I met a boy called Frank Mills
On September twelfth right here
In front of the Waverly
But unfortunately, I lost his address.
He was last seen with his friend, a drummer
He resembles George Harrison of The Beatles
But he wears his hair tied in a small bow at the back
I love him but it embarrasses me
To walk down the street with him
He lives in Brooklyn somewhere
And he wears his white crash helmet
He has golden chains on his leather jacket
And on the back are written the names
"Mary" and "Mom" and "Hell's Angels"
I would gratefully appreciate if you see him tell him
I'm in the park with my girlfriend and please
Tell him Angela and I don't want the two dollars back, just him.
⦿
Do you know the song? Until this very morning, I had no idea that if features in the musical "Hair" which I have never seen. "Frank Mills" has been recorded by various artists over the years including Barbra Streisand, Sandie Shaw and The Lemonheads but it was this version that arrested me at the end of the sixties - by the Dutch singer Raina Gerardina Bojoura van Melzen or Bojoura for short. Later she would marry Hans Cleuver, drummer in the Dutch band Focus.
The song has an unusual kind of intimacy, with small but affectionate details. The standpoint of the singer is one of starry-eyed innocence. Who was this guy - Frank Mills who went off with the two dollars he had presumably cadged off her and her friend Angela? Was he a real Hell's Angel or just a rebellious kid? By the way, today "The Waverly Inn" is a high end Manhattan restaurant.
The song's music was written by Galt MacDermot with lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. It has been here in my head since 1969. I never did flush it out and finally it has secured its place within this humble Yorkshire blog. Dear Bojoura, if I do cross paths with Frank Mills, I will indeed tell him that you do not want the two dollars back, just him.
I don't remember ever hearing this song but I must have because I have seen "Hair" in a live stage performance, I believe.
ReplyDeleteOnly "believe"? Were you high on drugs or something Bruce?
DeleteIt's been many years, Neil.
DeleteI've never heard of this before. The only Frank Mills I know is the one on youtube who plays piano.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember it from the movie version of Hair ....
ReplyDeleteIt's completely new to me. She's got a nice voice. Very sixties sounding.
ReplyDeleteHair was such a big thing back in its day. It surprising this song was never given much prominence. I have never heard it before.
ReplyDeleteI have an LP recording of music from Hair which I bought in the 70s, and that song is not on it. I don't remember ever hearing it before.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall ever having heard it either, but then I don't think I ever even saw the full movie version.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say I had never heard of it before but then I listened to it and I knew it! I would never have remembered the lyrics so I am glad you had them printed out. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI had the Hair album from the broadway production and listened to this song a million times. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI've just listened, pretty voice, new song for me as well.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard that version. I have the one that was recorded for the movie version of "Hair," which came out in 1979. It's on the soundtrack, but weirdly the song isn't used in the movie. I was never sure what "The Waverley" referred to. There was a Waverley cinema in Greenwich Village, and also a Waverley Diner. (Maybe the restaurant you refer to used to be the diner? Sixth Avenue and Waverley Place?)
ReplyDelete