Sunday, October 11, 2009

Songs My Mother Taught Me . . . (The) Green Door




{This is the third in an undetermined number of songs my mother taught me I'm posting this month in her memory. For background, please visit the post containing the first song, Ivory Tower.}


I had three hours sleep on Friday night and we spent the day in Portland on Saturday. It's just past midnight on Sunday now and no wonder this song, Green Door, is the one that dropped to play in the mental jukebox. There are a few pluses in posting this particular song right now:

  • I don't have a lot to say about it
  • It is lively and the beat makes me feel like dancing, so I should stay awake long enough to complete the post
  • The second bullet relates directly to the first bullet, further streamlining my posting this great old song and getting some real sleep.

I have her album that contains this song. The record is worn and the album jacket torn. I remember my mother playing it on the record player and standing in the middle of the living room as her full body took on the music, her long legs moving with the beat, her arms stretching out to my sister and me as a welcome to Come, Dance! And so we did, rockin' n rollin' together, getting dizzy from her strong twirls, taking movement instruction from her lead, laughing and laughing - but always with an ear for the mysterious words.....sometimes dreaming about the green door later that night.

It is with sheer joy that I post the song this early morning from my quiet Oregon neighborhood, remembering exuberant evenings in the old rental on Forest Street in Reno orchestrated to perfection by a smooth dancer with music in her soul. Green Door. One of the songs my mother taught me (to enhance my dance).







A fun and well-written bio of the artist, Jim Lowe, begins with this information that leads me to believe he had something for doors:
" Born in Springfield, Mo., Lowe didn't come to New York as a crusader. He came as a songwriter and singer who in late 1955 had a hit with "Close the Door," then a bigger one - a No. 1, in fact - with "Green Door."
Additional background on the song is found at Songfacts.com where there are, well, song facts about Green Door.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lyida - what a nice series of tributes you're writing for your mother. I've been trying to think about any songs that my mom taught me - but they are all in Portuguese and I have no idea what the words mean. I used to listen to Jim Lowe, wnew am radio back in the day. . . loved make-believe-ballroom-time, one of the shows on the station.

Unknown said...

Great post and great idea to write about songs taught to you by your mom. Lots of food for thought there. Funny though, I've never heard this song before. Now I can't get it out of my head:>)

Owen said...

Never heard of Jim Lowe or Green Door before this... thanks for expanding my horizons... but then, that's why we blog, right ?

Lydia said...

@koe- I'm fascinated by the news of your mother's native language. Isn't Portugese about the most beautiful-sounding language?....and to have had lullabies and other songs sung to you in that tongue must be a special memory.
Was interesting to learn that Jim Lowe had a radio program; all I knew of him was Green Door.

@Distracted- So cute that you didn't know the song but had it stuck in your head. It's a crafty little ditty in that way. :)

@Owen- Absolutely, that is one of the main reasons for blogging. I have learned so much and seen so much beauty at others' blogs!

Looking to the Stars said...

Lydia, this is so cool. I love your tribute to your mom. "The Green Door" sounds so familar to me but I don't know from where (ugh).

I think you're right, he had a thing for doors or doors were lucky for him :)

Jennifer said...

I'm tired myself tonight, but wanted to pass on the version of Green Door that I know and listened to over many late nights waiting at Hollywood Beach -- by the Cramps. Here's a link to the YouTube video, which is just a still picture with the studio version of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0YTR-JF5zA

Lydia said...

@Looking to the Stars- Well, there are more recent versions that maybe you heard. Check out Jennifer's comments and I'm hot linking it in my reply to her.....

@Jennifer- Thank You!
I never heard of The Cramps before, and certainly wasn't aware of a cover of Green Door that was done after the 50s. I love this version by The Cramps (hot linking). It's excellent!

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