a Songfacts interview:
“When we were on tour for the first record, it’s still when people were writing fan mail, like, in the form of paper and pencils and typewriters and stuff,” said Camp. “We would get these big bags of fan mail and we would take them to the Laundromat and do our laundry and read all this mail while we were sitting around waiting for our clothes to get dry. And about 85-90 percent of the mail was from these kids who were being bullied or their brothers or older siblings were giving them s–t for liking Smash Mouth or liking whatever they’re doing or the way they dressed and stuff. So we were, like, ‘We should write a song for fans.’
Before I stopped DJing a couple years ago, this song was still being requested at high school dances.
All Star
It is always great to see an artist from the past make a come back. 1999 was a great year for Carlos Santana!
Most music people are aware of Clive Davis. He is a legendary record executive who has worked with many artists and even appeared on American Idol. He was the mastermind behind Santana’s Supernatural album.
Santana hadn’t had a hit since “Hold On” in 1982, so Davis teamed him with contemporary musicians like Wyclef Jean, Everlast and Lauryn Hill to make sure the younger generation took notice. The result was a wildly successful album that went over well with Santana’s old fans and created a legion of new ones. “Smooth” was the first single; it spent 12 weeks at #1 in the US.
Rob Thomas sang lead on “Smooth,” but that wasn’t the plan. He had never written a song for someone else before, so he jumped at the chance to write a song for Santana. When he finished it, Thomas suggested George Michael, one of his musical heroes, as the vocalist. Arista Records ended up asking Thomas to do the vocals, and when he did, it was in Michael’s style. “If you listen to the melody and the cadence, it’s an attempt to emulate his style in so many ways,” Rob said.
Smooth” won Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Supernatural also won for Best Rock Album and Album Of The Year. Santana picked up a total of eight awards that night.
Fun fact: Santana has the distinction of waiting the longest between his first charting single and first #1 hit. In 1969, “Tango” hit #56 in the US, and 30 years later, “Smooth” was #1.
Smooth
The next song was probably THE ear worm of 1999. It was certainly one of those songs that got into your head. Believe it or not, Lou Bega’s “Mambo No 5” was a cover song! The song was originally done in 1952 by the Cuban-Mexican bandleader Perez Prado. Known as the “King of the Mambo,” Prado recorded numerous mambos. When he ran out of inspiration, he would simply number them. “Mambo No 5” was one of a series of eight.
The difference between the two versions? Perez Prado’s version was instrumental. In 1999, Lou Bega added lyrics to it. By doing so, he transformed it into a love song for several women. Those women: Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erica, Tina, Mary and Jessica. It was reported that the girls he mentioned were all Lou’s former girlfriends. It is probably beyond coincidence that eight of the girls in the song have names that end in “A,” making them quite singable.
Why is it on my list? Because I will forever link it to Barbara Eden. Let me explain. My buddy Steve said to me one day, “Hey. Did you know that you can sing the I Dream of Jeannie Theme song to Mambo No 5 and it fits perfectly?” I looked at him like he was nuts…until I heard it.
So, when you give it a listen, when Lou says, “A little bit of (Girl’s name)…” when he says the girls name, start singing the theme song and watch how it fits. It’s uncanny and it is ridiculous! Now, every time I hear it, that is ALL I hear!
If you’d like me to punch my friend for you, I will.
Mambo #5
Finally, this week a song that I literally just mentioned because of a birth anniversary. Last Tuesday, I featured this for Tune Tuesday and Robert Goulet’s birthday. I didn’t realize that it would coincide with this week’s list. You can read about that here:
Alright, which one of your favorites did I miss from 1999? Tell me about it in the comments.
Next week, we enter a new decade with the year 2000. It was a year that seemed SO far away for many of us. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the world didn’t shut down at midnight on January 1st (the Y2K fiasco!). Remember that?
My list next week is straight forward, and has no cover songs on it (I may have to double check to be sure). There are a few songs that strike a chord with me, especially as I celebrated birthday #30. Another good mix comes your way in 7 days.
56 years ago today, NBC aired Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special. This was HUGE! Elvis hadn’t appeared live in about seven years because he was busy doing movies. Naturally, it topped the ratings!
