Last weekend, while driving to Kentucky on a day job mission, I tuned in the Bob Edwards show and was delighted when I heard he was interviewing one of my favorite song writer/musicians–Jimmy Webb.
Bob and Jimmy are old friends and had a delightful hour reminiscing and occasionally promoting Jimmy's newest album, Still Within The Sound of My Voice. Back home, I went on line and purchased it and my Jimmy Webb delight continued. As I listened, I realized that the man has written 90% of my all-time favorite songs.
Included on the album is "Where's The Play Ground Susie," one of many Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb collaborations that became a hit. I'll include an old video link to an early version of the song at the end of this post.
The lyrics, like all of Jimmy's lyrics, are profound. Click on the link for the full song. Here's the verse that grabs me the hardest.
The carousel has stopped us here
It twirled a time or two and then it dropped us here
And still you're not content with something about me
But what merry-go-round can you ride without me
To take your hand? How would you stand?
I know that it's a lost love song, but what hit me when I heard it was it applies equally well to the human condition. We are in this life thing together. We don't have a clue how we arrived here, or where the next stop will be, but that shouldn't keep us from enjoying the trip. It seems to me that will never happen as long as there are eight to ten armed conflicts being waged on the planet at any given time.
If we dedicate ourselves first to peace, then to the happiness of everyone on the planet, with the same zeal that we fight and kill, we'd not have to ask, "Where's the playground?" Every place would be a playground.
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