If you accepted my challenge from the February 5, 2023 entry here, you know how hard it is to limit yourself to a single song that you feel reflects who you are or how you think. I ran into the same wall when considering my own choices, so I figured that providing an opportunity for a second choice was fair. Face it: we are multi-dimensional creatures. So in fairness to me (and to you, if you’re actually trying to play along with this), what follows is my second choice in songs. It’s not less reflective, not less of a lift when I hear it than “Born to Be Wild.” It’s who I am, but in another tune.
“Daydream” by The Lovin’ Spoonful is an ode to simply being. There are no guitar power chords to light up my spine, just a warm, happy-go-lucky song that invites me to relax and dream, every time I hear it. As a “day-dreamin’ boy” of some reputation, “Daydream” gives me license to be irresponsible, spontaneous, immature, capricious, if only for its 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Beyond that short interval, though, it reminds me in a beautiful way that “time ain’t really on my side” and the moments for “takin’ a walk in the sun” and just being grateful for a beautiful day are not infinite. The idea that such a day would be with Katie, “my sweet thing,” does, in fact, light up my spine, “’cause she’s the one that makes me feel this way.” Yes, there is the gift of the day, but also the gift of the one who is in it with me, all the way.
Singer/songwriter John Sebastian wrote a lot of great music, much of it gentle in nature and perceptive of real life experiences: “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” Were you ever with your partner, mesmerized by the “Rain On the Roof?” I suspect that my love of these and some of Sebastian’s other songs contribute to the spell that “Daydream” casts when I hear it, but it’s the only one that will make me set aside whatever else is in front of me, to figuratively “fall on my face on somebody’s new-mowed lawn.” I love singing this song like few others, because I absolutely know the feelings that Sebastian had as he wrote it. I wish I had.
“Daydream” makes it OK for me to decide that “tomorrow I’ll pay the dues for droppin’ my load” and suffering “a pie in the face for bein’ a sleepy bull toad.” Being carefree on occasion is just something that I need to do. I use the song as my reason, my rationale, my excuse for being less than fully conscientious. My friends will attest to my willingness to embrace the justification.
Songs that we come to cherish and claim as our own take on meanings that the songwriters might never have imagined; it’s both a curse and a blessing to those who suffer the birthing pains of blending music and lyric into a song that transcends a moment in popular culture. But “Daydream” requires no stretch or deep analytics to grasp its simple intent. Its message to me over the past 57 years has been to “be still,” to love the moment and all that is in it, to literally become “lost in a daydream” that is me.
What’s your song….?
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Sheppard's Blog 
Feel Good Song
On September 3, 1965, I attended the first school dance of my junior year at Holmen High School in Holmen, Wisconsin. I was hanging out on the sidelines with my friend, Ron. We were watching two cute girls that we knew dancing together – pretty common back then, with the girls dancing and the boys watching from the side of the gym.
In a fit of bravery, I asked Ron if he wanted to cut in with the two, me dancing with the junior girl and Ron, a senior, dancing with the senior girl. When we cut in, however, they turned towards us with Judy, the senior, in front of me and the junior girl in front of Ron, so that’s who we ended up dancing with. It was a bit awkward at first, but we continued dancing to the song that was playing, “The Silence” by Al Hirt.
That little error of cutting in the wrong way turned out to be the very best “goof up” of my life, as Judy and I continued dancing together all evening. We repeatedly requested “The Silence” to the disc jockey, who cooperated several times throughout the evening. That started a year-long relationship of “going steady”. We did break up when Judy went off to college the following fall, but always stayed close friends. We eventually got together again full time towards the end of our college days and ended up getting engaged on September 3, 1970 – the 5th anniversary of our first dance together.
We got married the following summer on June 26, 1971, after I graduated from college and she had finished her first year of teaching. We are now closing in on our 52nd Anniversary next summer. The date we celebrate even more than our wedding anniversary, however, has always been September 3rd. That day this year will be the 57th anniversary of that first dance and 58th anniversary of our engagement.
Needless to say, Judy’s and my favorite song is “The Silence” by renowned trumpet player Al Hirt, not because of the memorable and meaningful words (there are no words in this song!), but because of what that song ended up meaning to our relationship and the memories it brings back to us yet to this day.
Feel Good Song On September 3, 1965, I attended the first school dance of my junior year at Holmen High School in Holmen, Wisconsin. I was hanging out on the sidelines with my friend, Ron. We were watching two cute girls that we knew dancing together – pretty common back then, with the girls dancing and the boys watching from the side of the gym. In a fit of bravery, I asked Ron if he wanted to cut in with the two, me dancing with the junior girl and Ron, a senior, dancing with the senior girl. When we cut in, however, they turned towards us with Judy, the senior, in front of me and the junior girl in front of Ron, so that’s who we ended up dancing with. It was a bit awkward at first, but we continued dancing to the song that was playing, “The Silence” by Al Hirt. That little error of cutting in the wrong way turned out to be the very best “goof up” of my life, as Judy and I continued dancing together all evening. We repeatedly requested “The Silence” to the disc jockey, who cooperated several times throughout the evening. That started a year-long relationship of “going steady”. We did break up when Judy went off to college the following fall, but always stayed close friends. We eventually got together again full time towards the end of our college days and ended up getting engaged on September 3, 1970 – the 5th anniversary of our first dance together. We got married the following summer on June 26, 1971, after I graduated from college and she had finished her first year of teaching. We are now closing in on our 52nd Anniversary next summer. The date we celebrate even more than our wedding anniversary, however, has always been September 3rd. That day this year will be the 57th anniversary of that first dance and 58th anniversary of our engagement. Needless to say, Judy’s and my favorite song is “The Silence” by renowned trumpet player Al Hirt, not because of the memorable and meaningful words (there are no words in this song!), but because of what that song ended up meaning to our relationship and the memories it brings back to us yet to this day.
As you say, too many to choose. I do still relax if the song “Sounds of Silence” is played. But for more current times I would select a spiritual — “He Never Failed Me Yet”. Probably related to personal current situation, but still an inspiring song with demanding ranges. Several versions on you tube.