On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

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I asked a bunch of my Somerville Facebook friends to share some of the songs that brought back memories of the “old days” in the city. The old days to me are the late 60’s and  70’s and early 80’s.

I go all the way  back to Java by Al Hirt and Calcutta by Lawrence Welk. The Buckingham’s Kind of a Drag and Hey Baby, they’re playing our song are two songs I love. A friend said that In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly (1968 release)  ignited many old memories of cruising around the city.

We bought a lot our records at The Record Shop in Davis Square from the grumpy old guy with glasses. Save 12 tickets and get a free 45! The album Best of Traffic came out in 1969. I was 16 and working at Woolworths in Davis Square. I bought the cassette there and listened to it hundreds of times, especially with headphones. Now, anytime I hear  Dear Mr. Fantasy, I am transported back to  1969 Woolworths in my mind.

The same holds true for Carol King’s Tapestry album which came out in 1971 (my graduation year) with such hits as You’ve Got a Friend, It’s too Late and I feel the Earth Move. All these songs bring back memories of bursting balloons to find out the price of a  sundae, huge aquariums packed with goldfish, and bell bottom pants.

Here are some Villen Votes for great songs of the past. Born To Be Wild, anything by AC/DC especially with original singer Bon Scott. Rock The Casbah (we use to sing Rock The State Spa!)  Runnin’ With The Devil by Van Halen. Someone actually suggested Seasons in the Sun!

Somerville High School’s class of 1979 song was Free Bird. Baba O Reilly, aka Teenage Wasteland by The Who. If you want to go way back, every time I hear She Loves You or I want to hold your hand by The Beatles it’s flashback time.

I recall sitting in front of the black and  white TV in 1964 watching the Fab Four on The Ed Sullivan Show. I was 11 years old and I  never thought there would come a day when life wasn’t carefree and laid back. I think of that thick round adapter that we had to squeeze onto the record player in order to play our 45 rpms. It was a time of big cars, great tunes, and moms wearing aprons. Some houses in Somerville were going for around  $20,000 and I had to wear a stupid necktie and uncomfortable woolen pants to “sister school.”

Here are a few more  songs that some Somerville people mentioned as among their favorites from yesteryear.

War , what is it good for; Ball Of Confusion; Manic Monday; Eye of the Tiger; Saturday in the Park; Color My World; Suite Judy Blue Eyes; Free Bird; Born to be Wild; Dream on; For those about to rock we salute you ; Dirty Water; We will rock you/We are the Champions; Rock the Boat; Light My Fire; The Night Chicago Died; Barroom Blitz; Paradise by the Dashboard lights; Love My Money; Spark ’em Up; You’re so Vain; Bohemian Rhapsody; Spirit in the Sky; Make me Smile; Love is Blue (1970 SHS class song;) Down on the Corner; Rock and Roll all night. Don’t forget The Beach Boys  and Zeppelin man!

My mother used to sing Lavender blue Dilly dilly and Catch a falling star to me when I was a baby. One time, as I was sucking my thumb, my mother told me that the birds were singing just for me. Without taking my thumb out of my mouth I said, “tell them to sing Dave Crockett!”

Everyone has a song that stirs up a fond memory of a simpler time. I only scratched the surface. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on it but the song gives you a familiar feeling of a time long ago. You can listen to AM 740 WJIB to get  some  of those musical juices flowing or just dig out the cassettes and 45’s. If you are like me, you have downloaded most of your favs on your ipod.

Angel Of The Morning reminds of my mother. She used to ask me to play it on the piano when she had guests in the house. Kentucky Rain by Elvis reminds me of my dad, because he once told me I sang it “pretty good.” If I hear Alone Again Naturally, I will sob like a baby.

To sum up this little walk down our Somerville musical memory lane, Mary Hopkins said it up best with her 1968 hit, Those Were The Days.

Those were the days my friend

We’d thought they’d never end

We’d sing and dance

Forever and the day

We’d live the life we’d choose

We’d fight and never lose

Those were the days

My friend those were the days !