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As of 2012, Dolly Parton had written more than 3,000 songs, sold more than 100 million records, and earned 11 Grammy Awards. Her extensive philanthropy activities through the Dollywood Foundation include Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails one book per month to each enrolled child from birth to kindergarten. She has published an autobiography and authored several children’s books. She wrote “Wildflowers Don't Care Where They Grow” and recorded it on “Trio,” a 1987 collaboration with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, which achieved Platinum status and won numerous awards including a Grammy in 1988.

Hank Williams Sr. is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. From his start in 1937 with a 15-minute radio show, to his death in 1953 at age 29, Williams had 55 Top-Ten singles, five of which were released posthumously. His 1952 recording of "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" peaked at #2. Many artists have recorded this song, including a 1974 version by Linda Ronstadt that charted at #2 and won the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.

The Canadian indie roots rock band, The Sadies, released “Why Be So Curious (Part 3)” on their 2004 album, “Favourite Colours.” There is no Part 1 or 2, and no reason why this is Part 3 - it’s curious!  Members of The Sadies are Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are part of Canadian folk/bluegrass “royalty” as the sons and nephews of the trio, The Good Brothers. Sadly, in 2022, Dallas Good died suddenly of natural causes related to coronary illness.

Elvis Presley recorded over 600 songs. His label required songwriters to give Elvis co-writing credit, even though he didn’t write a single song. Ken Darby wrote "Love Me Tender" set to a mid-1800’s song. Elvis and Darby’s wife, Vera Matson, have the songwriting credit. When asked why he attributed the lyrics to his wife along with Elvis, the standard response from Darby was, “because she didn’t write it either.”

Cheese is my favourite food group. And puns are my favourite style of humor. So, it was inevitable that I would eventually be lured into writing the "Cheesy Love Song" based on some of the worst cheese puns you are ever likely to hear. Any way you slice it, this song could be an embarrassment to my Kraft. However, Colby sad if you don’t love it! You’ve had fair warning.  

Do some expressions ever strike you as strange? One day I heard someone say they would keep something in the back of their mind, and I had a mental picture of all the faces, items, sounds and so forth that might be jostling for space in the back of their cranium. This led me to imagine a story of a man haunted by regret over a wrong choice. His story is my song, “Dancing in the Back of His Mind.”

I was inspired to write “Delicious Bittersweet” by a recent conversation about downsizing, and the challenge of deciding what to keep and what to let go. It’s often said that the only constant in life is change, and this song reflects on how the flavour of life develops as people and things come, go, and remain with us over time.

Ian Tyson once said, “I’ll always be a westerner and I’ll always be a cowboy.” This perspective runs through each of his 17 albums, released between 1973 and 2006. The single, “Springtime in Alberta” was on his 1991 album, titled “And Stood There Amazed.” The song reached #9 on the Canadian Top Country chart. Ian Tyson passed away on December 29, 2022, at his ranch near Longview. He was 89.

I hadn’t planned to write a song for New Years, but “The New Leaf” fits the occasion. It’s a song inspired by procrastination and seems appropriate for this time of year when so many people are setting goals and making resolutions for the year ahead.  

Christmas Island is an Australian 'island territory' in the Indian Ocean, located directly south of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also the name of a community in Nova Scotia. The song, “Christmas Island,” refers to the former. It was was written by Lyle Moraine and originally recorded in 1946 by The Andrews Sisters with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians. It has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (1960), Leon Redbone (1988) and Jimmy Buffett (1996), among others.

Every year at this time, the Okotoks Art Gallery has a gingerbread house competition. Last year, I admired a gingerbread ranch house and this year, when I was thinking of a Christmas song to write, it came to mind. I pictured ponies in the corral, and from that came the inspiration for a song about a party where children were decorating “Gingerbread Ponies.”

A few weeks ago I found myself sitting on a hard chair for a rather lengthy presentation. At one point, I found myself thinking I should write a song called “Bony Butt Blues” - and here it is!

Herman Hupfeld wrote “As Time Goes By” for the Broadway musical, "Everybody's Welcome." It was first recorded in 1931 by Rudy Vallée, and became famous in the 1942 movie, "Casablanca," sung by Sam, portrayed by Dooly Wilson. Due to the 1942-44 musicians’ strike, Wilson was unable to record the song, so RCA Victor reissued the Rudy Vallée recording, which became a #1 hit, 11 years after its initial release. Wilson's version, re-released in 1977, reached #15 in the UK. For years, it was the signature song of Warner Bros., used with their logo at the beginning of films. It was also the title and theme song of the 1990s British comedy series, "As Time Goes By," starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer.

