Well, dear readers, I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I have a rather impeccable memory for most of my past. Of course, I think of something in the bedroom that I need to do in the kitchen and by the time I get to the kitchen I can’t remember what the HELL I needed to do. Go know. But what movie I saw where in 1954 – no problem. People who’ve read the Kritzer books or the two memoirs are amazed at my recall, but I see those things as plain as day. I’ve written about this peculiar experience I had a year ago, but it came back to me last night.
I can’t even remember why, but in searching for something on Google I came upon this musical I contributed to back in what I thought was the late 1980s, but since the show doesn’t seem to have been published until 1996 maybe it was a bit later or maybe it just took them a long time to publish. Several LA composers and lyricists were asked to submit songs for a musical being written specifically for high schools. They came to me and I wrote three songs as I recall – one about a nerd, an opening number, and a song I had total fun writing called The Dissection of the Frog. Apparently they had their opening number, they chose Nerd and didn’t choose the frog song because I wrote it to be sung by a teacher, although a student could have easily done it and from what I’ve read of the show it really could have used a comedy number like that. I included that song in the BK Rarities CD we issued with the first memoir. And that was it or so I thought. Over the years I’ve gotten little royalty checks for the show.
But a year ago, for whatever reason, I searched Yearbook on You Tube and came upon a video – short – not complete – part of a song called Three Friends. So I played it – the title seemed familiar to me and as I listened to the hook of the song it just felt very me. So, I thought about it and thought about it, then ordered the script of Yearbook, which arrived and I confirmed I had indeed written the song. I then had a vague memory of them coming to me and asking for a song about friends who help each other get through bad stuff in their home lives – and I obviously wrote this song, Three Friends, and they just as obviously used it in the show. I had no memory of any of the music that might have fit the verses that precede each of the choruses and the lyrics kind of shocked me at how dark they were until the choruses – I thought the lyric was good, but just darker than I’m used to from me, although I think I was giving them what I thought they wanted. And that was that until last night when I came upon the publisher’s website for the musical and went to the Yearbook page. Unlike my last visit, there were four song samples, one of which was Three Friends, and for the first time I heard the music for one of the three verses (the middle girl) that precede the choruses, and I was very surprised by it and rather liked hearing it. I then also noticed they were selling a cast CD, so I ordered that and will have it soon and will post the full song.
Then I went to You Tube again and tried to find that little video snippet and couldn’t. But I did find another short video snippet from Three Friends, this one also most of the middle girl’s verse and all of her chorus. The gal performing it was really terrific, I though – I didn’t love the feel of the chorus in that video (a bit hurried), but she really got the emotion of the song. I wrote her and asked if she had the full version of it. We’ll see if I hear back. Anyway, I thought you dear readers might enjoy seeing the lyric first and then I’ll link to that little You Tube snippet. Here is the lyric:
LAUREN
My mother drinks
Sometimes she hits
So I lay low
Until she quits
I hide
I disappear
Inside
I hardly hear
The screaming and the yelling and the madness
And the pain
Her pain
My pain
But through it all
I’ve got two friends
I’ve got two people who will listen
Two people who will care
Two people who, no matter what,
Will always be there
To lighten all my sorrow
To take away my fears
We’re a team that can’t be beaten
We’re The Three Musketeers
Three friends
BRYNN
My whole life
My sister’s always been the best
Daddy’s favorite girl, mommy’s special pet
She’s the golden child – nothing she can’t get
And it’s very dark in her shadow
And it feels like somehow you’re cursed
And it hurts to know in your parents’ eyes
That you’re never gonna be first
But through it all
I’ve got two friends
I’ve got two people who accept me
Who help me see what’s right
Who’ll always be there by my side
To fight the good fight
Who keep me safe from nightmares
Who help me feel at ease
And each victory seems sweeter
When they’re all won by these
Three friends
MARY ANN
My father split
When I was five
We were told he’d be back
But he never did arrive
I was the oldest
With a brother and a sister
As for mom, well, the truth is
If you blinked you would have missed her
She was working at three jobs so we’d survive
So, to my sister and my brother
I was father, I was mother,
Cook and maid and any other
Things to be
And so somehow you get the knack of
Doing work there is no lack of
No surprise I just lost track of
I lost track of me
But who helped me find myself
Put it all behind myself
When things were at their bleakest
And my self esteem was weakest
Who was there?
