Carolyn Leigh & Cy Coleman
or is it,
Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh;)
Carolyn Leigh, born in the Bronx in 1926. A true American Lyricist, in fact she was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1985 posthumously by two years. Nominated for two Tony Awards, Leigh had a way with words. Not only did she have a "way" with words, moreover, she had a depth about her. Unbelievable insight into the hearts and minds of all of us. An understanding, frankly, reminiscent of "Witchcraft". Known to have worked both on Broadway and film, she wrote the following words....You can laugh when things fall apart at the seams. and Life is so exciting with each passing day the Love is either in your heart, or, on its way.
Cy Coleman, also born in 1926, also from NYC. A child prodigy playing Steinway and Carnegie Hall between the ages of six and nine, met the above in not only their youthful years, (those of tumult and crazy success) but their best years musically providing timeless classics. Forget they are played today and rather hear the words and mood of the following..."It is hard you will find to be narrow of mind if you're young at heart" and "as rich as you are your much better by far to be young at heart". Breathtaking.
Me. (Haha...laughing at the thought of placing my name here in some delusion of grandiosity!!! Those of you reading this who know me, probably understand this. For those who do not...don't think much on it. This isn't about me. Its about all of us.)
Eh-hem...Where was I? Oh yes, me. Introduced to Young at Heart, or rather, reintroduced to it by a little known teen movie, Dream A Little Dream. The star of the movie and once married to the late great Lauren Bacall, Jason Robards who played an aged man by the name, coincidentally, by name of Coleman. My parents' generation, especially my neighborhood not far from New York City...A South/East of route 4 suburb of NJ. Not far from the birth place of Mr. Frank Sinatra. It is Sinatra my parents think of when they hear this song. More than likely, your parents too. It is only in my thirties do I realize the move was about Coleman, and not Bobby who was splashed all over the front pages of Teen Beat Magazine!
My nephews and nieces, those of you born in the nineties, may never have heard this song....but it applies to you too, although, you may not really 'get it' now. You will.
Its the realization of having a giant house full of rooms is not what is important. What is important, is that each room in your home is big enough to dance. And, most important...that you take the time to dance in them.
Its the two kids in their twenties who introduced Lucille Ball to the Broadway Stage with a bang! Two musical geniuses who knew how to work the industry. (And in their day, industry was everything!!!) Its about the magical mystical connection...The ability to tap in to the very soul of human nature that is astounding! How did they know? Ironically both of them died of a heart attack. I bet their was a lot of excitement, drinking, smoking, hours upon hours without sleep, and the a mind so alive and vibrant even at rest it was there. That knowing they had. At least I hope they knew.
Why am I writing this...because I get it now. And, because my 19 month old daughter woke me up at 4am...and this was the song playing in my head while trying to get her back to sleep for a few more hours.
The sun came up.
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