“Spooky Scary Skeletons” was The Bear’s pick for my Halloween song this year, and he had lots of fun doing the video production. The song was written in 1966 by Andrew Gold, an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and music producer. His single, “Lonely Boy," was a Top 10 hit in the U.S., and his song, "Thank You for Being a Friend,” was known by millions as The Golden Girls theme song. In addition to his solo career, he was a band member for many artists, including Linda Rondstadt from 1973-77. 

John Prine wrote and sang humorous lyrics about love and life, as well as serious songs with social commentary. He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. Following his death in 2020 at age 73, his family established the Hello in There Foundation “to offer support for people who are marginalized, discriminated against or, for any reason, are otherwise forgotten.” This week, tribute concerts and events are taking place at John’s favourite spots in Nashville, as the basis for two documentaries. “In a Town This Size” was written by Kieran Kane and recorded in 1999 as a duet by John Prine and Dolores Keane. 

Blue Rodeo was formed over 35 years ago by high school friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. The band has released 16 albums, with over four million copies sold. They have received many Juno Awards and been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The band has received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, been named to the Order of Canada and received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. “Head Over Heels” was released on their 1995 studio album, Five Days in July. 

“Autumn Leaves” originated in 1945 as a French poem, “Les Feuilles Mortes,” written by poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert, who collaborated with Joseph Kosma to set the poem to music. In 1950, Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics. More than a thousand commercial recordings have been made of the song, in both vocal and instrumental versions, by prominent artists in Europe and North America. 

In June, we had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Eagle Valley Park Campground near Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. The view from our RV window is the backdrop for this episode of DJ’s Music Studio. The book I was reading at the time inspired me to write this humorous country song, “Luck Ran Out.”

While we were camping last month, I thought it would be fun to write a song that could be easily remembered and sung around a campfire. The result is “Travelling on a Train,” which has a simple melody and repeating lines in every verse. The words are on the screen, so you can sing along with me!

No one knows who wrote the American folk song, “Wayfaring Stranger,” but the first publication was in 1858. Countless recordings have been made, with the first in 1929 on Victor Records by the male quartet, Vaughn’s Texas Quartet. The song came into the spotlight in the 1940s as the title of Burl Ives’ radio program and his autobiography. Countless artists have recorded it, including Paul Robeson, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Eva Cassidy and Rhiannon Giddens.

I have always loved the poetry of Macbeth’s “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy. Here, in Act 5, Scene 5, he learns Lady Macbeth has died and laments the futility of his life and the insignificance of his actions. My song, “All Our Tomorrows” envisions a new meaning for the images in this passage, with “all our yesterdays” transformed into the tomorrows which are the light and inspiration that direct us as we move forward in our time upon life’s stage.

From his first hit in 1960 with “Only the Lonely,” Roy Orbison  became recognized as having one of the finest voices in music history. Dwight Yoakam described Orbison’s voice as otherworldly, "like the cry of an angel falling backward through an open window." Bob Dylan said, "With Roy, you didn't know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He sounded like he was singing from an Olympian mountaintop. He sang his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff … always leave you muttering, 'Man, I don’t believe it.'"

Hank Williams once described “Your Cheatin’ Heart” as the “best heart song” he ever wrote. He recorded it shortly before his death on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Hank Williams left a profound music legacy, confirmed by the Pulitzer Prize Board, which awarded him a posthumous special citation in 2010 for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life".

“This Little Light of Mine” was originally written by Harry Dixon Loes around 1920 as a children’s song. During the 1950s/60s Civil Rights Movement, Zilphia Horton adapted the song and taught it to Pete Seeger, who added verses. It is famously tied to Civil Rights leader, Fannie Lou Hamer. While being detained by police on her way back from attempting to register to vote with other members of her community, she began singing this song.

In the Foothills, it takes a long time for spring to shake off winter. Several years ago, winter came charging back, late into spring when the trees were in full leaf and the flowers had begun to bloom. I've thought of this image as "angry springtime" and it is the inspiration for my song, “Suzanna in Spring,” which is about taking the first steps into uncertainty with the promise of summer ahead.

