URGENCY FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION: Pop Song Lyrics From The 60's

Newspaper Headlines From The Past:

More Floods In  Cities Today, Wildfire Spread Fast In Forest Area,  Illegal Timber Trade, December Monsoon Rain Kills Many, Massive Landslide In Hill Resort, Poisonous Chemical In Rivers Uncontrollable, Acid Rain All Over Countryside, Polluted Beaches...

'Don't Go Near The Water': Beach Boys. 

YouTube Video by: Angela de Lara.

This article has been re-posted from 10th August 2012, twelve years ago. Comments my dear readers? 

One Observation At Shopping Malls:

I have no quarrel with people who are paid by others to distribute flyers to pedestrians and passers-by.  But if we are truly going green this distribution of paper advertisements has to be curbed because the practice is growing worse by the day.

People who accept these flyers, possibly out of curiosity or otherwise, throw them away at the next bin they pass. Some even do so without reading the flyers.  And in our letter-box?  It's filled with the same junk. Tons of paper rammed down the throats of mail-boxes.  Meantime trees are destroyed.

Statistics:

"Paper is the most common type of waste in Singapore and about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2008. The recycling rate of paper is 48% in 2008, and most of this paper waste is sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling as there are no paper recycling mills in Singapore (zerowastesg.com)." And paper wastage is only one problem...

Sixties Song Lyrics:

[1] In the final verse of his song, Tapestry (1970), 60s music composer and singer Don McLean (American Pie, Starry, Starry Night) reminds his listeners about the destructive nature of man:

And every fish that swims silent, every bird that fly freely
Every doe that steps softly,
Every crisp leaf that falls, all the flowers that grow,
On this colorful tapestry, somehow they know
That if man is allowed to destroy all we need
He will soon have to pay with his life for his greed.

[2] The Beach Boys have the same message with Don't Go Near The Water (1970) warns the public:

Don't go near the water
Don't you think it's sad
What's happened to the water
Our water's going bad
Oceans, rivers, lakes and streams
Have all been touched by man
The poison floating out to sea
Now threatens life on land

Toothpaste and soap will make our oceans a bubble bath
So let's avoid an ecological aftermath
Beginning with me
Beginning with you...

[3] And one by Cat Stevens (Yusof Islam) asks his audience Where Do The Children Play (1970)?

Well I think it's fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well you've cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher till there's no more room up there
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?

Wastage:

I have noticed a slight change now. Tissue paper is not offered free in fast food restaurants and coffee houses.  You gotta ask for it! And that's good. But we got a long way to go.

Paper, water, electricity, food. What else are we wasting everyday? There are other songwriters who write about warning green. Remember any?

Just a reminder. Have we improved much since 2012. If we have, it's really great, so do write in... [4/12/2024]

Lyrics: from Lyrics Websites.
Images: from Google.

Quote from: http://www.zerowastesg.com/2008/12/08/paper-recycling/

Andy 60s Music: Petite Fleur By Yen Chow

While reading through Facebook Friends' postings, I came across Ms Yen Chow's  picture; she's posed beside a pretty acrylic painting of sweet blue flowers. And she was the artist.

Here they are, showcased. Yen was a student in the 90's when she was only in secondary school. Hopefully we can see more of her art pieces in future. 

Thanks Yen for your contribution to the blog.

There are hundreds of songs, maybe even thousands about flowers. Here's one wind and brass instrumental by Chris Barber about the Little Flower or Petite Fleur.

Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Petite Fleur or Little Flower. Enjoy from video by 7707George. Thank you.

And here is Yen's masterpiece in full bloom below. She has already received nearly 100 LIKES from everyone around on Facebook. 

Congratulations Yen. Hope you will deliver more bouquets on our doorsteps.

Her first attempt on the acrylic board, this pretty piece. Perhaps you'd like to help name it? 

Here's a flower from The Sound of Music by Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. Edelweiss is as famous as it is beautiful, both the flower and the melody. 

If you have names of songs using flowers as themes, you can contribute too. Cheers.

IMAGES; Yen Chow Collection
Videos from YouTube.

The background music from the video below is provided by Jimmy Chan and dedicated to Yen Chow. Jimmy saw her flowers, wrote to me and sent me the video.  

The guitar accompaniment was by Reggie Verghese, music producer and lead guitarist from the Quests. Jimmy too was from the Quests.

Thanks Jimmy.

Thanks to Mr Prabhakaran D. for uploading the video. Can anyone provide the title to the music?

Moby Dick The Whale & Sea Life Struggle On: No Killer Whale But Killer Plastic

Save The Whales And Sea Creatures: Ban All Plastic Bags.

