It was the 3rd of September
That day I’ll always remember
A good enough excuse to ask for songs which mention a specific date. I suppose memorial dates, say Billy Bragg’s St Swithin’s Day, will do as well (but not Christmas Day because that’s just lazy).
YouTube link in the comments, because I’m considerate like that.
Not in the lyrics, but a specific date and location in the title:
Ballad of Mott the Hoople (March 26 1972, Zurich)
“September 77, Port Elizabeth, weather fine…..”
The 14th of May is always Bonny Black Hare Day.
Oh and St Valentine’s Day is Over
1st of May – The Bee Gees
U2 have a couple – New Years Day (but I expect there a lot of those!), and 4th April in Pride (when Martin Luther King was shot, from memory).
“America was stunned on May 4th, 1970, when rally turned to riot up at Kent State University.” – The Beach Boys get political on Studen Demonstration Time.
Dylan’s Isis mentions 5th Day of May.
I bet there are loads that mention 4th July – Bruce’s Sandy for one.
“The first of December was covered in snow” I think it goes – James Taylor.
“On the fourth of July 1806…” is the first one I thought of there. I’ll be singing that in my head all day now (which is no bad thing).
I’ve got Aimee Mann’s song with one of my favourite lyrics …
Today’s the fourth of July
Another June has gone by
And when they light up our town I just think
What a waste of gunpowder and sky
Well, the first of May covers half the repertoire of the average folkie.
Remember the 5th of November.
Remember – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
“Do you remember, the 21st night of September…” springs to mind. Also Summer… The First Time mentions the last day of June which I guess is near enough to putting a date on there.
Here’s one written by my tall chum, which is lyrically non-date-specific, but I always associate with the 3rd September, as it was the first dance when Mrs F married me. Which was 25 years ago today.
Congratulations to you both.
Thankyou, Mr Squeezer.
3rd September 1973 was my first day at work. Less celebratory than a marriage.
It’ll never last. She’s just biding her time until someone less dull comes along.
I know, but less dull is a given. It’s hard to imagine how she could find someone more dull.
Awww. Sending my most enthusiastic contrafibularities too.
She’s a lucky woman, as I’m sure she appreciates. 😇
I’m a lucky man, that’s for sure. Whether vice-versa is, well, let’s just say she has low expectations.
Low expectations? It’ll be a trip to Hansa Studios in Berlin then.
Congratulations to you both. Hope you are both still happy.
Felicitations to you and Mrs F.
As it happens, today is also my parents’ wedding anniversary – would have been 65 years.
Within the family, referred to as “the day war broke out”!
Well, it looks like we got away without triggering any world wars, so… so far, so good.
Is your mum still alive? I guess today must be hard for her.
Yes indeed, Mr F – she’s still alive, she’ll be 89 this year.
And yes – first wedding anniversary since my dad died – not an easy day for her.
My slightly queasy thoughts are with her this morning.
Half a bottle of fizz, a Chinese takeaway and a fitful night’s sleep all reminded me why I no longer bother diverging from my booze-free LOFFLEX diet.
We’re going to officially celebrate on a weekend day with an afternoon tea somewhere civilised, which sounds much more agreeable.
I assume your wife’s song is First we take Manhatten?
Seriously, congratulations. Here’s to the next 25.
Al Stewart – Last Day of June 1934
I should have added this – Al Stewart has form for this kinda thing, of course…
“ A single biplane in a clear blue sky, 1917,
no enemy was seen high above the fields of France”
The Boomtown Rats ‘Nothing Happened Today’
Tomorrow’s Wednesday, today was Tuesday
And this is the date: March 28th
It was the morning, then afternoon
And then the night came.
Oh…and someone told me, “Nothing happened today.”
Valentine’s Day
Waterloo by Abba
Paul McCartney wrote a song about the 2nd of September
November 22 1963 by Destroy All Monsters was a fun ditty.
Maybe not as specific regarding the exact date but it WAS the same day, Run Baby Run by Sheryl Crow… “She was born in November, 1963
The day Aldous Huxley died”
Aldous Huxley died the same day as CS Lewis, but both were overshadowed by JFK’s assassination (22 November 1963)
Also Seconds by ver League:
A list of dates, really, “January 23-30, 1978”, a fine song by Steve Forbert which recounts quite what he did that eventful, not really, week.
