Music & More

Sunday Drive and a Drive for a Sundae

One of my favorite songs these days is the title track of Brett Eldredge's latest album, Sunday Drive, which was released July 10, 2020. The Sunday Drive song was written by Barry Dean, Steve Robson and Don Mescall about a dozen years ago. From the reviews I've read it has received almost universal praise - yet it wasn't chosen for release as a single. "Gabrielle" the first single  has been followed by "Good Day", both good songs but nowhere near as good as "Sunday Drive". Could it's length of 4:54 be a factor?

Rolling Stone called it:

"a stages-of-life ballad about being driven around by your parents as a vulnerable tyke, but, in a hallmark of great country songwriting, it flips the script for a weeper of a final verse. All grown up, the narrator is now helping his aging mom and dad into the car’s back seat for their weekly ride."

 

Part of the lyrics:

They didn't ever say where we were going
We just climbed into the backseat
Eyes wide open to the picture show outside
I guess we really didn't understand it all
Remember looking up at them in the front row
Hands touched together, almost out of sight
It's been a long, hard week, but now the slow release
Of a Sunday afternoon

 

And we were only young
But they were trying hard to reach us
How was I to know
That there was something so worth keepin'?

 

Chorus:

'Cause we were
Watching the world through an open window
Trees lined up like dominoes
This old car could find its own way home
It's the ordinary things that mean so much
That's where I learned it all from them
To fight, to love, to laugh again
Man, I thought we were only wasting time
Out on a Sunday drive

 

Bridge:

The sun warms your soul just like an old friend
Singing songs along that ribbon of a road
And everyone you love is sitting there so close
You're never thinking that you'd ever get old
No, you'll never get old

 

Repeat Chorus:

 

I never said where we were going
I just helped them to the backseat
Dad just laughed and said, "Son, don't drive too far
Your momma gets pretty tired these days"
After a few miles I guess they recognized some places
And I listened as they reminisced
About a world that they had always known
And how it's changin'
Probably never gonna be the same again

 

I caught 'em in the mirror
They were holding hands and smiling
Looking younger than they'd been in years
Oh, through all the years

 

 

I remember a drive on Long Island probably in the mid-1950's that may or may not have been on a Sunday but it included a stop for a Sundae.

August 30, 2008

Davy Crockett Sundaes In Front of the Alamo

If you combine a love of American history with a love of music, you've got to love Gary Burr's great song "In Front of the Alamo". Allusions to one of the most famous battles in American history are combined with the story of a woman's love gone bad because of her husband's infidelity, a type of behavior unfortunately not limited to arrogant, duplicitous politicians. The couple met as tourists in front of the Alamo. The second verse ends "she wanted trust, she wanted truth, the two things he found hard to do. So forever was shorter than she planned". (The lives of the defenders of the Alamo were shorter than they planned.) She returns to the Alamo so that she can move on. The bridge begins "she didn't come for inspiration or to breathe the mighty dust of heroes lost". The third verse ends "maybe something in the air makes the timid braver there, to cross the line that they've drawn in the sand". The tag chorus completes the analogy "they held on she lets go" (they were brave by holding on she by letting go) and concludes "in front of the Alamo, that's a pretty good place to make a stand".

In addition to the brilliant lyrics and melody, the song had the advantage of being performed by the great Hal Ketchum with perfectly blending harmonies provided by LeAnn Rimes. Yet the song was not a hit. Maybe it didn't get enough airplay. I did hear it a few times on the radio. If George Strait attempted to sing it, it would have been song of the year. I guess that many of us who are really moved by a song want the world to hear it and love it to validate our opinion. None of us are entirely devoid of ego.

The song made me recall watching the Disney Davy Crockett series of the 1950's featuring Fess Parker and Buddy Epsen. I was 8 when the first episode aired and I loved it, couldn't wait to see the next Sunday night episode. The theme song, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" often ran through my mind  - "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, ... killed him a bear when he was only three", etc. I was glad when they added 2 extra episodes after the first three. I liked the Mike Fink riverboat episode.

I recall my mother and maybe it was my "aunt" Ruth (a close friend of my mother's from Alabama originally) taking my two brothers, Rick and Chris, and I on a drive somewhere on Long Island where they bought us each a Davy Crockett sundae. I think it was made in the shape of a coonskin cap. Both brothers remember the event and Chris says it had coconut on it and tasted awful. Although I haven't found anything on the internet about a Davy Crockett sundae, it's not surprising that some ice cream vendor would try to capitalize on the Crockett craze since they were marketing everything Davy Crockett those days, from games and lunchboxes (I took a metal lunchbox to school but I don't remember if it bore the image of Mr. Crockett.) to, yes, coonskin caps. If somehow Davy could have been given a small piece of the action he probably never would have gone to the Alamo. I grew up in the borough of Queens on Long Island but the place where we bought those sundaes may have been further out on the island in Nassau or Suffolk county. Kids don't pay attention to what roads are taken to get anywhere, not until they themselves scare their parents by getting behind the wheel.

For those who would like to read about Davy Crockett and the Alamo I would recommend "Three Roads to the Alamo, the Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barrett Travis" by William C. Davis and "The Frontiersman, The Life and Legend of Davy Crockett" by Mark Derr. The former has the advantage of delving into the interesting lives of Jim Bowie and Travis. Before reading the Davis book all I knew of Mr. Bowie was that he was at the Alamo and was famous for the Bowie knife. Of Mr. Travis I knew less.

(I just discovered that the Alamo legend as described in these books and the Disney TV shows may be more myth than an accurate history. I will be reading a book published a few months ago titled "Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth", written by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson & Jason Stanford. Further comment will be provided after my reading and further research is completed.)

Mr. Burr has written or co-written many fine songs in addition to "In Front of the Alamo" which was a solo effort. I'm sure that many country music fans are familiar with Hal Ketchum's "Sure Love", Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me", "I Try to Think About Elvis" by Patty Loveless, Lisa Brokop's "West of Crazy", Wynonna's "To Be Loved By You", Diamond Rio's "In a Week or Two", Collin Raye's "Man of my Word", Doug Stone's "Too Busy Being in Love", Terri Clark's "Empty" and Ty Herndon's "Heart Half Empty", a duet with Stephanie Bentley, and also Ty's hit "What Mattered Most".

If you combine a love of American history with a love of music, you've got to love Gary Burr's great song "In Front of the Alamo". Allusions to one of the most famous battles in American history are combined with the story of a woman's love gone bad because of her husband's infidelity, a type of behavior unfortunately not limited to arrogant, duplicitous politicians. The couple met as tourists in front of the Alamo. The second verse ends "she wanted trust, she wanted truth, the two things he found hard to do. So forever was shorter than she planned". (The lives of the defenders of the Alamo were shorter than they planned.) She returns to the Alamo so that she can move on. The bridge begins "she didn't come for inspiration or to breathe the mighty dust of heroes lost". The third verse ends "maybe something in the air makes the timid braver there, to cross the line that they've drawn in the sand". The tag chorus completes the analogy "they held on she lets go" (they were brave by holding on she by letting go) and concludes "in front of the Alamo, that's a pretty good place to make a stand".

In addition to the brilliant lyrics and melody, the song had the advantage of being performed by the great Hal Ketchum with perfectly blending harmonies provided by LeAnn Rimes. Yet the song was not a hit. Maybe it didn't get enough airplay. I did hear it a few times on the radio. If George Strait attempted to sing it, it would have been song of the year. I guess that many of us who are really moved by a song want the world to hear it and love it to validate our opinion. None of us are entirely devoid of ego.

The song made me recall watching the Disney Davy Crockett series of the 1950's featuring Fess Parker and Buddy Epsen. I was 8 when the first episode aired and I loved it, couldn't wait to see the next Sunday night episode. The theme song, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" often ran through my mind  - "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, ... killed him a bear when he was only three", etc. I was glad when they added 2 extra episodes after the first three. I liked the Mike Fink riverboat episode.

I recall my mother and maybe it was my "aunt" Ruth (a close friend of my mother's from Alabama originally) taking my two brothers, Rick and Chris, and I on a drive somewhere on Long Island where they bought us each a Davy Crockett sundae. I think it was made in the shape of a coonskin cap. Both brothers remember the event and Chris says it had coconut on it and tasted awful. Although I haven't found anything on the internet about a Davy Crockett sundae, it's not surprising that some ice cream vendor would try to capitalize on the Crockett craze since they were marketing everything Davy Crockett those days, from games and lunchboxes (I took a metal lunchbox to school but I don't remember if it bore the image of Mr. Crockett.) to, yes, coonskin caps. If somehow Davy could have been given a small piece of the action he probably never would have gone to the Alamo. I grew up in the borough of Queens on Long Island but the place where we bought those sundaes may have been further out on the island in Nassau or Suffolk county. Kids don't pay attention to what roads are taken to get anywhere, not until they themselves scare their parents by getting behind the wheel.

For those who would like to read about Davy Crockett and the Alamo I would recommend "Three Roads to the Alamo, the Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barrett Travis" by William C. Davis and "The Frontiersman, The Life and Legend of Davy Crockett" by Mark Derr. The former has the advantage of delving into the interesting lives of Jim Bowie and Travis. Before reading the Davis book all I knew of Mr. Bowie was that he was at the Alamo and was famous for the Bowie knife. Of Mr. Travis I knew less.

