Thank Goodness for Mama Kat and her Thursday blog challenge. This week’s prompts:
2.) Tell us about your song.
4.) Slow dancing with boys…talk about one of your first school dance experiences.
It’s a two for one kind of deal!
Once upon a time, long long ago, say around 1959, my public school, J. F. Carmichael held a dance every second Friday in the evening. It was called Club 87 as it was only open to these two grades. Our parents took turns chaperoning the event which from time to time could be embarrassing if they tried to actually dance because not one of us could imagine people that ancient actually dancing.
Now the interesting thing about our age group is that many of the girls were taller than the boys who had not yet reached their growth spurt. If you ever saw the movie Grease (and I hope all have) there is a dance scene in the gym where the girls line up on one side and the boys on the other each group getting support from their peers, girls tapping their feet and boys shuffling theirs and doing their best to appear manly in dress slacks and ties. All being very shy and all shucks about it.
I don’t even remember his name but he was dashing in his slicked dark slicked back hair. As we danced in proper form he drew me closer and his head was at the level of my mouth. Turning his head I got a mouthful of Brylcreem as I was about to speak. Brlycreem..a little dab’l do ya…so the advert went but in his desire for the ultimate cool he had used way more than that little dab.
A small matter because the song they were playing was Paul Anka‘s ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder‘. Well at least he could put his head on mine. And it was perfect.
It doesn’t matter where I am, if I hear that song I am immediately transported back to that gym and my first slow dance with Mr. Brylcreem…..sigh. It was wonderful.
“Put Your Head On My Shoulder”
Put your head on my shoulder
Hold me in your arms, baby
Squeeze me oh so tight
Show me that you love me too
Put your lips next to mine, dear
Won’t you kiss me once, baby
Just a kiss goodnight, maybe
You and I will fall in love
(You and I will fall in love)
People say that love’s a game
A game you just can’t win
If there’s a way
I’ll find it someday
And then this fool with rush in
Put your head on my shoulder
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear
Tell me, tell me that you love me too
(Tell me that you love me too)
Put your head on my shoulder
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear, baby
Put your head on my shoulder
Thank you Photobucket.
bridgesburning 
Hi Chris,
Just wanted to let you know that J.F. Carmichael school is celebrating its 75th anniversary this fall. Please consider coming to the Open House on October 20th as well as sharing any other wonderful memories (what a great story!) or memorabilia you might have from your time at JFC!
Here’s the school’s website: http://jfc.wrdsb.on.ca/ You can register online or send scanned photos, too!
Thanks Julie!! I will register and round up as many as I can!! Wonderful!
Lovely memory Chris. I don’t think it matters what year or the fashion trends, boys all seem to act the same in that situation. The best part is that because they seem to be more visually awkward than us, it makes them approachable. At any rate he was a lucky little nipper to dance with you that night, years later a beautiful memory that still resonates through the years. Just lovely.
Thanks Crystal..wish I could remember his name!
Beautiful song… Pity you got cream in your mouth! 🙂
Haha yes..Brylcreem..goo for the hair that all young men used!
I like that this is a perfect memory. It felt good to ready it. 🙂
Thanks Colleen..it was a perfect time!
what a great song that is. amazing how a snippet of music can transport us back to a time, a moment long ago.
Hi Joss, I find songs and smells will do the I Stanton flashback!
You have a good memory s .You can transport my mind back in time and it is a very good experience. I never had a school dance to go to. Thanks
Wait! You never went to a school dance? Let’s find one in your city to crash!
Nice question, lovely post.
I was almost six foot by the time I entered junior high. Refused to subject myself to those dances after the first experince. The first really great slow dance was in my Junior year when I was luck enough to find my self in the arms of my first true love. Three years later we broke up but that is another story. Our song–Unchained Melody by the Rightious Brothers. I don’t know if we danced to that the first time we danced, but a year and half he went off to the army and I went off to college and the lyrics and melody made it our song.
Oh, my love / my darling / I’ve hungered for your touch / a long lonely time / and time goes by so slowly / and time can do so much / are you still mine?
Turns out he wasn’t still mine, but that also turned out ok. Every girl should have a passionate first love. And that reminds me that probably “Love me, tender love me true” was also one of ours.
What a lovely memory! Excellent story telling 🙂
none of us wanted to remain wall flowers…I still remember my dance teacher, with her strong cheap perfume and red lipstick…crazy memories for me!
Isn’t it amazing how the smell of perfume and red lipstick make that memory so much sharper? Yes lined up at the wall…:)
I agree with Mark – great memory and a lovely song (for the young as we were then).
That’s a great memory Chris! And a great song too! 🙂
Ha ha ah .. how cool.. great story! c
I love that song. I can hear it being sung! What a great song to slow dance too.
Ah yes it was the perfect song to dance to!