Without putting myself in the category of those people who check the obituaries first thing every morning (to make sure that they are not listed there, of course), I need to share with you the sad news that Sy Syms passed away at the age of 83.
I don't know why - and I hope it doesn't seem insensitive - but the song "The Ballad of Harry Lewis" is the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the news and I cannot seem to get it out. I mean that as the highest compliment.
(By the way, the musical theater reference (Can Allan Sherman be considered musical theater?) is in NO WAY a reflection of the fact that we are gearing up to have efrex, The Lovely Wife(tm) & Co. for Dinner on Friday night.......)
{Rhapsody seems to be "buggy" this morning so I'm including the lyrics here for those who aren't well versed in the joys of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah ;)}
| Song Lyrics: | (Parody of "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic")
I'm singing you the ballad
Of a great man of the cloth
His name was Harry Lewis
And he worked for Irving Roth
He died while cutting velvet
On a hot July the 4th
But his cloth goes shining on
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
His cloth goes shining on
Oh Harry Lewis perished
In the service of his Lord
He was trampling through the warehouse
Where the drapes of Roth are stored
He had the finest funeral
The union could afford
And his cloth goes shining on
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
His cloth goes shining on
Although a fire was raging
Harry stood by his machine
And when the firemen broke in
They discovered him between
A pile of roasted Dacron
And some french fried gabardine
His cloth goes shining on
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
Glory, glory Harry Lewis
His cloth goes shining on |
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1 comment:
Oh, you so didn't make an Allen Sherman reference in my presence... I've been familiar with his work for close to three decades now, and my rendition of "Eight Foot Two Solid Blue" has scarred many a listener.
It certainly does count as a musical theater reference, IMHO, since there was an revue of Sherman's songs (entitled Hello Madduh, Hello Fadduh!, natch) performed off-Broadway a few years back.
Possibly the strangest moment in my professional career was discovering that a colleague of mine, a lovely Italian gentleman 30 years older than I, was equally a fan of Sherman's work. If you've never seen two laboratory technicians performing extractions while singing "Harvey and Sheila," you should (albeit at a distance, possibly with earplugs).
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