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"Thar she blows..."

Coming from Captain Ahab whose leg was bitten off by Moby Dick, the creature was, "an accursed white whale that razeed me made a poor pegging lubber of me forever and a day (1)."

The book Moby Dick, a classic novel by Herman Melville, has brought to mind the plight of these sea mammals and other ocean creatures, victims again, not of whale hunters like Captain Ahab but by irresponsible people who use the ocean as a huge rubbish dump to discard their garbage. 

Most of these waste matters are placed in plastic bags and swallowed by the poor whales and other forms of marine life. Whales have also been killed for food by some communities. In time they die, like Moby Dick and those in the story, "Oh, lonely death on lonely life! (2)."

Michael Bangar (image right), Singapore guitarist and musician has this comment to make, "Andy, the biggest culprit is mankind, as with a lot of other problems throughout the globe. Rubbish that has been thrown overboard from seafaring vessels over many, many years are swept out to sea from rivers, streams, canals and drains worldwide.  Many countries don't set control laws and throw their waste into the oceans.

It is a huge but unseen problem that needs massive cooperation from all nations to rectify. The poor sea creatures suffer. We just don't know how many more of them have died from this catastrophe. Like the poor innocent whale, thinking that rubbish-filled plastic bags was food. So sad!"

In the song, made popular by Frankie Laine in the mid-fifties, the whale was a symbol of fear: 

Oh Moby Dick was so big and slick
There was never such a whale
He'll take a ship with the slightest whip
Of his mighty, mighty tail...

We know today that the whale is not the aggressor. Man is. Merlin Lim (image below), the former guitarist for pop band Silver Strings, roamed the world in large ships after he decided to work at sea. Here's what he said:

"Andy, I saw the video sometime back and have been thinking about how the whales and other sea life suffered because of the human being's lack of respect for these creatures. 

I recalled the time I served on board ships. All rubbish, food waste, plastics included, were dumped overboard while the ship was at sea. Seagulls would hover over the garbage, pick up bits and pieces of food and debris while the rest sink into the ocean. 

These remains will eventually end up in the stomachs of the bigger fishes as 'food'.  The practice has been going on for years from way back in the early 70's.

Sad to say, I am also guilty of this big mistake we have all made." 

Indeed Michael and Merlin. And as we, "Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool (3),"  we are all guilty as hell.

An Original Article (Copyrights Reserved).

I thank contributions from Michael Bangar and Merlin Lim, both rhythm guitarists from The Silver Strings.

1,2,3: Quotations from 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville
Images: A Personal Collection; Google.

Botanic Gardens: Tree Crashes Day After Valentine Gig

12 February, 2017, Singapore Botanic Gardens, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

An iconic tembusu tree, near the Symphonic Stage and very close to the statues of Chopin and his wife, toppled and crashed late yesterday on Chap Goh May afternoon of 11 February, just three days before Valentine's Day on 14 February.

The night before the tembusu tree toppled, my wife and I were witnessing the last half an hour of a concert by well-known duet Jack and Rai (image) during the Botanic Garden's Valentine's Day celebration this year. 

The guitar strums of the duo were vibrantly contrasting and bright to the still and quiet of the evening, but they seemed to mellow with the trees and cool breeze. And Jack and Rai played with excellence and skill. Very talented twosome indeed.

There was a good evening crowd, with many young couples, some with children. A few stalls, by the wayside facing the iconic white gazebo, were manned by youth, selling food, drinks and souvenirs. 

It was actually our routine evening walk in the Gardens and we just managed to catch Jack and Rai singing two Beatles songs, the last one, Hey Jude. The duo surely spurred the spontaneous crowd to sing the refrain. Only a few weeks ago PM Lee Hsien Loong obliged a selfie with me at the same spot where the gig was held.

After the show we had to pass the tembusu tree and walking towards our car, near the coffee house on the Dalvey Road/Nassim Road side of the Gardens. We were discussing how old many of the trees were. They were perhaps older than the Gardens itself. 

With the present heavy rains and thunderstorms, we were concerned about the safety of people who patronized the area. It was a strange co-incidence to have discussed the calamity before it happened the next day.

According to news reports one lady had passed away and a few others were injured during the incident. We send condolences to the bereaved family and hope the rest who were at the scene are safe and unharmed.

The Botanic Gardens is a lovely place to visit, having been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by its Committee during its 39th session. My grand children and I visit it often, most times in the late afternoon. The kids could run wild and scream in the large open areas. 

