MY FATHER, I was told by my mother, had a very good singing voice. I never actually heard it. I don't think he considered singing a manly activity. He would hint at a song lyric now and then but he would never really sing. One of his favorite songs was The Beatles' "When I'm 64." He liked to teasingly half-sing, half-speak parts of the song to my mother. He died a couple of months shy of his 61st birthday and the song to me has had a tragic feel ever since; I was a bit superstitious about singing it.
Well, I made it! At midnight, San Geraldo came running into the room with hugs and the birthday song. San Geraldo sings. He still needs me — and he still feeds me. Chocolate birthday cake Saturday night. Mine forever more.
"YOU'LL BE OLDER, TOO..." "TÚ TAMBIÉN SERÁS MÁS VIEJO." |
MI PADRE, ME dijo mi madre, tenía una muy buena voz para cantar. Nunca lo escuché realmente. No creo que él considerara cantar una actividad varonil. Insinuaba una letra de canción de vez en cuando, pero nunca cantaba realmente. Una de sus canciones favoritas fue "When I'm 64" de The Beatles. A él le gustaba bromear y medio cantar partes de la canción para mi madre. Murió un par de meses antes de cumplir 61 años y desde entonces la canción ha tenido una sensación trágica; yo era un poco supersticioso al cantarla.
Bueno, ¡lo hice! A la medianoche, San Geraldo entró corriendo a la sala con abrazos y la canción de cumpleaños. San Geraldo canta. Todavía me necesita, y todavía me alimenta. Tarta de chocolate la noche del sábado. Mío para siempre más.
En inglés...
dd
En español...
64? FELIZ CUMPLEANOS! looking fine and sexy, mitchell! perhaps the cats will catch a birdie for you...
ReplyDelete(I'll be 64 in september)
anne marie:
DeleteWhen in September, you young chicky!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! All the best to you, Mitchell!
ReplyDeleteJim:
DeleteThanks so much. Still celebrating ... my survival!
Let There Be Cake !
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday.
cheers, parsnip and iwinston
Parsnip (and Winston):
DeleteAnd there was!
oh! I am so so so happy to be able to wish you the happiest of birthdays… Even if you’ve probably actually already gone to bed. Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteJudy:
DeleteYep already in bed at that time. Still recovering from 2 birthday dinners and about to go out for number 3!
Happy Birthday Mitchell x
ReplyDeleteChris AND Devon:
DeleteThanks and so good to hear from you! Have you already been and gone? Would be a pleasure to see you. (It took me a couple of comments from you before i connected Chris Devon with Chris AND Devon! The Santorini's question helped!)
Hi Yes we came home yesterday after a lovely week, perhaps we will see you next time
DeleteChris/Devon:
DeleteGlad you had such a good week to be here. Would love to see you next time if you have the time!
Happy Birthday! May this year be the best one yet!
ReplyDeleteCheapchick:
DeleteA tall order, but so far so good!
Oh..to be 64 again! Happy birthday, Mitch.
ReplyDeleteFrank:
DeleteEverything's relative. We have friends complaining about being 49 and I think, ah to be 49 again. You're not that far ahead of me!
64 - not as old as it used to be! Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteWilma:
DeleteYou used to be older than 64? But now you're only 29!
Happy Birthday! Celebrate the day and YOU! I enjoyed both videos of the Beatles song.
ReplyDeleteDebra:
DeleteI'm celebrating kind people like YOU! Thanks!
Happy Birthday
ReplyDeleteAdam:
DeleteThanks so much. It's been great learning about you this year!
Bestest of birthdays to you! :)
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteI'm still celebrating. At this rate, i hope to make it to 64-and-one-week!
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Mitch. Sounds like it's already started to be a special one, and if so may it last the entire day. (I hope D & M didn't forget to wish you too!)
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to think of another song that mentions a particular, more 'mature', age in years. At the moment I can't think of one though there surely must be several. All I can wait for is, in 5 years time, I'll be listening out for a brass band approaching up the road playing '76 trombones' - if I reach it, that is.
I think this must really be the first time I've heard a non-Beatles version of the song - and with TWO you are really spoiling us. Love them both greatly. I like the way the Spanish version (in order to rhyme, of course) changes the age to a vaguer one of sixty-ish. Nothing wrong with that. And the kids' names changed from Paul Mc's off-the-top-of-his-head ones to more appropriate substitutes. And why not?
Have a lovely day.
Ray:
DeleteI also had actually never heard a non-Beatles version. Loved these. Great day. Great week. I'm exhausted and getting ready for birthday dinner number 3 ... or is it 4?
Happy Birthday Mitch! I hadn't read your post and noticed we chose the same video ~ what does that mean!? ;-)
ReplyDeleteRon:
DeleteI heard the music playing from Jerry's office and thought he was reading my blog post. We went out for coffee and he told me "Ron shared a great version of 'When I'm 64!' " No wonder we like each other so much!
Mitchell, I wish you a wonderful chocolate birthday cake custom crafted for you by your wonderful husband, Ste Geraldo. I hope you had a wonderful birthday.
ReplyDeleteBill:
DeleteAh, Bill, what a treat to get your message. It's been a great birthday... still celebrating. The cake was amazing!
You're a rather young looking 64.
ReplyDeleteWhen John Lennon was asked in an interview whether it was he or Paul McCartney who wrote that song (they had an agreement that they would receive co-credit for all Beatles songs, no matter who did what), Lennon replied, "Paul. Only Paul could have written that song.") I got the impression that the subject of aging made Lennon a bit queasy, as it does most of us. Of course, he never made it to 64.
Kirk:
DeletePedro asked me my secret for looking 46 instead of 64. I told him it was preservatives and having friends with bad eyesight. Then I saw the pictures he took on my birthday and thought, "46? More like 86!!!"
Happy birthday and enjoy the cake, Mitch!
ReplyDeleteJan:
DeleteOh, the cake! Thank god there's none left. Talk about an overdose!