(I just discovered that the Alamo legend as described in these books and the Disney TV shows may be more myth than an accurate history. I will be reading a book published a few months ago titled "Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth", written by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson & Jason Stanford. Further comment will be provided after my reading and further research is completed.)

Mr. Burr has written or co-written many fine songs in addition to "In Front of the Alamo" which was a solo effort. I'm sure that many country music fans are familiar with Hal Ketchum's "Sure Love", Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me", "I Try to Think About Elvis" by Patty Loveless, Lisa Brokop's "West of Crazy", Wynonna's "To Be Loved By You", Diamond Rio's "In a Week or Two", Collin Raye's "Man of my Word", Doug Stone's "Too Busy Being in Love", Terri Clark's "Empty" and Ty Herndon's "Heart Half Empty", a duet with Stephanie Bentley, and also Ty's hit "What Mattered Most".

Davy Crockett Sundaes In Front of the Alamo

If you combine a love of American history with a love of music, you've got to love Gary Burr's great song "In Front of the Alamo". Allusions to one of the most famous battles in American history are combined with the story of a woman's love gone bad because of her husband's infidelity, a type of behavior unfortunately not limited to arrogant, duplicitous politicians. The couple met as tourists in front of the Alamo. The second verse ends "she wanted trust, she wanted truth, the two things he found hard to do. So forever was shorter than she planned". (The lives of the defenders of the Alamo were shorter than they planned.) She returns to the Alamo so that she can move on. The bridge begins "she didn't come for inspiration or to breathe the mighty dust of heroes lost". The third verse ends "maybe something in the air makes the timid braver there, to cross the line that they've drawn in the sand". The tag chorus completes the analogy "they held on she lets go" (they were brave by holding on she by letting go) and concludes "in front of the Alamo, that's a pretty good place to make a stand".

In addition to the brilliant lyrics and melody, the song had the advantage of being performed by the great Hal Ketchum with perfectly blending harmonies provided by LeAnn Rimes. Yet the song was not a hit. Maybe it didn't get enough airplay. I did hear it a few times on the radio. If George Strait attempted to sing it, it would have been song of the year. I guess that many of us who are really moved by a song want the world to hear it and love it to validate our opinion. None of us are entirely devoid of ego.

The song made me recall watching the Disney Davy Crockett series of the 1950's featuring Fess Parker and Buddy Epsen. I was 8 when the first episode aired and I loved it, couldn't wait to see the next Sunday night episode. The theme song, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" often ran through my mind  - "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, ... killed him a bear when he was only three", etc. I was glad when they added 2 extra episodes after the first three. I liked the Mike Fink riverboat episode.

I recall my mother and maybe it was my "aunt" Ruth (a close friend of my mother's from Alabama originally) taking my two brothers, Rick and Chris, and I on a drive somewhere on Long Island where they bought us each a Davy Crockett sundae. I think it was made in the shape of a coonskin cap. Both brothers remember the event and Chris says it had coconut on it and tasted awful. Although I haven't found anything on the internet about a Davy Crockett sundae, it's not surprising that some ice cream vendor would try to capitalize on the Crockett craze since they were marketing everything Davy Crockett those days, from games and lunchboxes (I took a metal lunchbox to school but I don't remember if it bore the image of Mr. Crockett.) to, yes, coonskin caps. If somehow Davy could have been given a small piece of the action he probably never would have gone to the Alamo. I grew up in the borough of Queens on Long Island but the place where we bought those sundaes may have been further out on the island in Nassau or Suffolk county. Kids don't pay attention to what roads are taken to get anywhere, not until they themselves scare their parents by getting behind the wheel.

For those who would like to read about Davy Crockett and the Alamo I would recommend "Three Roads to the Alamo, the Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barrett Travis" by William C. Davis and "The Frontiersman, The Life and Legend of Davy Crockett" by Mark Derr. The former has the advantage of delving into the interesting lives of Jim Bowie and Travis. Before reading the Davis book all I knew of Mr. Bowie was that he was at the Alamo and was famous for the Bowie knife. Of Mr. Travis I knew less.

(I just discovered that the Alamo legend as described in these books and the Disney TV shows may be more myth than an accurate history. I will be reading a book published a few months ago titled "Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth", written by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson & Jason Stanford. Further comment will be provided after my reading and further research is completed.)

Mr. Burr has written or co-written many fine songs in addition to "In Front of the Alamo" which was a solo effort. I'm sure that many country music fans are familiar with Hal Ketchum's "Sure Love", Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me", "I Try to Think About Elvis" by Patty Loveless, Lisa Brokop's "West of Crazy", Wynonna's "To Be Loved By You", Diamond Rio's "In a Week or Two", Collin Raye's "Man of my Word", Doug Stone's "Too Busy Being in Love", Terri Clark's "Empty" and Ty Herndon's "Heart Half Empty", a duet with Stephanie Bentley, and also Ty's hit "What Mattered Most".