“Early Morning, April four, shot rings out in a Memphis sky-yyyyy”
Whole album! March 16-20 1992 by Uncle Tupelo
Brace yourselves, Afterworders, because I’m going to quote six lines from the notorious “I Just Shot John Lennon” by the Cranberries…
“It was the fearful night of December eighth
He was returning home from the studio late
He had perceptively known that it wouldn’t be nice
Because in 1980, he paid the price
John Lennon died
John Lennon died”
John Lennon died but it seems William McGonnigal lived on
St Swithins Day as per the OP was my instinctive thought. Although I can never decide which version I like best, BB, Dubstar or Norma!
April 5th by Talk Talk is the next one I can bring to mind, think I will pop it on now
Jake Shillingford of My Life story has form for date songs
What? Rush know it’s my birthday? And they’re throwing a party too!
Also date specific Rush
It’s a good enough track to post the live version too – which I prefer
Convoy
The original version states: “Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June”
The film soundtrack version says: “Arizona, noon, on the seventh of June”
Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks changed the date again for their version:
“It was a foggy day on the sixth of May”
I was wiped out between 5 and 7. I missed Spandau Ballet and U2.
“Was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty delta day”
I know it is in the OP, but you have to wait four minutes before the opening line in this, the best, version:
“I went to Blaydon Races, twas on the 9th of June
1862 on a summer’s afternoon”
Spencer the Rover ( or Expense of a Raver as J Martyn called it)
“Twas the fifth day of November, I’ve reason to remember.”
Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train,
Til Stoneman’s cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of ’65, we were hungry, just barely alive.
By May the 10th, Richmond had fell, it’s a time I remember, oh so well
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
One of my favourite St Etienne tracks, Girl VII from Foxbase Alpha suddenly goes into this weirdly beguiling, spoken-word, polite rap.
“June 4th, 1989…
Primrose Hill, Staten Island
Chalk Farm, Massif Central, Gospel Oak, Sao Paolo
Boston Manor, Costa Rica, Arnos Grove
San Clemente, Tufnell Park, Gracetown, York Way
Videoton, Clerkenwell, Portobello, Maida Vale
Old Ford, Valencia, Kennington, Galveston
Holland Park, Studamer, Dollis Hill, Fougeres
London Fields, Bratislava, Haggerston
Lavinia, Canonbury, Alice Springs
Tooting Graveney, Baffin Island
Pollard’s Hill, Winnepeg, Plumstead Common
Hyderabad, Silvertown, Buffalo”
For a moment there, I was back at ASLEF conference during morning roll call.
I knew 3rd September had some other meaning to me, and it’s just come to me – 25 years ago today I moved into the flat where I am typing this. Some time, hopefully within a week or two, I’ll be moving out and moving on.
All the best for the future Gatz.
Thanks Hubes. Onwards and upwards, but the whole process can’t help but be stressful. No wonder I only do it once every quarter of a century.
Just put ours up for sale so I know what you mean (only 23 years in our case)
I just got a letter this week from the landlord’s agent. Rent review. It’s gone up by … not much. So I’ll still be here in three years’ time, 27 years after moving in. If I ever have to move out, it’ll be like ripping a shell off a snail’s back.
I’d be happy not to move it’s a great house but struggling with the stairs etc.
I had a tape of Todd Rundgren’s “A Wizard, A True Star” which omitted “dogfight giggle” for when I enticed girls back my”secret black light bedroom” after a certain ‘loss of continuity’ due to complaints about the cacophony. Later, my ‘date / back to mine for coffee’ tapes stuck to stevie wonder and steely Dan, which seemed to work.
A member of my folk club has a show featuring tunes associated with days of the year. I think he’s got the calendar covered now. I must put him in touch with Simon George Kelso, from the opposite side of the country, who has done the same for songs.
Any road up, one of the most beautiful songs in the canon is dated. The Fifth of August always sits within Sidmouth Folkweek. I sing unaccompanied, but whenever I do sing Brigg Fair, I have a lavish orchestral arrangement in my head, courtesy of Delius.
Here’s an exquisite about the Summer Solstice by Jenny Sturgeon and Outliers.
A bit vague:
“Oh what a night – late December back in ‘63” – Four Seasons
“It was January, 1963. When Johnny came home with a gift for me.” – 1963, New Order
Very specific:
“I had a really bad dream. It lasted 20 years, 7 months and 27 days.” Never Had No one Ever – The Smiths
April the 3rd was a tune by Donal Lunny which appears on the excellent Bringing It All Back Home series. (and also the best of Donal Lunny)
No relation to that but Ian Clayton’s Bringing It All Back Home is one of my favourite books ever.
33rd of July by Paul Westerberg is super
(Big fan of Aimee Mann’s 4th of July too).