a child of the 60s…
March 17th, 2006Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly, we can fly
—-Up Up and Away, The 5th Dimension
. . . .
Recently, I downloaded the song, “Up Up and Away”, by The 5th Dimension.
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
I have this very clear memory, back in my elementary school years, of riding in a yellow school bus and going on a field trip… the bus driver had a pop station playing and “Up Up and Away” came on the radio. I just remember feeling really good, it was a beautiful sunny day… but for some reason I don’t remember the destination.
The world’s a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky
For we can fly we can fly
Perhaps, not remembering where I was going made the memory feel like a dream. But the positive message of the song had really stuck with me all this time.
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
During the 1960s, I was just a kid. My fond memories of carrying around my small transister radio on Saturdays, listening to all the pop songs of the day… from the Beatles to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons… well, it was a wonderful time now that I look back at it. And much of my love for music and being destined to becoming a musician was all based on avidly listening to my trusty little transister radio.
I guess all the songs of that era were the soundtrack of my childhood, until I began seriously listening to jazz and classical music. But I have always had a passion for all those pop tunes of the 60s.
Anyway, can’t you tell, that I’ve been listening to a lot of 60s music lately? All the bubble gum, fun and happy stuff of that era… just makes me want to ride in a beautiful balloon!
. . . .
Suspended under a twilight canopy
We’ll search the clouds for a star to guide us
If by some chance you find yourself loving me
We’ll find a cloud to hide us
We’ll keep the moon beside us
Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon
If you’ll hold my hand we’ll chase your dream across the sky
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Balloon…
Up, up, and away…..
