The Thanksgiving Trifecta!
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – Thanksgiving Special #1 – “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” by Arlo Guthrie
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Arlo’s classic 1967 shaggy dog story of a bunch of hippies doin’ their best to lend a hand to a friend by disposing some garbage on Thanksgiving. It’s a true story about a true Alice…in fact; my Aunt’s sister was good friends with the real Alice back in the day
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – Thanksgiving Special #2 – “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen
This single was most recently an installment from my Jukebox Series of postings, however on Thanksgiving, BIRD IS THE WORD!
Yes, I’ve played the “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” by Arlo Guthrie every Thanksgiving ever since I was a little kid…and I will force my family to sit through it again tomorrow. However, aside from, perhaps, selections from the musical Bye Bye Birdie, I can’t seem to think of a more appropriate song for Thanksgiving…so as we give thanks, think about what you’re eating…Bird is the Word.
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – Thanksgiving Special #3 – “Dinner Bell” by They Might Be Giants
Choosing the perfect Thanksgiving Song Of The Day is not an easy task.
In the past, I’ve done the obvious with the all-American standby, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” by Arlo Guthrie. It’s something I’ve listened to every year on Thanksgiving ever since I was a kid, and I will be spinning it again (on vinyl, of course) sometime tomorrow.
One year I went total novelty and chose “Turkey Lurkey Time” from the Bacharach/David musical Promises, Promises which went over like picked over leftovers when posted. I was considering “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” by Sly & The Family Stone for a while, with its theme of thanks and that whole family angle via The Family Stone, but decided to shift gears a little to look at the holiday differenty…at least musically.
So this year, we’re gonna celebrate what we’re all gathering round the table for today: dinner! And what better way to start the celebration than with They Might Be Giant’s “Dinner Bell” from their classic Apollo 18 album. The song has always been a favorite of mine with its secret-weapon-of-a-counter-melody sung by John Linnell listing the things he either doesn’t want to eat, or what he would rather be having.
It gets right down to the heart of the matter this year, which is families and friends coming together for a meal and perhaps a prayer…so here’s hoping that the “Dinner Bell” is ringing joyously around your table tonight.