But be more careful walking by the side of the lakes when feeding the fishes and turtles. There is no fencing around the lakes and the pigeons could be too friendly, flying close to children who are near the edge of these lakes. A safe place it is but sometimes danger lurks as it would anywhere else.

Disclaimer:
This posting explains the incident as it is. There is no intention to criticize any organisation, party or individual. Please write to blogger if information is inaccurate and post will be deleted.

Images: Botanical Gardens Facebook and Website.

           Jack and Rai Make You Feel My Love: (cover Bob Dylan)

The Durian Chase: 'Love Will Keep Us Together'

Image from: yearofthedurian.com

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My Music and Food Trail

The Letter from NTU Students

"I read your post on 5 places you can still find durian trees in Singapore and you mentioned your memories of seeing durian trees along different places. I am wondering if you would be interested to share more about your experiences with durians when you were growing up in the 60s and 70s?

Me and my friends are year 4 students at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and we're working on our final year project on the topic of durians. It's a campaign aimed at getting youths to appreciate durians, not just for the fruit and taste but also the history, the sellers, people who work to create durian flavoured products or crafts.

In one of our phases, we want to do a video series on stories of durians back in the 60s, 70s and 80s and also on durian picking in Singapore (Wee Kim Wee School of Communications in a letter to Lam Chun See of Good Morning Yesterday from whom I received a copy)."

C.W. Kee's Durian Cartoon (C)

My Story:

Durian Feasts

I never like durians and whenever members of my family bring home durians to consume I will always ask them to take the path to the kitchen using the side garden of our residential home and never through the living room. Feasting must only take place in the kitchen with windows wide open and fans full blast. That is how much I dislike durians and even up till today, the same rules apply. 

The Mersing Trip

It was the mid-70s and the chase began when a group of friends wanted to buy durians from Mersing in Malaya.  I only agreed because it was my first time going and I had hopes of passing by the little water-fall and take a peek at Pulau Tioman a holiday place which was just across the waters from Mersing.

It wasn't too long a trip and four of us cramped into my tiny jalopy, a Datsun 1000 (used, 3-year old @ $4,000).  Since the car was a four-door affair the ride was pretty comfortable.  We were all skinny young 'uns and ready for an adventure. 

Love Will Keep Us Together

On the way across the three musketeers sang, Love Will Keep Us Together, a big hit those years and sung by Captain and Tennille. It was quite obvious what the durian chasers were referring to:

"Be there to share forever 
Love will keep us together 
Said it before and I'll say it again 
While others pretend 
I"ll need you now and I'll need you then..."

Southern Tip of Malayan Peninsula showing Mersing and Tioman

The Causeway was not difficult to cross. Traffic wasn't too heavy then. I cannot remember if we had to pay charges for crossing over but the immigration       officers from both sides let us through without fuss.

When we reached Mersing there was this open field with lots of durians and their keepers. And there was a huge crowd, all running around hurrying and trying, buying and eating durians a plenty.

My three friends scuttled out of the car before I even jammed the brakes.  I was just as ignorant then as I am today and cannot remember where this area was, but it wasn't too far from the waterfall. I left my friends as the stench was unbearable and hurried to the waterfall alone.

Brimming The Boot

When I came back two hours later I saw the three of them waving to me excitedly. But I wasn't as enthusiastic when I saw a basketful of the horrible fruit at their side.  They decided, without my permission, to buy as many of the green spiked balls as they could for their dinner date at home.

I disagreed and refused to transfer the fruit into my car but after some plea bargaining I agreed with much frustration. They filled the boot to the brim. The cover just managed to shut.

Fruit of the Season

I was grumbling all the way, what with the hot humid weather and the smell, I was ready to burst.  It was like a journey to hell and when we reached the causeway I thought my trouble was over but it was only the beginning of more problems. The immigration officer eyed us sharply but was polite.

"Do you have anything to declare?" he asked with a sincere demeanour on his face.

"Nothing sir," I declared since I was driving.

"Nothing? You mean nothing at all? Not even fruits of the season?" Then he added, "I can smell them you know."

"Yes, we have a few durians in the boot," I replied.

I felt the perspiration down my spine. The way he looked at me it was as if I was smuggling drugs into Singapore.

"Aha." he remarked with glee, "can you please open the boot." And when he saw the heap he shouted, "So many ah... And you say a few only!"  

You Tube: Captain n Tennille, Love Will Keep Us Together by Desperado0001

The Tax Charges

So the rule was short and simple, "I have to charge tax. If you want a         receipt you must pay $15 for the durians. If you don't need a receipt, just pay $5."

It was quite obvious. The officer took me to his little hut, pulled out a huge *Blue OMO box from under the counter and signalled me to put the five dollar note into it. I looked inside. Full of 5 and 10 dollar bills.