The special was originally going to be a Christmas special. The special’s director didn’t think that would peak the interests of young people at the time. Instead, the special included a sit-down session that showcased Elvis in an informal setting, surrounded by fans and a small band.
The special was recorded in June of 1968, and despite it not being a Christmas special, it did include one of his biggest Christmas songs – Blue Christmas. Now I could easily play the Elvis version of the song that was a hit, or the new arrangement with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, or even the full 1968 Comeback version for you, but I decided not to.
What I want to play for you is the 1968 Comeback version with a twist. What would it have sounded like if a special guest joined Elvis in a duet of his famous hit? Well, Martina McBride (thanks to a green screen and modern technology) does just that. Check this out:
I LOVE THIS!
Just for fun, here is a behind the scenes video of how it was done…
Prior to this cut, an Elvis Christmas Duets album was released. Martina sings this with him on that album, but it is the “hit version” arrangement. Here is that, just because:
It was on this day in 1988 that The Naked Gun premiered in theaters. It starred Leslie Nielsen and was based on the short-lived TV series, Police Squad.
Nielsen stars as Lieutenant Frank Drebin of Police Squad. George Kennedy, Ricardo Montalban, Priscilla Presley, and OJ Simpson (Yes, THAT OJ Simpson), as well. It was created by the same people who created Airplane! The jokes and puns are quick and there are many verbal and physical gags. The movie was so successful that two sequels followed.
In the film, Nielsen’s character and Presley’s character become romantically involved. There is a hilarious montage of the two together on various dates. While this montage happens, the music that plays under it is a familiar song from the 1960’s. I’m Into Something Good.
The song was written by Carole King and her writing partner Gerry Goffin. It was first recorded by Earl-Jean, the lead singer of the Cookies. Her version only went to #38 on the charts. The song became a British Invasion hit when producer Mickie Most heard Carole King’s demo and decided to cover it with a new British group, Herman’s Hermits.
The Hermits released this as their debut single. In December of 1964, their version went to #13 in America and #1 in the UK. This version is not the version used in the Naked Gun, however. It sounds similar because it is actually a rerecording done by Herman’s Hermits lead singer, Peter Noone.
For the record, the producers DID want the original Herman’s Hermits version. Songfacts.com explains what happened:
Peter Noone recorded a new version of this song for the 1988 movie The Naked Gun. Herman’s Hermits recorded for Cameo/Parkway Records, which was bought by Allen Klein, who as a result owned the rights to the songs Herman’s Hermits recorded for the label as well as tracks by The Animals, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others. Klein rarely allowed the songs he controlled to be used in movies.
Before Allen Klein’s death in 2009, Peter Noone explained to the Forgotten Hits newsletter how this song ended up in The Naked Gun: “They wanted to use the song in the movie. Klein declined because he knew he would have to account to somebody (e.g. Paramount). As he hates to account to anyone, because he can’t cheat and lie, he had to say no. The producers and writers contacted me with their story and I said, ‘I can make a copy exactly like the original and nobody will be able to tell the difference.’ When it was done, we decided you couldn’t tell the difference so we took off the guitar and replaced it with a whahhoo machine so Klein wouldn’t say it was the original. It’s a tragedy that Klein and his witless children stop all the product they control from being in movies so they can steal ALL the money. A question: Have any songs under the Klein families’ control ever been used in movies, commercials, TV shows? Doesn’t anyone ever wonder why? Surely there would be one Herman’s Hermits song, one Animals song. One song from a Cameo / Parkway artist, one Sam Cooke song, just one, that would work in a motion picture?”
Personally, I like the 1988 remake better than the original!
The week was a busy one to start with. Add a holiday to that and it get’s crazy!
This week, Ella only had to go to school two days.
They made turkeys out of paper plates. They also asked each child what they were thankful for. (“I’m thankful for when mommy tucks me in at night.”) They also colored and feathered a turkey. I love that she is spelling her full name now.
Andrew and I worked on a project on Sunday. He helped me install the new toilet seat. This one has a kid potty seat built right into it. I couldn’t have done it with out him.
Friday was absolutely insane. We rushed around so much! As crazy as it was, we spent the morning as a family. Quality time was much needed. First, we went to our amazing photographer, Beth, and did Christmas pictures. As always, she got some fantastic shots.
