John Hartford – In Tall Buildings
Thinking about Glen Campbell last week got me thinking about John Hartford.
Hartford wrote “Gentle on My Mind.”
Campbell made it famous.
Hartford came from St. Louis.
He went to a fancy private secondary school — the kind of place that breeds lawyers and doctors and business executives.
There’s nothing wrong with that. It just wasn’t Hartford’s thing.
He was the guy with the banjo slung over his shoulder, playing at hootenannies, forging a different path.
I know some of this because my Dad told me.
He and John were classmates.
I have their 1956 yearbook, the year Dad and John “Harford” graduated.
Chet Atkins later told John to add the “t” to his last name. I’m not sure what that accomplished. But the “t” stuck.
John Hartford is remembered as an exceptional, multi-talented old-time musician who influenced progressive country music and the string music revival. And, for a while, he worked as a riverboat captain (I’m not kidding).
So, of course, John Hartford never worked as a lawyer, doctor, or business executive.
But he wrote a great song from the perspective of someone who did…
Today’s Song
Title: In Tall Buildings
Artist: John Hartford
Album: Nobody Knows What You Do (1976)
YouTube Link: youtu.be/vWqG1ySAc4g
Lyrics
Someday my baby, when I am a man,
And others have taught me
The best that they can
They’ll sell me a suit
They’ll cut off my hair
And send me to work in tall buildings
So it’s goodbye to the sunshine
Goodbye to the dew
Goodbye to the flowers
And goodbye to you
I’m off to the subway
I must not be late
I’m going to work in tall buildings
When I’m retired
My life is my own
I made all the payments
It’s time to go home
And wonder what happened
Betwixt and between
When I went to work in tall buildings
So it’s goodbye to the sunshine
Goodbye to the dew
Goodbye to the flowers
And goodbye to you
I’m off to the subway
I must not be late
I’m going to work in tall buildings
So it’s goodbye to the sunshine
Goodbye to the dew
Goodbye to the flowers
And goodbye to you
I’m off to the subway
I must not be late
I’m going to work in tall buildings
Here are the Playlists:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3xYKtYparrdJRYAjBj9kjx?si=eb6c3ebc30484204
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/ware-house-concerts-song-of-the-day/pl.u-Ggz26cZlAVLj
