Appropriate For The Times
While searching for a song about Saturday to add to my Weekday series, I read the lyrics for Saturday In The Park and decided that this was the Saturday song that is not only appropriate, but absolutely bang-on for the times. Firstly, today – June 20 2020 – is the summer solstice, arriving at 21:43 GMT, which translates into 5:43 PM in my part of the world. Always a time for celebration! Secondly, the corona virus outbreak precipitated the closing of many parks where people gathered, which in turn caused a great deal of consternation among the public. There were many instances where people gathered in large groups in parks despite the lockdown in protest. Parks are extremely important to people!
Thirdly, the lyrics in the verse where the tempo changes, you have the line “Slow motion riders fly the colours of the day” that can be clearly associated to the ‘colours’ shown during the LGBTQIA+ and the BLM demonstrations happening around the world. Fourthly, you have the line “A bronze man still can tell stories his own way” which can obviously be linked to the current movement of removing statues of people whose ideals do not reflect current societal thinking.
The last line of the verse, “Listen children all is not lost, all is not lost, oh no, no”, is a positive-thinking shout-out to young people that there is hope. Young people are our future and we, the older generations, can only hope that they remain optimistic and strive to make the world a better place.
Read the lyrics, people!
Here they are, from the MTV Archives (Oh how we miss music videos on MTV & MuchMusic!), Chicago, from their 1972 album Chicago V,
Saturday In The Park
Saturday in the park,
I think it was the Fourth of July
Saturday in the park,
I think it was the Fourth of July
People dancing, people laughing,
A man selling ice cream
Singing Italian songs
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And I’ve been waiting such a long time
For Saturday
Saturday in the park
You’d think it was the Fourth of July
Saturday in the park
You’d think it was the Fourth of July
People talking, really smiling
A man playing guitar
Singing for us all
Will you help him change the world
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And I’ve been waiting such a long time
For today
Slow motion riders fly the colours of the day
A bronze man still can tell stories his own way
Listen children all is not lost, all is not lost, oh no, no
Funny days in the park,
Every day’s the Fourth of July
Funny days in the park,
Every day’s the Fourth of July
People reaching, people touching,
A real celebration
Waiting for us all,
If we want it, really want it
Can you dig it (yes, I can),
And I’ve been waiting such a long time
For the day
Writer: ROBERT WILLIAM LAMM
Copyright: Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Spirit Music Group, BMG Rights Management
