It’s happening to me more and more these days: I wake in the night, my head thrumming with a song from my youth, a song whose lyrics I can only partially remember. Whose performers remain hidden by the night.
Good-bye, sleep.
It’s usually not until morning when I can consult Mr. Google to dissipate my frustration.
Last night it was the song “Sugartime” by the McGuire Sisters (see pic at the top of this post), which topped the charts in February 1958. I was in eighth grade (link to the performance of the song).
As has been the case with all of my similar Nocturnal Song Visits in recent years, this one brought back memories of Hiram School dances and sock hops. The awkwardness, the enormous importance of who was dancing with whom—it was very popular then for girls to dance with girls (I have no idea if it still is).
I’d taken dancing lessons back in Enid, Okla., but they didn’t “take” very well (as Joyce would discover at our wedding reception).
Anyway—as has also been the case with these Night Visitors—I could not remember the performers, not until, as I said, Mr. Google woke up.
As I listened to the song on YouTube this morning, I was struck by the simplicity of it all—by the innocence (is there a better word?) of it all. The 1950s were such a simple time in popular music—lyrics that were all G-rated, all emerging from the lips of singers in perfectly understandable fashion. Friendly guitars and other instruments. Nothing too roiling and boiling as I recall.
As the decades went on, that became more and more difficult—at least for me. I couldn’t understand the words of many songs, and guitars seemed to slice and attack.
(Just an Old Guy talking.)
I’m actually happy to receive these nocturnal visits. It’s as if part of my brain has loosened up, allowed me access (well, partial access)—or perhaps my brain is simply leaking memories, and it’s the leakage I’m pursuing into those dark recesses that are low on words, high on images.Sugar in the mornin'
Sugar in the evenin'
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me all the time
Honey in the evenin'
Honey at suppertime
So by my little honey
And love me all the time
And swear by stars above
You'll be mine forever
In a heaven of love
Sugar in the evenin'
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me all the time
Sugar in the evenin'
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me all the time
Honey in the evenin'
Honey at suppertime
So be my little honey
And love me all the time
And swear by stars above
You'll be mine forever
In a heaven of love
Sugar in the evenin'
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me all the
Is anytime that you're near (that you're near)
'Cause you're so dear
So don't you roam (don't roam)
Just be my honeycomb (honeycomb, honeycomb)
And live in a heaven of love
Sugar in the evenin'
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me (love me)
All (all all all)
The time
Sugartime
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