All smiles
The photo shoot is a “mini” session, so it is about 15 minutes long. That is perfect, because that’s about all that the kids can do without going nuts!
I see Ella every day. But it wasn’t until I saw last year’s pictures that I really see how much she has grown. The same with Andrew. They wind up looking like teenagers!
Look at that kid!
We got some great poses with the entire family, too. We’ll need to figure out which one goes on the Christmas card this year. I really like this one:
One thing I don’t feel like we get enough of is photos of Sam and me. So I had Beth snap a few for us.
Oh, how I love this woman!
After the photo session, we all went to breakfast. This is something that we rarely do, so it was a treat for all of us! We stopped by the local Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a delicious meal.
The kids were surprised that they could order whatever they wanted. Pancakes? Waffles? French Toast? Sausage? Bacon? Eggs? You name it, kid! You got it! Ella opted for blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. She’s a gal after my own heart.
Andrew ate his own meal (eggs, bacon, toast, and biscuits) and a bit of mom and dad’s, too! The thing he kept asking for was coffee! (That’s my boy!) He thought he was cool drinking from a big boy cup, too!
When I see this picture, I think of the future. I can see him sitting on the porch with me. We each have a coffee in our hands and we’re discussing how good life is…
Let’s slow down a bit, though, okay? Let’s not grow old too fast.
Now that it is officially the Christmas season, I’d like to offer up a holiday read for you. If you are looking for a quick holiday mystery to read, let me offer up one to you. I stumbled on author Peter Swanson when “Eight Perfect Murders” came up as a suggestion on Goodreads. That led me to read a few of this other books (The Kind Worth Killing, The Kind Worth Saving, Nine Lives, etc…).
When I saw that he had a Christmas book, I added it to my “to read” list. It’s been on there since just after Christmas last year. Since all the decorations are up, I thought this would be a good book to read by the lights of the tree.
The book is a novella. It is something that I read in one sitting. It wasn’t as good as some of his other stuff, but there was still a big twist in there which helped boost my rating of the book.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
An American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family’s Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village’s grim history.
Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma’s aloof and handsome brother.
But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she’d ever imagined?
Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.
The book was a nice read while I waited for the one I had on hold. It wasn’t like some of his other books, but the twist caught me off guard. Once that happens, the rest of the story all falls into place.
I would have given the book 3.5 stars, but the twist brought it up to 4 stars for me.
It’s time for another edition of Turntable Talk, hosted by Dave from A Sound Day. Again, I thank Dave for the invite to contribute to this feature. This month’s topic is an interesting one that had a lot of possible songs to choose from. This month it is History Lesson Or Music Class? We were instructed to “pick a song you like that’s based on reality- either a real event or a real life person, famous or otherwise, and tell us a bit about it. Musicians have found some incredible subjects based on history – either world or their own – to make great music from.”
I could come up with a few songs based on real events that I have already written about in the past. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and Smoke on the Water were both inspired by real events. Please, Mr. Columbus and Nightshift were both about real people. I was unsure about what to choose.
Naturally, I went to Google and did a search on songs inspired by real events or people. There are songs about the Kennedy assassination, the sinking of the Titanic, the bomb that dropped on Hiroshima, and just about everything else. As I read through the list, one song popped into my head that wasn’t even on the list. So I chose that one.
By the time this post goes live, all of the other contributor’s submissions will have already been published. The song I have chosen is one that is very fitting for the upcoming holiday season. It is based on an event that took place 110 years ago and is one of the amazing stories of World War I.
When World War I began, many thought that it would be over by Christmas. However, five months after the war began, it was still going strong despite many peace initiatives. On December 7, 1914, the Pope begged both the German and British governments for a truce. He asked “that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang”, which was refused by both sides.
A major combat tactic in World War I was trench warfare. This is where the opposing armies dig trenches in order to protect themselves from enemy gunfire and gain an advantage. Trenches are usually built close together and can be miles long and up to 12 feet deep. I many cases the trenches of both sides were close enough that they could converse with each other. This was referred to as Fraternization (peaceful and sometimes friendly interactions between opposing forces) and was a regular feature in quiet sectors of the Western Front.