Did you know that the Scottish Tartans Authority has an international index with more than 7,000 entries? And no two of these tartans are the same. In addition to all the tartans for Scottish clans and districts, official tartans range from Hilton Hotels, American Express and the Toronto Bluejays; to Britain’s Royal Air Force, the FBI and RCMP; to Scrooge MacDuck (Mickey's Scottish uncle). Canadian provinces have their own tartans … which got me wondering what tartan I would wear. In turn, that inspired me to write this song, “Tartan Dilemma.”

In 1984, Sassoon Industries sponsored Elton John’s 40-city tour of the US. They launched a $5-million advertising campaign for Sassoon jeans with a re-cut version of the “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” video. It ended with Elton singing the tag line “Sassoon says so much.” (Roy Orbison also did a “Sassoon Woman” commercial of “Pretty Woman.”) Elton John went on to appear in commercials for Diet Coke, Royal Mail, Cadbury and Uber Eats. Also, the Sad Songs video is one of the few times where Elton is shown both with and without his trademark glasses.

“When You Wish Upon a Star” is sung by Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) in Walt Disney’s 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. Written by Leigh Harline (music) and Ned Washington (lyrics), the song has become the Disney anthem, played alongside the company logo before a film. You’ll hear it everywhere in Disney theme parks and the first seven notes are the horn signal for Disney Cruise Line ships. In 2009, the Library of Congress deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and preserved it in the National Recording Registry.

Sade Adu is a Nigerian-born British singer, songwriter and actress with a remarkable smooth jazz sound. I became a fan of hers in 1984 with the release of her best-selling album, Diamond Life. This song, “The Sweetest Gift,” first appeared on her 2000 album, Lovers Rock. The song is a lullaby, asking the moon to watch over a sleeping infant. On her subsequent live album, Sade dedicates the song to her child, who was born in 1996.

Pearls emerge perfectly formed, with a smooth beauty that requires no polishing. Turquoise gemstones date back to 3000 BC in Egypt and can be found in many hues of blue and green. Neither need sparkly facets to give them depth or make them eye-catching. Together, they are the perfect metaphor for the complex but gentle soul in my song, “Turquoise and Pearls.”

“Advice from the Medium for Mediums” is the last of my “broken ankle” songs. Although the song ended up being both humorous and hopeful, the chorus came to me at a point when I was trying to talk myself out of a deep funk. The storyline emerged later in banter with a friend, when I had the brainwave that “medium” could be both a noun and adjective.

“Farewell to Nova Scotia” is a traditional folk song and anthem for Nova Scotia. It was written before or during WWI, possibly inspired by the poem, A Soldier's Adieu, by Scottish poet Robert Tannahill. The song was first collected by Canadian folklorist, Helen Creighton. It became widely popular in 1964 when Catherine McKinnon sang it as the theme song for the Halifax-based CBC TV program, Singalong Jubilee.

Jimmy Dickens went to his friend, Hank Williams Sr., for advice on how to become a star. Hank told Jimmy he’d need a hit song and wrote “Hey Good Lookin’” for him. It only took Hank 20 minutes to write the song - maybe because it has the same title as a song Cole Porter wrote a decade earlier, along with some of the same lyrics and similar melody and rhythm. Jimmy’s recording didn’t go anywhere, but Hank’s 1951 release of the same song was a huge hit. In 2001, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

"I’ll Be Home for Christmas" was first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, with lyrics by Kim Gannon and music by Walter Kent. On December 17, 1965, it became the first “song request” to be broadcast into outer space. It was requested by astronauts James Lovell and Frank Borman on their return to earth after a record 206 orbits aboard Gemimi 7. A day before, the crew of Gemini 6, also in orbit, reported a UFO in polar orbit, followed by a rendition of Jingle Bells on harmonica and bells which they’d smuggled aboard.

In 1954, Frank Sinatra wanted to release his own version of “White Christmas,” which was a huge hit for Bing Crosby the previous year. Frank wanted a new Christmas song for the B-side (the other side of a 45-rpm vinyl). He asked Sammy Cahn (lyrics) and Jule Styne (melody) to write the song. They argued that another Christmas song seemed ridiculous so close to Bing’s big hit, but Frank insisted. They thought a song in waltz-time might be unique and catch on, so they wrote “The Christmas Waltz,” which has been recorded by several artists since then, but has remained obscure.