Through it all
I have two friends
I’ve got two people I can turn to
Who always understand
And if I feel unsteady
Then they’re there with a hand
The ones who give me comfort
Who shelter me from harm
There’s no problem we can’t conquer
If we’re joined arm in arm
Three friends
ALL THREE
Through it all
We are three friends
Three friends who always can be trusted
To cherish and support
To be there as a backstop if
We should come up short
And if the road is bumpy
If somehow I should slip
Well, I know I won’t be falling
‘Cause we’re joined at the hip
Three friends
Three friends
Three friends.
Here’s the little video clip.
I’m so interested to hear the rest of it and the vocal harmonies in the final verse, which I remember being very pretty.
Yesterday was kind of a nice day and kind of an irritating day, and at some point I remember remarking that it just needed to be over, which, of course, it was. I got up too early, fell back asleep, got up, fell back asleep and didn’t arise until eleven to have a nice telephonic conversation. I then did some more busy work, after which I had a BLT-A, which was really quite good. Then I picked up some mail, did some banking, then came home and did the rest of the busy work and sent it off where it needed to go. Then we had to make yet another minor change to some packaging, which really irritated me no end, as it was one too many. However, if we get approved in the next day or so then all will be well and well will be all and we can announce as planned on Monday. Then I did a three-mile jog, after which I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture entitled Sleepless in Seattle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it all the way through, but maybe I did see it when it came out, because lots of it seemed familiar to me. Truthfully, it’s a very sweet film, I like the story, and Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan just fit their roles beautifully. There are lots of laughs, it’s heartfelt, and I can go with most of it. My little nitpicks are too many quirky friends, which becomes tiresome, but the big nitpick is the director’s use of songs, something she dearly loves to do – to whack us over the head with a relentless procession of standards just in case we might not be sure what a character is feeling. I find movies that resort to that noxious – heaven forbid a nice moment should just go by without a song telling us what we can plainly see (Back in the Saddle Again being the worst of it), or heaven forbid the director, Nora Ephron, should just let her talented composer do his job. But I enjoyed it – it gets a little silly here and there, but I’m a hopeless romantic at heart so I do get involved in this kind of film and find its pleasures outweigh it’s irritations. The transfer is perfect. It looks just as a 1993 film should. I’ve read some of the usual inane comments about it being soft and not detailed, which is malarkey and one wonders if any of these people have actually seen a movie that’s barely twenty years old in an actual movie theater. These people just don’t know what movies look like, it’s really that simple. This particular movie, beautifully shot by Sven Nykvist, has occasional softness because of either opticals or, more often, filters used during the photographing of the film. There is plenty of detail and it’s a very pleasing image and looks just as it should. Pay no attention to those people behind the curtain and purchase with confidence if you like the film.
After that, you know what I was doing, which all had to do with the song referenced in the notes. And speaking of songs, I’m not sure I understand this, but Poor Little Fool was apparently done for the second Kritzer CD – not sure why, unless I’m miscounting or something. But this song, The Twelfth of Never was definitely done for the first Kritzer CD, because it’s the song Benjamin hears after Susan leaves for Canada. Here it is.
I do love that song. So, tomorrow we’ll start on the Kritzerland songs.
Today, I shall be up and at ‘em, do a jog, then I have an early lunch meeting that will be followed immediately by a meeting with the East Coast Singer. Then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages although I’m really not expecting any, at least that I remember, then I’ll relax a bit.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals and seeing a few things. Not sure what the weekend has in store, but I think there’s one of those Hollywood Shows – I haven’t been since they moved close to the airport and I might just go down there to see what’s what.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, have an early lunch meeting, meet with the East Coast Singer, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Kay, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream of Three Friends.