Category Archives: Song Blog

80. How could I help if tears were starting

Song Blog

I’ve mentioned my parents’ Mitch Miller Album in another post. It had sheets of paper with the songs written on it attached to the middle of the cover — like the pages of a book. I’m thinking there were several copies of the songs — so you could have your friends over, put the song on the Hi-Fi and have your own Sing-Along with Mitch.

The only other song I can remember from the album always made me think of my Uncle Dick and his wife, Jean. They divorced when I was young, but old enough to know they didn’t like each other much. I remember once sitting in their living room — they were babysitting my brother and me — and out of the blue Aunt Jean yelled “what are you looking at?” to Uncle Dick. Even so, when they got divorced I was sad for them, and imagined they were just drifting apart — but really still in love.

The song Harbor Lights seems to be about a sailor whose ship is getting ready to sail off somewhere and his love is on shore. The tune is melancholy and the words end on a bitter note. I used to imagine my Uncle Dick singing this song to his ex-wife as she departed from his life.

Funny – my dad was in the Navy when he met and became engaged to my (very young) mother. I never of thought them when I heard Mitch Miller and his “gang” sing this song.

I saw the harbor lights
They only told me we were parting
The same old harbor lights that once brought you to me
I watched the harbor lights
How could I help if tears were starting
Goodbye to tender nights beside the silv’ry sea

Jimmy Kennedy 1937

78. PEI, Adieu

Song Blog

One of my favorite vacations ever was taken before kids. I’d just read the Anne of Green Gables series of books and had a strong desire to see the red soil of Prince Edward Island.

We drove up through New England, stopping to visit our friends, Neal and Marie in Massachusetts on the way. We spent one night in a town in New Hampshire (Jefferson perhaps?) that was having an arson issue – and a fire occurred the night we slept there. It was mentioned on the news later that summer – by Dan Rather I think.

We also stopped a couple of places in Maine – so I could visit the former haunts of my best friend from junior high. We went to Bar Harbor and visited the College of the Atlantic where she went to college. Then we drove to Lubec where her family had a summer house (and her mother still lives, it turns out). In between we stopped in Lincoln where I saw my first Loon.

We drove through New Brunswick where we stayed the night in a cabin on the edge of a cliff.

In Nova Scotia we spent at least one night at a B&B that once was a home of Alexander Grahame Bell, according to the current owner. From that B&B we took a boat ride to see Puffins and other pelagic birds.

This was before the bridge to PEI, so we boarded a ferry for the ride to our final destination. We spent 3 or 4 days exploring the island, visiting Lucy Maud Montgomery‘s home, communing with nature, milking cows and eating mussels. We also did a little shopping. At a small, out-of-the-way pottery shop I heard beautiful music coming from the PA system. I asked what it was. The owner of the shop told me it was Teresa Doyle – a native of PEI. She also had some of her albums for sale. I bought one and listened to it often. I just looked her up, and it looks like she released 8 albums after the one I bought.

I’d love to someday go back to PEI. I loved that tiny island. I tried to get my daughter interested in Anne of Green Gables, but she just didn’t like the stories. So who knows. Perhaps I’ll visit again, perhaps I just need to keep the memories.