On Christmas Day, 1914, roughly 100,000 British and German troops were involved in the informal cessations of hostility along the Western Front. German soldiers placed candles on their trenches and on Christmas trees. They then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols. The British responded to this by singing carols of their own.
The shared experience of Christmas led to the two sides shouting Christmas greetings to each other from their trenches. Soon thereafter, there were excursions across No Man’s Land, where small gifts were exchanged, such as food, tobacco, alcohol, and souvenirs such as buttons and hats. During this time, weapons were laid down and there was no artillery fire.
On Christmas Day Brigadier-General Walter Congreve of Brittian wrote that the Germans declared a truce for the day. One of his men bravely lifted his head above the parapet and others from both sides walked onto no man’s land. Officers and men shook hands and exchanged cigarettes and cigars; one of his captains “smoked a cigar with the best shot in the German army”, the latter no more than 18 years old. Congreve admitted he was reluctant to witness the truce for fear of German snipers.
On December 26, 1914, British Private Henry Williamson wrote the following to his mother:
“Dear Mother, I am writing from the trenches. It is 11 o’clock in the morning. Beside me is a coke fire, opposite me a ‘dug-out’ (wet) with straw in it. The ground is sloppy in the actual trench, but frozen elsewhere. In my mouth is a pipe presented by the Princess Mary. In the pipe is tobacco. Of course, you say. But wait. In the pipe is German tobacco. Haha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench. Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench. Yesterday the British & Germans met & shook hands in the Ground between the trenches, & exchanged souvenirs, & shook hands. Yes, all day Xmas day, & as I write. Marvelous, isn’t it?”
The truces were not reported for a week, eventually being publicized to the masses when an unofficial press embargo was broken by the New York Times on New Year’s Eve. (The US was neutral at this time). English newspapers soon began printing numerous first-hand accounts from soldiers in the field, taken from letters home to their families and editorials on “one of the greatest surprises of a surprising war”. By January 8, 1915, pictures had made their way to the press.
As word spread of this truce, and as the war went on, officers on both sides sternly prohibited similar truces in the future!
I give you all of that detail for a reason. My song is Belleau Wood by Garth Brooks. It was released on his Sevens album. As you listen to it, notice how he is able to tell this story and convey all of the emotions involved in just 3 and a half minutes. It is beautiful, heartwarming, and sad at various points in the song.
The one line in the song that always gets me is: “Here’s hoping we both live to see us find a better way.” Here we are 110 years after this event and we are all still searching for “a better way.” Sigh.
As I researched this event and this song, I read a very good piece about the song by Sierra Smith, It was written in 2015 and can be found here:
Thanks again, Dave for hosting and for asking me to join in this month’s Turntable Talk. I know that I always enjoy writing for it and reading the other contributions. I’m already looking forward to next month’s topic!
I found a hard drive recently that has some of my old radio audio on it. It also has about 2 years worth of show prep, jokes, and stuff I will never use again. There were also some photos on there.
As I began to copy some of the pictures over, I attempted to sort them. I was transferring some photos I had of my dad. I noticed one already in the folder that made me laugh. Since it is a holiday picture, I thought I would share it.
You can always count on my dad and I doing something silly in a photo. I would guess this photo is probably from the late 1990’s. As I got older, my bald spot got bigger. I think my brother or mother took this picture. We were obviously talking about me losing my hair.
This was taken in my grandma’s condo. It is probably Christmas Eve. This was back when we wore a shirt and tie for holiday visits! As I look at this photo, I am frustrated. I cannot bring how the rest of the house looked to mind. I remember this room and the kitchen mostly.
I can make out a few things behind my dad and me. Those brass birds on the wall were just a small part of grandma’s collection. The blue flower lamp on the table was something. It just seemed so unlike my grandma’s style. She got it anyway. She got that gold clock on the wall after the grandfather clock stopped working, I think.
The chair in front of us I remember very well. There is a picture of all of us with my grandparents on their 50th anniversary. We took it in and around that chair. A few months later, my grandpa passed away.
On a lighter note, today, my dad has more hair than me. So the joke is on me, I suppose!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 