• Rock n' Folk

    Sham-a-Ling-Dong-Ding

    The beautiful thing about music – and I’ve said it many times before – is there’s always something new to discover. The act of hearing a song for the first time, and having it make that instant connection right to the soul – that is why I am obsessed with music, and always on the search for that next gem – regardless of era or genre.

    This song came to my attention from a Twitter update from Popdose’s Jason Hare – okay okay, his tweet! He had just watched Elvis Costello’s Spectacle show on Sundance, and one of the special guests was Jesse Winchester. Jesse is a Canadian folk artist (an American expatriate actually) who started out in the business over 40 years ago.

    “Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding” is the song. It’s a newer one from Jesse actually, from his latest album – last year’s Love Filling Station. The song is a sentimental and nostalgic love song from the 65 year old , looking back through the years to the beginning of a love affair, and to the music that accompanied and nurtured them – and still does to this day.

    Oh to have the talent to write a song like this (watch Neko Case tear up next to him).

    The boys were singing shing-a-ling
    The summer night we met
    You were tan and seventeen
    O how could I forget
    When every star from near and far
    Was watching from above
    Watching two teenagers fall in love

    The way we danced was not a dance
    But more a long embrace
    We held on to each other and
    We floated there in space
    And I was shy to kiss you while
    The whole wide world could see
    So shing-a-ling said everything for me

    And O the poor old old folks
    They thought we’d lost our minds
    They could not make heads or tails
    Of the young folks’ funny rhymes
    But you and I knew all the words
    And we always sang along to
    O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong

    So after years and after tears
    And after summers past
    The old folks tried to warn us
    How our love would never last
    And all we’d get was soaking wet
    From walking in the rain
    And singing sham-a-shing-a-ling again

    And O the poor old old folks
    They smile and walk away
    But I bet they did some
    Sham-a-lama-ding-dong in their day
    I bet that they still close their eyes
    And I bet they sing along to
    O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong

    O those sweet old love songs
    Every word rings true
    Sham-a-ling-dong-ding means sweetheart
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong does too
    And it means that right here in my arms
    That’s where you belong
    And it means sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong