Last night I settled down on the couch with a bag of Cheetos and vodka on the rocks to watch the DVR'd American Idol. I did not realize it would cause me to cry.
American Idol contestants were performing Neil Diamond songs. I had flashbacks to 1981 when the only album that was played in our house was the Jazz Singer. I think we all knew all the words to every song on that album thanks to my mom constantly playing the record.
My flashback last night consisted of a vivid memory of my dad singing his own version of "Love on the Rocks".
Apparently at the time that the Jazz Singer was playing in our house my mom must have had some back or neck issues.
My dad's lyrics were:
Love on the rocks
Ain't no surprise
Rubbing Ben-Gay on my wife's neck
Really burns my eyes.
My dad could not carry a tune but he was a funny guy.
I miss him.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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29 comments:
I know how you feel. It's good to have those nice memories, and they will totally catch you off guard like that sometimes. I miss my dad too. I wish he could've met my kids.
Thank you for sharing. I remember reading when he passed away and how touching it was.
i adore my father and right now he is getting ready to have his prostate removed because of cancer, he means the world to me and this post was very touching, thanks
BTW I love Neil Diamond and I love Idol
That is sweet..I understand.
My dad is still living, he's going to be 89 this year..my two songs for him are Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life and Barry Bannanose's I Write The Songs..I'd play them on the piano and dad would sing..we haven't done that in a long time...
It's funny the little things that can make you miss someone who's gone - songs that remind you of them, a story they'd find particularly funny, a joke they would have made.
Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful man.
One song my Dad ALWAYS sings in his off-key voice is "It was rainin' hard in 'Frisco". Just recently my sister found an actual recording of the song--and we all heard it for real for the first time--kind of scary how close Dad was to the original....
Good to have memories like that!
I'm sorry about your dad.
That is funny. I miss the funny things my mother used to do too.
She was very crazy sometimes. One of the craziest things she did (no disrespect intended to anyone, so I apoligize now... ) is she covered a bumper sticker on a friend's car with another one. The original one said 'Honk if you love Jesus' and the one she covered on top of it said, 'Honk if you're horny'. It was a good natured battle between them to see who could sneak a good trick on the other, without them knowing. I still can't believe she did that! But it really makes me laugh.
Before she passed away she had some short term memory loss. It was good and bad. We must have watched The Sound of Music at least 100 times. Each time she watched it was like the first time. She would say, 'I love that movie! I now cry when I watch it, as it reminds me so much of her. But I love the fact that I have such nice and funny things to remember.
He said Harry... Keep the change. (great tune)
Honk
And
Honk
Neil Diamond and Skip were like peas and carrots back in '81
Sorry you cried but glad you have such a funny memory of your daddy.
My Mom played that album constantly, too.
Take care, William.
Wow, you make me miss him and I didn't even know him. I am happy that you have some great memories of your Dad and your childhood, how amazing.
You're not alone in this my friend...we've all got our American Idol moments.
I'm sorry.
But thank you for sharing. Having both my parents with me still, it just makes me appreciate them that much more.
To honor your dad, you should sing horribly to your children often.
I guess MP doesn't know who's blog they are commenting on. The reason I say that is, The Author of this blog is a big time fan of Barry's "I Write the Songs"
I remember going to a Neil Diamond concert with my mom at some point in my youth. ;)
I will not forget the feelings that stirred when he sang, "Coming to America" and I was just a peanut.
So, with an absent father of my own, ND brings up memories of my mom.
Sorry for your loss, but thanks for your tender hearted post!
Becky, the maid
Best gift I've received was from my brother, about a year after my dad passed away. It was a mix-CD of all the songs my dad and mom listened to on all the long-ass road trips they used to force us to take. I laugh, I cry, I croon along to annoy my children...
Aaaah...that makes me miss him and I didn't even know him! *hug*
sweet memories like that are wonderful to have but they always get you when you least expect them. I started crying the other day on the way to meet friends for lunch because the guy in the car over from us looked like my uncle who just passed away a couple of years ago..spitting image. My poor husband didn't know WHAT to do...
crying on the way to lunch...sheesh..
Stacie
((((you))))
vodka on the rocks? me too.
It's funny how sometimes just the smallest or silliest things will stir up a long forgotten memory.
Sorry for you recent loss.
He is with you. Always. Just open your mind and heart.
We used to listen to the Jazz Singer all the time. Weird how 30 years later Neil Diamond is still in our lives.
I get moments like that too.
Maybe it's their way of saying hello?
When you write about him and your feelings, his memory lives on. ((hugs))
How sweet...
but, vodka and cheetos... ewwww..
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