Songs That Made Me Cry

It’s weird the things that make me cry and the things that don’t. Something just trips in my brain and the tears are there unbidden and unstoppable. Other times I am deeply moved, but without tears. I cry during Hallmark commercials even when I’ve seen them before. I sob through some books and movies, but not others, but I can only think of three songs that have actually made me cry.

Old Shep

I can still remember sitting in our rented farmhouse and begging my mom to sing “Old Shep” to me when I was six years old. But every time she would sing it to me I would be crying my eyes out half way through the song and trembling before it ended. Still, I would beg her to sing it. She once asked me “Why do you want me to sing it if it makes you cry?” I really never knew the answer, but I still loved it, and it continued to make me cry every time. What is so odd, is that at about that age I went with my Aunt Shirley and her boyfriend (who later became my Uncle Jay) and his little brother, Denny, to see Old Yeller at the theater. Shirley and Denny cried. I didn’t. It was sad, but I didn’t cry. Still, Old Shep always reduced me to tears of sadness.

OLD SHEP

(Red Foley / Willis Arthur)

 Red Foley - 1940

Elvis Presley - 1956

 When I was a lad

And old Shep was a pup

Over hills and meadows we'd stray

Just a boy and his dog

We were both full of fun

We grew up together that way

I remember the time at the old swimmin' hold

When I would have drowned beyond doubt

But old Shep was right there

To the rescue he came

He jumped in and then pulled me out

As the years fast did roll

Old Shep he grew old

His eyes were fast growing dim

And one day the doctor looked at me and said

I can't do no more for him Jim

With hands that were trembling

I picked up my gun

And aimed it at Shep's faithful head

I just couldn't do it

I wanted to run

I wish they would shoot me instead

He came to my side

And looked up at me

And laid his old head on my knee

I had struck the best friend that a man ever had

I cried so I scarcely could see

Old Shep he has gone

Where the good doggies go

And no more with old Shep will I roam

But if dogs have a heaven

There's one thing I know

Old Shep has a wonderful home

Serenade of the Bells

My Dad isn’t a singer. He is a bass when he does sing, but I don’t remember him singing very much. The song I most remember him singing to us when we were young is Serenade of the Bells. I loved it! Maybe partly because it was the only song I ever heard him sing solo. Otherwise, he sang at church, or with us as a family in the car on trips, but never solo. I doubt I heard it very many times, but it was short and I learned it. As I grew older and took Spanish in school, I realized that Dad mispronounced the word padre, and instead sang it pod-way. We laughed at him. Mom reprimanded us and told us Dad didn’t know Spanish and was only singing it the way he “heard” it. He’s been hard hearing almost his whole life. It breaks my heart to think I was rude enough to laugh at him. I still love the song, but it brings tears of shame to eyes when I think of it.

SERENADE OF THE BELLS 

(Kay Twomey / Al Goodhart / Al Urbano) (1947)

 Recorded by: Gene Autry; Don Autry; Don Cornell; Vic Damone;

The Fleetwoods; Dick Haymes; David Houston; Sammy Kaye;

Carl Mann; Gene Pitney; Frank Sinatra; Jo Stafford;

The Vibrations; Bobby Vinton.

 In the sleepy town of San Juanita

There's a story that a padre tells

Of a gay senor and senorita

And the serenade of the bells.

Seems they asked the padre for permission

To be married early in the spring

But their folks had made just one condition,

That the mission bells had to ring.

Ev'ryone knew the bells were broken,

And hadn't sounded for a long, long time.

Then one night the village was astounded

For the bells began to chime!

Still the bells are broken, goes the story

But if in your heart a true love dwells

They will ring for you in all their glory,

That's the serenade of the bells.

The Christmas Shoes

I vividly remember where I was the first time I heard this song. They say your memories are most clear if you experienced strong emotion when the event originally occurred. I was driving to meet my friend, Debbie, for lunch. I was on Foothills Highway, turning onto Colorado Ave when the song began, and before I got to 30^th St I had to pull over and stop because I was blinded by my tears. I had to hurry and pull myself together since I was only blocks away from my friend’s workplace, but I’m sure my eyes were still red and the song haunted me all day. It got lots of airtime that first year, but it continued to make me sob, although never as dramatically as that very first time I heard it.

THE CHRISTMAS SHOES

NewSong

It was almost Christmas time

There I stood in another line

Trying to buy that last gift or two

Not really in the Christmas mood

Standing right in front of me

Was a little boy waiting anxiously

Pacing around like little boys do

And in his hands he held a pair of shoes.

And his cloths were worn and old

He was dirty from head to toe

But when it came his time to pay

I couldn't believe what I heard him say.

Chorus

I want to buy these shoes for my Mama please

It's Christmas Eve and 

These shoes are just her size

Could you hurry please 

Daddy says there's not much time

You see she's been sick for quite a while

and I know these will make her smile

And I want her to look beautiful

If Mama meets Jesus tonight.

He counted pennies for it seemed like years

The cashier said son there's not enough here

He searched his pockets franticly

Then he turned and looked at me and he said

Mama made Christmas good at our house

But most years she just did without

Tell me what am I gonna do

Somehow I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes.

So I laid the money down

I just had to help him out

And I'll never forget the look on his face

When he said Mamma's gonna look so great.

Chorus

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love

As he thanked me and ran out

I knew god had sent that boy

To remind me what Christmas is all about.

I wanna buy these shoes for my Mama please

If Mama meets Jesus tonight