Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(Originally published on October 11, 2014)

Lots of songs remind us of growing up in Somerville. My dad graduated from Somerville High in 1938, and my mom in 1944. Somerville’s swinging teens back in ‘38 were boppin’ to songs like Jeepers Creepers (where’d you get those peepers). The top song in 1944 was Bing Crosby’s Would You Like To Swing on a Star? (carry moon beams home in a jar). It’s cool to imagine my young mom and dad strolling through Davis Square singing those two songs as they “saw the movie for a nickel and had a coke for 2 cents!” (after walking uphill, barefoot, in a snowstorm to school!!)

Fred and Gerry Del Ponte were married in 1951 at St Anthony’s Church on Somerville Ave. The band’s playlist at the wedding reception may have looked like this: On top of Old Smokey, The Tennessee Waltz, Aba Daba Honeymoon, Mockin’ Bird Hill, Come-On-A-My-House, Because of You, Jezebel, and Be My Love (Mario Lanza of course!). My mother used to sing Mockin’ Bird Hill to me as a kid, and I’m sure she had fond memories of her wedding. I sang Smoke On The Water to my kids!

When I graduated Somerville High School in 1971, some of the top songs were Maggie Mae, Won’t Get Fooled Again, I Feel the Earth Move, Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again, Theme From Shaft (they say this cat Shaft is a bad …well I’m talkin’ about Shaft!)

When I finally graduated, I played the Rare Earth hit I Just Want to Celebrate until the needle on my phonograph wore out the 45! Some other songs from 1971 were Proud Mary, Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves, (aka, my friends at the time!) and You’ve Got A Friend. For the rest of my life, any time I hear any of these songs, I am automatically magically transported back in time. That’s what music does to us all. When we hear an old song, we are young again. We hear a certain tune and we are hanging on the street corner with our friends, with long hair, wearing bell-bottoms, and Members Only jackets. (Fill in the fad for your particular era.)

In my latest survey I asked: What song, past or present reminds you of Somerville when you were growing up? Ready? Strike up the band! (this is by no means a complete list … there were so many!) Dirty Water, Dream On, Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, Goodnight Irene, Dream On, Itchycoo Park, Cherry Hill Park (sung to Powder House Park) Smokin’ the Boys Room, Sugar Sugar, Hotel California, Heart Of My Heart, and Paradise By The Dashboard Lights.

Electric Avenue’s lyrics were changed by a wise guy pal of mine to “We’re gonna rock down to, Mystic Avenue, and then we’ll steal your tires.” Of course, they never really did that because we were all little angels back in the day.

Lincoln Park kids used to gather together and sing Beatles songs at night. Some more faves of Somerville kids growing up were, Magic Bus, Purple Haze, and of course the classic Stairway To Heaven, or Stairway to Prospect (Hill), Pinball Wizard, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Baba O’Reilly (aka Teenage Wasteland), American Pie, and Save The Last Dance For Me were also mentioned.

Let’s not forget the classic Somerville High School fight song, Somerville Leads The Way, and the less classic KISS 108 tune from the ‘90’s, Somerville (Let’s go down to Davis Square, see the girls with great big hair) by yours truly.

So there you have it. Just the tip of the musical iceberg featuring some blasts from the past, oldies but goodies, and music of our lives here in the city of the Seven Hills. In closing, I will tell you about one of my favorite songs growing up in Somerville, and that is (I Love You) More Today Than Yesterday by the Spiral Staircase. I played it in every band I was in, all over The Ville. It really never meant that much to me but Then Came You, Michele, Because, I Honestly Love You.