"Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September. . ."
An appropriate song to begin the month of September as well as to rekindle this blog from some years ago. I first heard Walter Huston (John's father) singing this wistful song in a wavering, almost desperate voice: it's the end of summer, the end of vacation, the end of youth. He is better known for his character acting, particularly as the hard-bitten gold miner in his son's Treasure of the Sierra Madre. For a more modern version, check out Lou Reed's version on the great compilation album Lost In the Stars: a Tribute to Kurt Weill.
VERSE
When I was a young man courting the girls
I played me a waiting game.
If a maid refused me with tossing curls
I'd let the old earth take a couple of twirls
And I'd ply her with tears instead of pearls
And as time came around, she came my way
As time came around, she came.
CHORUS
Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn't got time for the waiting game
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days I'll spend with you
These precious days I'll spend with you
