Last night I was singing for Ms. Valentino at one of the nursing homes I visit. As she is bedridden, I go into her room and sing for her. "Hi Darlin'!" she said, "Play me something!" I know she loves musicals, so I sang: "My Favorite Things." Afterward she was telling me about her son Joe Valentino (not his real name) who lives in San Francisco and plays the guitar too. When she asked me to sing again, I started singing the old song "San Francisco" and it came to me to make up the words about her son:
"If you're going to San Francisco
be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
if you're going to San Francisco
you're going to meet Joe Valentino there..."
She loved that and then said, "make up another song about Joe!" and so I sang:
this land is Joe's land
from California
to the New York Island."
"I love that" she said, "make up another one!" and so I sang:
"You are my Joseph, my only Joseph
you make me happy when skies are grey.."
...and on it went. I think I will propose on our next visit that we make a songbook of songs all about her son Joe. We'll see what she says.
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