“Last Christmas” was written by George Michael of the synth-pop duo, Wham! Released in 1984, it reached #2 on the UK charts, behind Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” an all-star charity single benefiting Ethiopian famine relief. George Michael sang on that song and donated the proceeds of “Last Christmas” to the cause. The song remained a best selling UK single, finally reaching #1 thirty-six years later.

Think the North Pole is all candy canes and jolliness, with everyone whistling while they work? Think again! One of Santa’s reindeer is definitely not feeling the joy of the season. I wrote all about his plight in the song, “Comet the Disgruntled Fifth Reindeer.”

Michael Bublé released “Everything” in 2007 on his album, “Call Me Irresponsible.” He says the song is about his then girlfriend, Emily Blunt, and he's quoted as saying, “I wrote the song about the great happiness of real love, but at the same time I was making a statement about the world. We're living in really crazy times, and I wanted to say that no matter what's happening, this person in my life is what really makes it worthwhile."

For Remembrance Day 2021, I wrote the song, “Valour Lullaby” to recognize the profound work of the organization, Quilts of Valour, and also to celebrate my father-in-law, who lived a century-long life as an extraordinary husband, father, soldier, entrepreneur, and friend to all.

As the story goes, Ed Sheeran wrote “Thinking Out Loud” in 20 minutes at his kitchen table, along with Wales-based singer-songwriter Amy Wadge, who had dropped by for a visit. He says he composed the melody on guitar, with the vibe inspired by Van Morrison. Released in 2014, the song was the first single to spend a full year in the UK top 40 and, as of May 2020, had been viewed more than 3-billion times on YouTube.

Sometimes a casual remark can lead to a beautiful song. In Elkhorn, Wisconsin, around 1868, Fillmore Bennett noticed his friend, Jospeh Webster, seemed melancholy. When asked what was wrong, Webster replied, “It’s no matter, it will be all right by and by.” In a eureka moment, Bennett wrote lyrics and Webster found a melody on his violin. Within half an hour, the hymn “Sweet By and By” was complete.

Hooray! After four months of recovery and rehabilitation, I’m cautiously getting around on my ankle, and am over the moon to record a song “in person” from DJs Music Studio. While I was off my feet, I experimented with a number of song writing styles, including 12-bar blues. The result is a humorous song titled “Evidence Blues.”

My ankle is healing and I hope to return in-person to DJ's Music Studio soon. In the meantime, my thoughts went back to the simple piano duet of “Heart and Soul” that we played as kids. Composed in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser, the song was a hit in the Big Band era and in the 1960s as both R&B and DooWop versions. It’s also in the soundtracks of many movies. 

“Heart and Soul“

“Our Little Secret” is a metaphorical song about my ankle trauma. The idea came to me in hospital, while thinking about all the things I was holding on to for dear life - the paramedics, bed rails, grab bars and most of all, my dear Bear who has supported me through this ordeal. And yes, the song also includes the villain wind I was racing against when I slipped and crashed.

“Our Little Secret“

My two-month broken leg “recliner confinement” has been a prolific time for writing songs! “No Place I’d Rather Be At” is my entry in the Music Mile Songwriting Contest, and talks about how the past and present flourish along 9th Avenue SE in Calgary, from Inglewood to Studio Bell (the old King Eddy).

“No Place I'd Rather Be At“

Stampede has begun and I have almost three weeks left of my broken leg “recliner confinement.” I was doing some research into Hank Williams Sr., who wrote some of my favorite country songs. He’s quoted as saying, “Everybody loves a hurtin’ song.” With this inspiration and my great admiration for Hank, I wrote “The Hurtin' Song Song.”

“The Hurtin' Song Song“

What’s the secret for making magic happen in life? It lies in stepping into the unknown and, by force of character, seizing opportunity. The secret can be summed up in the three words that are the title of my song, “Moxie Magic Danger.”

“Moxie Magic Danger“

This song, “Stream Becomes a Trickle,” tells the story of a David and Goliath battle over water rights in a rural community. I wrote it as part protest song and part anthem, with the firm belief that community will prevail. This is an audio only song as DJ has another six weeks of no weightbearing on her broken ankle and six more weeks of house husbanding for Bear.

