Laughing at Myself

“Down by the Old Mill Stream” always surprises me, and always makes me laugh. My mother loved Mitch Miller, I heard him often while she washed, cooked, cleaned, and otherwise cared for a big house and 7 children.  She also loved show tunes and the Lennon Sisters, but I was always a fan of Mitch. I consciously laughed at myself (not baby chuckles but a big laugh) for the first time during this song. I laughed at the joyful realization that someone BESIDES me could sing and think at the same time. 

Exploring the differences between the river and the stream, me and you, thought and knew, false and true, was an introduction to the choices a writer makes. I never had a “one track” mind. I love music because of it’s many “tracks” – the different voices, the different instruments, the harmonies, the music, the words and the integration that makes it music instead of noise. Counterpointing the words of the song at the same time as Mitch and his gang were counterpointing the voices was fun.

The two (or three) intellectual tracks that Mitch Miller shared opened up a world of possibilities to me. And it was sung in close harmony that drew me with it’s beauty even if I did not realize how it was done. I joyfully realized that my mind was not the only one that explored parallel universes and saw the beauty therein. When I get sleepy on a long road trip I STILL sing this one, whether the other people in the car want me to or not.  I’m the driver, I get to pick, and music with laughter is a great reason to stay awake and alive.