"Lucky ah... we paid only 5 dollars!!!" my friends remarked as we hurried home.

"I paid!" I retorted. 

And, by the way, neither love nor durians have kept us together.  We went our separate ways and on the trip, I never even visited Pulau Tioman.

Durian, King of Fruit? Bah!

*****************

*Blue OMO is a detergent, well-advertised on TV and a household name those years.

Song: Love Will Keep Us Together by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. A Captain and Tennille international hit in 1975.

Images: Google.
Cartoons: C.W. Kee's Comic Strips (Malaysia).

Disclaimer: 

There is no intention to discredit anyone in this posting. It is a true story and the situation was different in the 60s and 70s. It has changed much today.

C.W. Kee's Durian Cartoon (C)

Here's a post you can read as extra knowledge about durian power:
http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2009/02/abang-apek-momo-latiff.html

The Platters: "But Only God Can Make A Tree."

Early one morning, about two weeks ago, I saw a very old tree being trimmed along a road that I pass frequently. I have fallen in love with this tree and so have my grandchildren because whenever we walked up to it we would feel and touch the rough, scarred surface of its enormous trunk. 

Strangely, the tree seemed to react to our touch as some tiny pieces of bark and green moss would stick on our hands.  

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest, 
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.

                                                  This trunk feels to our touch.

When we asked the gardeners who were trimming it what had happened they explained that a thunderstorm which occurred a few days earlier had ripped part of it and, like a surgical knife, removed a large giant arm off.  This black stump lay quiet and still on the ground today.  

A tree that looks at God all day, 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray. 

Singapore is exceptional because this tiny little island, in ratio to its land mass, has more than enough trees everywhere; many were specially planted by its citizens. 

And November is a month for trees because that's when our first PM, Lee Kuan Yew,  consciously reminded every Singaporean to plant trees, lots of it, during this month. 

                           Promoting Trees On Jan's T.

At the same time, the month is also one where damp devastation takes place so when the monsoon blows and cries and sings its songs of woe, trees come down, forced by the destructive nature of the weather.  This wicked climate worsens in December and January.   

Upon whose bosom snow has lain, 
Who intimately lives with rain. 
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

The beautiful growth is a heritage lychee tree that doesn't fruit under Singapore's condition.

Songs I Love:

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair...

Trees is a song by The Platters. It was recorded in 1961 and based on a poem written by Alfred Joyce Kilmer in 1913 and set to music by Oscar Rasbach in 1922.  This particular composition comes with 7 other songs by the group with Only You, one of 1001 songs you must hear before you die.

Trees...
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray

Trees...
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who intimately lives with rain
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree
(I think that I shall never see...)

Above is the large arm that was amputated by lightning.  Below is the aftermath

There are many songs about trees or lyrics that have the particular word in them. Here is a short list of 20:

Annie's Song - John Denver
Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean
Cottonwood Tree - Marty Robbins
Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree - Andrews Sisters
Draggin' The Line - Tommy James/The Shondells

Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Louis Armstrong
Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Lemon Tree - Trini Lopez/Peter, Paul and Mary
Lemon Tree - Fool's Garden (1995)
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - The Beatles

No More Walks In The Woods - Eagles
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
Oh, What A Beautiful Morning - Ray Charles
Rockin Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
The Happiest Christmas Tree - Nat King Cole

The Lumberjack Song - Monty Python
Tie A Yellow Ribbon...  - Tony Orlando/Dawn
Trees - The Platters
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley
You and Me - Moody Blues

It is a heritage lychee tree.

NB:

This posting is especially for my 3 Jays, whose love for trees and most of nature takes them to the Botanical Gardens nearly every week.

Images and article: A Personal Collection.
You Tube 'Trees' by The Platters - Video from Mr. Tripeo47.
Poem by Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1913)/ Music by Oscar Rasbach (1922). 
Book: Tony Visconti and Robert Dimery, 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die.  (The Fifties Page 67). 

Lychee Tree Update: 7.7.17.

Passed by the same tree this morning and they are propping it up, like an old man with a walking stick. This tree, according to the workers, is 200 years old.

Great news because the tree might just crash to the ground during a storm. It will take about a month for reinforcement and about 8 workers are doing the hard labour.

It has been nearly 3 years since the first awareness post (above) has been put up. Visit this post again in a month's time and we'll meet the people who made this difficult job possible.

How our authorities saved a tree.

Before the job and afterwards when steel structures were erected to prop the lychee tree to its glory. Cheers.

IMAGES - A personal collection and the poster is a mix from Google and my own ideals.