“Stream Becomes a Trickle“

Hello friends. It will be a few weeks before I am able to record any songs for DJ’s Music Studio, as I’m sitting here with my leg up after breaking my ankle. I'm working on some new original songs that I can’t wait to share with you when I’m on my feet again, hopefully the first week in July. In the meantime, you can click on the Ambulance for an account of how it happened, told in the inimitable style of the Bear.

“DJ Takes a Tumble.“

On June 20, 1958, Buddy Holly proposed to Maria Elena Santiago on their first date. Buddy wrote "True Love Ways" with Norman Petty, as his wedding gift for Maria. He recorded the song on October 21, 1958, four months before his death, and the song was released posthumously. The photo of Buddy and Maria's first kiss is displayed above Table 53 at JP Clarke's in New York, the spot of that first date.

The Alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid (a humpless camel related to the llama, guanaco and vicuna). It is an unusual looking animal, with a long neck and spindly legs. Alpacas provide luxurious fleeces that, when spun, can be made into soft, warm scarves, shawls and blankets. They have beautiful faces, which I celebrate in my song, "Alpaca Smile."

Many songwriters say the best songs begin with a "stolen" line or phrase. Amanda McBroom heard a song with the line, "Your love is like a razor; my heart is just a scar," and it set off a flurry of thoughts about what love is and isn't. Ten minutes later, she'd written "The Rose." It was recorded by Bette Midler as the title track for the 1979 movie, The Rose.

Debbie Travis had done it all - home decorating guru, television personality, author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and more. But her lifelong dream was to create a fabulous Tuscan getaway. In an interview on The Marilyn Denis Show, March 3, Debbie tells how she made this dream a reality. And her words inspired me to write this song, "What Would Debbie Travis Say?"

Several weeks ago, I woke up thinking the line: silver and gold at the end of the day. It stuck with me and took me back many decades to a young age when I loved to run and compete in track and field sports. A particular competition came to mind and, from that, I wrote the song, "Silver and Gold at the End of the Day."

In 2019, the image of tumbling hay bales popped into my mind along with a happy melody line. For the next couple of years, at harvest time, I'd look at the fields of hay bales and smile at my private joke. Last month, after dreams about the landscape and friends in the Millarville area, the quirky line developed into my song, "Millarville Dream."

Chauncey Olcott was an Irish/American actor, songwriter and singer. In 1912, he and George Graff, Jr. wrote the lyrics to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and Ernest Ball added the music. It has been recorded over 200 times. On St. Patrick's Day 1985, it entered the political arena when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan jointly sang the song following what was dubbed the Shamrock Summit between Canada and the U.S.

"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" (That's an Irish Lullaby) was written by James Royce Shannon in 1913 for a Tin Pan Alley musical, and it was a #1 hit rerecording by Chauncey Olcott. The song was revived in 1944 when Bing Crosby recorded it for the film, Going My Way. That single sold over one million copies.

Recently, I heard someone say that "Flowers on the Wall" is the perfect song to describe the hunkering down that we're all experiencing during this pandemic. A hit for The Statler Brothers in 1966, it was written by their original tenor, Lew DeWitt. I'm singing a version with some edits that make the song especially covid-relevant.

Feel free to push aside the furniture and settle into a long, slow, old-time waltz with your sweetheart, a cohort buddy, or just by yourself. "Forest John Memory Waltz" is a perfect Valentine's song; written by me, just for you!

"Blue Moon" was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. It's a wonderful ballad of romantic longing, covered by artists in multiple eras and genres.

For years, Okotoks presented a rich lineup of music, theatre and comedy at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre (RPAC). With Covid, this became the "RPAC@home concert series," live streamed on YouTube. I was part of the recent Emerging Artists Showcase, along with Ethan Collister, on February 3, 2021. Please note, the video starts 11 minutes into the show, due to RPAC technical difficulties.

I wrote "Winter Moon" in 2018 – the fantasy of a young skater flying across the ice on a cold, clear winter night, feeling wild exhilaration as she is bewitched by the spell of the full moon.

