Monday, November 15, 2010

Bluer than blue

On my profile I have answered the question Something I can't find using Google with The lyrics to the version of "Bluer than blue" we sang in highschool jazz. It isn't that you can't find lyrics to the song. The problem is that there are many songs out there with that name, that have unrelated lyrics.

Well my question has been answered. Someone who was in my high school jazz choir found my profile, emailed me, and emailed her memory of the lyrics. Courtesy of Lisa Schmidt, here they are:

Bluer than Blue

Once I thought the world was ours to share
Always knew there'd be someone to care
Now I realize
Promises were lies
Wish I'd find the one who really loves me

I'm feelin' bluer than blue
I'm all alone and feeling bluer than blue
My baby left me, now I'm cryin' like a fool
I want somebody who will love me
Oh well I'm bluer than blue
I'm all alone and need somebody that's true
Looking around to see if you'll come back to me
I want somebody who cares

Guess I've learned my lesson / Broken all the rules
Well, you know I try to recall
One thing I am certain / Love's a game of fools
You're never ready when loneliness calls

Bluer than blue
I'm all alone and need somebody that's true
Hanging around and hoping you'll come back to me
I want somebody who cares

[Here there was a vocal interlude, where we all went "doo, doo do dooo, doo wop etc."]

Guess I learned my lesson / When we started kissin'
Well, you know I try to recall
One thing I am certain / love's a word for hurtin'
You're never ready when loneliness starts calling [key change]

Bluer than blue
I'm all alone and need somebody that's true
Looking around to see if you'll come back to me
I want somebody who will love me, come on baby love me
Can't you see I'm lonely?
I want somebody who's gonna care [she's bluer than bluuuuuuuue]


Thank you Lisa!

Now a bit of reminiscing. When I was in choir, Canada did something really good. What they did is arrange for a variety of regional competitions, some of which would qualify you for the nationals. In those competitions each choir had 15 minutes to do a prepared set. Then one of the judges would come up and work with the choir for 15 minutes. Then the choir would go back stage and be given a workshop. I have no idea if they still do it, but I can't praise it highly enough.

The point of this was not the competition, though that was serious, but rather that it taught the teachers how to teach better. This quickly made everyone better. A lot of the choirs were simply amazing. I had the fortune to be at Esquimalt when the choir teacher, Eileen Cooper, began really going through this system and got mentored by the choir teacher at Argyle. In the time we were there, we went from a mediocre choir using instrumental mikes and with no idea how to really hold them to being among the top high school jazz choirs in the country. To this day I believe that I was only tolerated because it was so hard to find baritones who were willing to be part of the choir.

But be that as it may, most of my positive memories of high school involve choir. And as a parent it has been wonderful that I am able and willing to sing for my kids.