At one point a few years ago Dad's praise team was doing this song almost every time they played at church. It was ridiculous. I loved the way they played it though, they had more electric guitars and it was a bit rougher. Even though this version is a little softer it's still a beautiful song. Of all the songs they regularly played as a praise team I'm not sure why this one sticks out as one that reminds me of Dad but it does.
This song is ironically now the song that makes think of my dad the most. I'm sure I've shared this story in the past but I thought I would again : ) In high school I was a part of the Northern Illinois Lutheran Church youth board and I was able to attend a conference my junior year. My Dad was the chaperon, since he was one of the advisers. During the conference there was going to be a talent show type thing so people had brought instruments and stuff like that. At some point my Dad started to hang out with one of the guys from our group, Sean, and one from Arkansas, Aaron, (who I later re-met and was friends with at Valpo!).
They started jamming together and really inspired my Dad to pick up his guitar and start playing again. I'm not sure if it was because of Aaron and how much he loved Led Zeppelin or just because the beginning guitar part is pretty easy but Dad decided he was going to starting playing Stairway to Heaven as his first song again. Play that song he did ... seriously for MONTHS all we heard was that first part of the song.
It's kind of funny but the past couple of years the song has popped up on the radio at really odd times. It's almost like Dad has put the song out there at certain times so I know he is there. Sometimes it comes up on really odd and not appropriate stations for the song to be played on. Now when I need to feel Dad I like to play the song.
Oldies remind me of my parents and of my childhood. It was hard to pinpoint one song that really summed that up but I think Classical Gas probably comes the closest that or Walk Don't Run by the Ventures. Even though some of Dad's favorite bands were The Beatles and The Association I think this song makes me think of him since I can remember him playing some of the cords throughout my childhood. As I write this post it's kind of funny that even though throughout most of my early childhood he wasn't playing the guitar so much but looking back those are really the songs I associate him with.
Last but certainly not least is probably the most important song on this list. Dad really loved Harry Belafonte's music. I can remember listening to first the cassette of Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall then later the CD. Pretty sure we wore out both. While I love all the songs from that album there is nothing that holds a candle to "Jamaica Farewell".
I'm not sure why but growing up Dad used to sing this song to me when he tucked me in to bed. Not sure if it was because it talked about Kingston town and we lived right by Kingston st. or if he just loved that song. Either way this is the one song that will always be mine and my Dad's. This was the song we did our father/daughter dance to. I can hear his voice singing in my ear as we dance right now.
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