"Home on the Range" originated in 1872 with a poem by Dr. Brewster Higley, titled "My Western Home." The music was added later by his friend Daniel Kelley. Variations with new verses were added by William and Mary Goodwin (1904) and John A Lomax (1910). In 1947, it became the state song of Kansas. It is one of the top 100 western songs of all time.

Bert Howard was a songwriter for 20 years when a cabaret owner asked him for something simpler than his usual style. In response, Howard wrote "Fly Me to the Moon" (originally titled "In Other Words"). It was a hit for many singers, and in 1999 was inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame. In a 1988 interview, Bert Howard said, "It took me 20 years to find out how to write a song in 20 minutes."

A couple of years after I'd retired, I was strolling down a dock in Sidney by the Sea, admiring the boats and chuckling at some of the names. One boat in particular caught my eye. It brought back all those years of working and inspired me to write "Wine Down!"

"Silent Night" (originally "Stille Nacht") originated in 1818 as a poem by Joseph Mohr, curate of the parish church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. Legend has it that the church organ broke down, and organist Franz Gruber took the poem and wrote a simple tune that could be played on guitar. The song has been translated into at least 140 languages and in 2011 was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

"Away in a Manger" was written in the late 1800s and is one of the most beautiful of the traditional Christmas carols. The authorship is uncertain - many think it was written by German religious reformer Martin Luther, but historians now believe it is of American origin. There are multiple versions of the words and melody. I've chosen to sing the verses and melodies that I knew growing up.

"O Come, All Ye Faithful" was originally written in Latin as "Adeste Fideles." It first appeared in mid-1700s in a collection by the English hymnist John Francis Wade. The actual authorship is uncertain, as it seems he and many others had a hand in shaping this beautiful carol over the years.

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" was a poem written in 1849 by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts. The next year, he asked Richard Willis, music critic for the New York Herald Tribune, to put the poem to music.

"A Marshmallow World" will whet your winter imagination. Written in 1949 by Carl Sigman (lyrics) and Peter DeRose (music), it was published in 1950 and recorded that year by several artists, including Bing Crosby. The song didn't achieve widespread popularity until Dean Martin recorded it on his 1966 Christmas Album and featured it on his 1968 Christmas special.

"Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, intended for a Thanksgiving program at a church in Savannah, Georgia. Among its rich historical trivia, Jingle Bells was the first song broadcast from space. Nine days before Christmas 1965, the crew of Gemini 6 reported a UFO heading in a polar orbit. This was followed by Walter Schirra Jr, command pilot, playing Jingle Bells on a harmonica and Tom Stafford, pilot, shaking some small sleigh bells.

This song is about many things - family, creativity, making gifts and the hubbub of the holidays. But mostly, I wrote "The Sweater Song" about my Mom and a special gift she made for me over thirty years ago.

“Winter Wonderland” was written in 1934, with music by Felix Bernard and lyrics by Richard Smith who was in hospital at the time, being treated for tuberculosis. He looked out the window and saw a field covered with snow and wrote a poem about a couple’s romance during the winter season. A 1947 version added a verse for children, with the snowman and clown.

For this week of Remembrance Day, these songs are all from the WW2 era. They are dedicated to the men and women who have served in the military in war and in peacetime, as well as the families and others who have supported them. This is a story of our family, where the history of service runs deep.

Nat Burton wrote the lyrics to “White Cliffs of Dover” in 1941, a year after the Battle of Britain waged in the air over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover. Walter Kent put the lyrics to music. The song was made famous by Vera Lynn in 1942, and remains one of the most popular songs of that era. It expresses determined optimism that WW2 would be the war to end all wars, and that there would be “peace ever after, tomorrow, when the world is free.”

“I’ll Be Seeing You” was written in 1938 by Irving Kahal, with music by Sammy Fain. It was a major hit for Bing Crosby, as well as Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. In the 1950s, it was the theme for Liberace’s TV show. The soundtrack to the “The Notebook” has two iconic versions of the song - opening with Billie Holliday and the Jimmy Durante rendition at the end.

“We’ll Meet Again” was an emblematic hit of WW2, ringing with hope for soldiers going off to war and leaving their sweethearts and families behind. It was written in 1939 by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles, with the most famous version recorded by Vera Lynn. She also sang the song in London on the 60th anniversary of VE Day in 2005.

