25 April 2012

"Swelled"

It was December 1965 when Paul Frederic Simon and Arthur Ira Garfunkel recorded "April Come She Will" for their "Sounds of Silence" album. Hell, that's forty seven years ago. Another song was recorded at the same time - "Homeward Bound" which recalls Paul Simon's folk performances in small British venues during the early nineteen sixties. The legend is that he was inspired to write it at Widnes station near Liverpool as he waited to "get home" both to his then girlfriend Kathy in Essex and to his native New York City. Simon once described those years as "the best time of my life".
April come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain;
May, she will stay,
Resting in my arms again

June, she´ll change her tune,
In restless walks she´ll prowl the night;
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight.

August, die she must,
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold;
September I´ll remember.
A love once new has now grown old.

Checking out the BBC Weather site, I see that it's raining in England now. An Atlantic depression has swept in to deluge the entire country with the wet stuff. So much for the drought they've been having over there! No, the streams will certainly be "ripe and swelled with rain" now. I'd have probably been hammering away at my computer keyboard in the study watching drops of rain "weave their weary paths and die" on the windowpane.

Instead I'm just off snorkelling in the bay. The social club jukebox is now playing Rupert Holmes's  "If You Like Pina Coladas"... Well I do, but I'd rather not write about that song. So I'll leave you with the simple genius of Paul Simon:-

6 comments:

  1. I met someone once who knew 'Kathy'. Apparently the Widnes/Wigan station story is not true.

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  2. are you sure he wasn't writing it about a cafe?
    As for streams and rivers and reservoirs.... let me tell you.... there was never a danger of a drought round these parts.... the reservoirs have been fuller (even before this recent wet spell) than I've seen them for a couple of years.... the problem comes when we're selling all our water to France or something silly - then they fizz it up and sell it back as Perrier!

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  3. MR BOOTH I'd heard that rumour too but dismissed it when I read Paul Simon's account. There is a commemorative plaque at Widnes station. The first was stolen and the authorities wanted Kathy to unveil the replacement but she wouldn't. I believe that she worked in administration at Bangor University though being almost 65 years old now, she may well have retired.
    ARCTIC "UNINSURED" FOX It's not the frogs we need to worry about it's those southern herberts. They're definitely after our water. I caught a couple the other day just staring into Ladybower Reservoir and saying "Cor blimey!"

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  4. Such wonderful music from these two talented lads.......are you taking a ukelele to Blogland YP?

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  5. Such wonderful music from these two talented lads.......are you taking a ukelele to Blogland YP?

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  6. I love S & G... thanks for this trip down memory land YP.

    But, just a little point of contention: You know it does rain here. And although it's always warm, it's still wet! As my post today will prove!
    In fact, I suspect as we get into May, we'll have more than just our short mid-afternoon deluge. I have three coconut bowls now, so I have enough drinking water and some to spare. I miss soap, however!

    By the way, I've worked out the rough shape of my island -I think it's sort-of an elongated triangle, with a long narrow piece to the south. I may be wrong tho'. It's hard to be accurate without a compass. I'm almost back to 'my beach. Just have the last headland and new beach to explore. Who knows what I shall find?

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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