Tuesday, July 24, 2007

the la-la song


As I backed my car out of the parking spot, something on the radio took me back immediately to a sweet memory. It was a song in which the singer sung "la la la la" instead of words to a song. Something about the quality of his voice and the intimacy of the wordlessness took me instantly back to my childhood and the song my father sung to us.

My parents rocked us each to sleep until we were entirely too old for such things. I distinctly remember my long legs hanging over the arms of the rocking chair as my father would rock wildly (it was always much more fun when he was the rocker). The old chair creaked to keep time with my father's song. It seems to me he only ever sung two songs: Go Tell it on the Mountain and the La-la song.

My brother hated the la-la song. He would cry, making the job of rocking him to sleep even tougher. He'd put his little hand over my father's mouth and scream "no more la-la's!" and my father would just chuckle. Imagine my surprise when I overheard my brother singing to his own son Seth the very same but (evidently) no longer detested song.

I asked my mother today if she knew the name of the song. She said that she knew it was by "The Singing Nun". I did a search online and found it. It is called "Sister Adele".

It's jarring to hear the song outside of our family and sung with such a high voice. I tried to find the song in its entirety...I know Jennifer and Jessica will want to hear it. I could only find a sniplet...the la-la bit just begins at the end. Click here to hear it.

I think when we're camping this weekend I'll ask my father to sing it before I go to bed, for old times' sake.

8 comments:

Dawn said...

sweet memories....
I remember the Singing Nun - my dear aunt Lucy loved her songs. Lucy was our favorite...She passed away at the age I am now - from breast cancer. How I miss her!
Thanks for bringing back a memory or two for me... from this post.
xo

Cupcake said...

Great post about your father and singing. I recently wrote a similar post about my dad and his songs to his children. You'll have to check it out some day when you have a minute.
http://crabbydeal.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Oh my mom used to sing that Dominique song and loved that album. What sweet memories!

Anonymous said...

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/singing-nun-soeur-sourire-sister-adele-lyrics.html

Is the link to the song and the lyrics. It is a neat song. She had a wonderful voice!

alli14 said...

Hi Amy, I have the video of the movie The Singing Nun if you want to borrow it.
Allison

Amy said...

We had a figurine of the three singing nuns with a music box inside. It turned as it played that same song! I love that song. The music box sat on my Mom's night stand and I loved to wind it up and lie on her big bed pillow and listen.

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

This brings back memories for me...my little mother used to sing "Tura Lura Lura" and "Brahm's Lullaby" to us at night. I surely do miss that.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for linking to this music clip. I love her singing. I have the first song she sings (Dominie) on one of my Greatest Hits albums (can't remember which era it's from). It's always been one of my favorites. Her album is now on my wish list along with one of those beautiful French Christmas albums Amazon recommended below this listing.
Thanks!