Red winged blackbirds and cardinals are welcome sights on a grey day. Those flashes of red are so very welcome. Thinking of how grateful I felt for the color, it seemed fitting that today, I heard an old song on the radio at work, "Colour My World" by Chicago.
(I looked it up and interesting to me, it is spelled that way, what I think of as the English way. I wonder why. Does anyone know?)
I remember that song from the early 70's with great fondness. My sister could play it on the piano and once, when there was a piano at our high school, I unexpectedly sat down and played the simple melody on the keyboard myself. I really don't know how I was able to do so and I could not do it now but I always liked it and perhaps I watched her enough that I was able to play it. It's lovely, very pleasing to the ear. (I also looked up the details of this song and read a very long discussion about the major seventh chord. If anyone else wants to read it, you may find it here. And funny to me, the other songs that they mention that use the major seventh chord are songs that I also like very much!)
Well, gee, Kay, enough already, let us hear the song! Okay, here it is! Hope you like it too!
I have been seeing the cardinals recently too. The red-winged blackbirds will come when the weather is warmer.
ReplyDeleteWe have been feeding the birds for years and our backyard is a favorite for many, and the cardinals are an incredible sight for us, we never tire of them! The red winged blackbirds were in a yard on my way back to work and I slowed to look at them, just as I did so, a sheriff's car came alongside me, most likely wondering what the strange lady was doing! :-) (Didn't have a camera with me, my photo above was taken at my Dad's a while back.)
DeleteThe birds I mostly see from my windows and when out and about are magpies, blackbirds, tits and doves. To see any red here is rare; robins are around but a little shy, and woodpeckers with their black-white-red pattern even more so.
ReplyDeleteBut that doesn't mean there isn't any colour out there: Plenty of yellow from aconites, primroses, crocus and now even some daffodils! Once the forsythia will get going, it'll be an explosion of yellow :-)
I remember the crocus popping out, the first ones to do so in England when I was there after a very cold winter!
DeleteYes! We also have forsythia! My little sister was born in Forsyth, Georgia and now, they tell folks to plant more Forsythia, an explosion of yellow!!
This is an interesting forum that you might be interested in reading, Kay...I went off in a search to see why Chicago spelled "colour" with a "u"...as we do here in Australia. Apparently Canada spell it as "colour", too.
ReplyDeletehttp://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1167942&start=80
I wonder if Chicago spelled it that way because they liked the look of it?
DeleteThanks for the link. I was tickled to see a discussion there about the "Mountain" accent in North Georgia/Tennessee...that is how I had to speak with my cousins as a child!
They say that redwing black birds are a sign of spring as much as robins are in many places. I haven't seen either of them here yet. But it is coming !
ReplyDeleteCome on, Spring!
DeleteThose little touches of colour are always welcome and enjoyed. Good on Chicago for spelling colour properly.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, I thought you would like that! :-)
DeleteKay, Love the birds. I enjoy the song of the red winged blackbird. I sit on my porch and copy the cardinals when they start singing. LOL Hope you are having nice weather there. We are up and down here. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteOur cardinals will come down to feed when it is almost dark, lovely to see even their profile in near darkness. They are very dear to us. Blessings to you, Susie! xxx
DeleteMy daughter was a huge Chicago fan, but I don't remember this song.
ReplyDeleteOh! I loved this song and when I heard it on the radio at work, it brought back fond memories!
DeleteI remember this song...it's very pretty. And so is your Cardinal!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laurie! And my husband takes most of the photos here, but I took both of these bird photos!!
DeleteIt's certainly a lovely song however one spells 'colour'.
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely, isn't it? Glad you like it too!
DeleteThat was a good slow dance song!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it was one of the "couples" songs at the skating rink, "Duvall's Skating Rink" in Conyers, GA, that it!
DeleteIt was like a slow dance, the boys would skate backwards with their arms around the girls, just like a dance.
It's been years, but i once saw this performed live. Love the cardinal!
ReplyDeleteOh lucky, lucky you! I saw LOTS of concerts in the 70's, but I never saw Chicago. "Does Anyone Know What Time It Is"? I liked a lot of their songs!
DeleteI don't remember the song, but it is always lovely to see Cardinals because as you know we don't have them here! xx
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law, when she saw a cardinal on our deck for the very first time was THRILLED and when we told her they were very common, she couldn't believe it! xx
DeleteWe have tons of Cardinals in our pine trees. I love them and they show up nicely when it's snowy out like today. I haven't seen any red winged black birds yet but we had a few last Spring than frequently stopped for a snack at the feeder. I love this song and it's funny how a tune can bring you back to a time and place and a memory. Thanks for that today! Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you remember this song and that it brings back nice memories! Hope you have a wonderful weekend at your Whispering Pines!!
DeleteWhat a beautiful song. I don't remember it at all, but we were living in Germany in the early 70s so perhaps I missed it....And how I love the cardinals! Our state bird in Ohio, and for a number of other states as well...
ReplyDeleteIt must not have been a big hit except in the States, Richard didn't know it until he heard it on my post! Yes, the cardinal is the state bird for several states, I know. Georgia's state bird is the Brown Thrasher and we have a pair that likes to visit our deck, to eat and drink and to take a bath in the tiny water bowl we have for our birds. So funny to see this rather large bird somehow fit into the little bowl and splash about!
DeleteI forgot the title but as soon as I heard the opening bars, I remembered the song. It's very distinctive. Brought back a lot of memories.
ReplyDelete