In 1915, Hans Leip, a 22-year-old soldier in WW1, wrote a poem about his sadness in being separated from his sweetheart, Lili. He also reflected on a nurse named Marlene, who waved at him when he was on sentry duty. Through a series of coincidences, “Lili Marlene” was recorded in 1943 by Marlene Dietrich and became an international hit. Years later, Vera Lynn recorded a version with modified lyrics and new verses. I’ve recorded a blending of the two.

Bobby “Boris” Pickett wrote "The Monster Mash" in 1962 and recorded it with his band, The Crypt Kickers. The BBC banned the song for a decade on the grounds that it was too morbid. Pickett also released a Christmas “Monsters' Holiday,” a “Monster Rap” version, and “Monster Slash” used in the 2004 presidential election campaign to criticize the environmental policies of George W. Bush. Spooky sound effects in my version are by "The Bear." Sound effects info

Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler wrote "Stormy Weather" in 1933 and Ethel Waters was the first to record the song. Lena Horne recorded it at least five times, including in 1943 for the movie of the same name, and her original 1941 version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. Many artists have recorded the song, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Billie Holiday and, more recently, Joni Mitchell and Jeff Lynne.

"Come Go With Me" was a 1956 hit for the Del-Vikings, a doo-wop group whose members met in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Pittsburgh. The bass vocalist, C.E. (Clarence) Quick, wrote the song. It was covered by the Beach Boys in 1978, and has been in many films, including "American Graffiti" (1973), "Diner" (1982), "Stand by Me" (1986), "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990) and "Set It Up" (2018).

Hank Williams released “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” in 1949 on the B-side of “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It,” which producers thought would be more suited to the jukebox trade than melancholy ballads. "I'm So Lonesome" proved the producers wrong when it reached No. 4 on the country charts that year. It’s stood the test of time, with artists from many genres recording the song over the years.

“The Glory of Love" was written by Billy Hill, a songwriter in Tin Pan Alley, New York. It was a hit for Benny Goodman in 1936 and has been recorded by many artists, including Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante and Paul McCartney. It's often in TV shows and movie soundtracks, including "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" (1967, sung by Jacqueline Fontaine) and "Beaches" (1988, sung by Mayim Bialik and Bette Midler).

Rev. Josiah Kelley Alwood wrote "Unclouded Day" in 1879, inspired by a vision in the early morning sky. An indispensable song in old hymnals, it found its way into popular music with a 1956 recording by The Staple Sisters. Since then, it has been covered by many artists, the most widely known by Willie Nelson in 1977.

In 1868, Septimus Winner wrote the hymn, "Whispering Hope" which is sometimes attributed to one of his pseudonyms, Alice Hawthorne. In addition to song writing, he was a teacher, performer and music publisher.

In the 1956 movie, "High Society," Bing Crosby serenades Grace Kelly with the song, "True Love," written by Cole Porter. The song has been widely recorded since then, right up to an album by Harry Connick Jr. last year. I've done two takes: first in the style of Patsy Cline's 1961 cover, and then with influences from the 1977 George Harrison recording. PS...look on YouTube for the campy, but brilliant video of George as a gondolier wooing his "true love" with the song.

Buddy Holly recorded "It Doesn't Matter Any More" a few months before he was killed in a plane crash in February 1959. It became a posthumous hit and Paul Anka, who wrote the song, gave the composer's royalties to Buddy's wife. Many artists have recorded the song, with my favorite being Linda Ronstadt on her 1974 album, "Heart Like a Wheel."

Herbert "Happy" Lawson wrote "Anytime" a century ago, and the beautiful lyric and melody still stand up today. The song was a hit for several early country artists, including three "Eddys" - Eddy Arnold, Eddie Fisher and Duane Eddy. Patsy Cline recorded it on her 1962 album, "Sentimentally Yours."

I started writing "Twenty Above and Below" after the first snowfall of 2019 and finished it last month in the summer heat at an RV campground in Drumheller. Most people shudder at the thought of coming winter, but I say, "What's not to love about 20 below?!"

Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton went to Cornell University in the late 1950s. “Custard the Dragon,” an Ogden Nash poem about a “realio, trulio little pet dragon,” became like an earworm for Lipton and, to get it out of his head, he borrowed Yarrow’s typewriter to write his own poem. Yarrow found the poem and turned it into the song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” recorded by Peter Paul and Mary in 1963.