harvey schmidt • tom jones
The stablemates Harvey Schmidt (1929-2018) and Tom Jones (1928-2023) [NOT the roaring welsh sexicon, stupid!] wrote the songs for the musical comedy "The Fantasticks", which had première on 3rd of May 1960 and ran Off Broadway for 42 years! This was the intro song, originally performed by Jerry Orbach, quickly followed by all the hit vultures for the past sixty years. No wonder why: Schmidt must have been struck by The Holy Spirit of Harmonies when he composed this, and Jones came up with pop history's most rhyming lyrics, including both interpolated rhymes and alliteration. It's almost a plague ... the song is so tender and delicious that not even Bob Dylan can spoil it
... but he ain't tried yet :-D
try to remember the kind of September
when life was slow and oh so mellow
try to remember the kind of September
when grass was green and grain was yellow
try to remember the kind of September
when you were a tender and callow fellow
try to remember and if you remember
then follow ...
try to remember when life was so tender
that no one wept except the willow
try to remember when life was so tender
that dreams were kept beside your pillow
try to remember when life was so tender
that love was an ember about to billow
try to remember and if you remember
then follow ...
deep in December it's nice to remember
although you know the snow will follow
deep in December it's nice to remember
without a hurt the heart is hollow
deep in December it's nice to remember
the fire of September that made us mellow
deep in December our hearts should remember
and follow ...
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
A Amaj7 D6 E7 try to remember the kind of September A F#m Bm E9 when life was slow and oh so mellow A Amaj7 D6 E7 try to remember the kind of September A F#m Bm E9 when grass was green and grain was yellow A Amaj7 D6 E7 try to remember the kind of September Amaj7 F#M Bsus4 E7 when you were a tender and callow fellow A Amaj7 D6 E7 try to remember and if you remember Dmaj7 ... D6 ... E7 then follow
