Day 6 Nostalgic Music Month

Just a kid from Maine by Jon Hilton

When I really look at myself, the truth is that I am just a kid from Maine, who was raised in a wild and free manner.  My formative years were spent in two rural settings, Greenville and Jefferson Maine. It would hard to be more country than that. Music was always a part of my life and I have my parents to thank for that. There were many car trips between Greenville and Jefferson which is about a two-hour trip.  On those trips, the only form of entertainment was the radio and singing along to the latest hits. No music today reminds me of growing up in the woods of Maine more than John Denver.  These songs are a connection to that kid from Maine that I am and was.

1. Thank God I’m a Country Boy– Since I am clearly a country boy, this song always makes me smile. It takes me back to a simpler time. Growing up in a rural setting you learn to make your own fun. You learn to fish, play and explore the unknown. There is also a healthy respect for nature that innately grows in you.  The biggest theme I remember from that time is the freedom I had to do just about what I wanted. Thank God I’m a Country Boy

2. Rocky Mountain High– Even though Maine is about as far from the Rocky Mountains as you can get, the sentiment of this song relates to the natural beauty and rugged wilderness that exists in this kid from Maine. I spent my summers literally running around a small lake in Jefferson, Maine and the connections to that place and experiences run through me still today. It is funny how you never see the value of some experiences until long after they slip into your history. Talk to God and listen to his casual reply.

3. Back Home Again– When I think of that home of my youth, it was really not the place that made it special, it was the people I was fortunate enough to call family. I was fortunate enough to know and have a personal relationship with all of my grandparents and most of my great-grandparents.  All of them are gone now, but pieces of them live inside me, from the kindness they showed me, the advice they gave me and the example they set.  As a kid from Maine, I was able to have a great experience.  Hey, it’s good to be back home again………

2. Sunshine on My Shoulders– I remember waking up on a summer morning as a kid and seeing the reflection of the sun off the water dancing across the room. I knew it was going to be a great day because it was sunny. No rain would lessen the activities that we could participate in that day.  Fishing, swimming, boating, and adventuring were all on the docket and I was going to participate in all of them with vigor.  Even today I feel the same way about the opportunities that a sunny day will bring.  This kid from Maine was lucky that all he needed was sunshine to be happy. If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today…..

1. Country Roads Take Me Home– There are two roads I think of that led to home. One is the road into Greenville. When we saw the lake and were coming down the hill into town, I knew I was home.  The other was the old dirt road in Jefferson that led to camp. The roads we travel tell a lot about our journey. It was good to be a free kid from Maine. I think many of us spend a lot of time looking to those times in the past. I guess I do too, but for a different reason. Not to experience the things that were again, but to make today a little bit more like that time. I was so fortunate to have the family and friends that I did and the life I lived. This kid from Maine had it pretty good.  Country roads take me home to the place I belong.

Gordon Lightfoot  by Mike Martin

Thursdays are my most intense day of the work week. Couple that with a teachers workshop, an afternoon playoff baseball game, and the Patriots on Thursday Night Football. There ain’t much time to write about nostalgic music feelings.

So, today I am picking Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. as my day 6 #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth section. Possibly the best songwriter ever to live- a musician that if he would have changed his name might have surpassed every music sales record ever held.

Gordon Lightfoot is credited for defining the folk-pop sound of the 60s and 70s. And I, Mike Martin, outside of Dale Duff, a local, Bangor, Maine sports broadcasting legend, is possibly the biggest Gordon Lightfoot fan ever born.

Listening to his music puts me in a great mood and the imagery created by his poetic verses are just like a Calgon Bath.

So, please Gordon-Take me away and help me make another day.

Gordon Lightfoot – “If You Could Read My Mind” 

If you could read my mind love

What a tale my thoughts could tell

 

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” – Gordon Lightfoot

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin’

Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya

At seven pm a main hatchway caved in, he said

Fellas, it’s been good t’know ya

 

My personal favorite: Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown

She’s been lookin’ like a queen in a sailor’s dream
And she don’t always say what she really means

Peace and Love, Please have a terrific Friday!

If you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville

#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville