Mairzy Doats and Dozy Doats

Today on our OutandAbouts, the littles and I were listening to 40’s radio.  Some of us more willingly than others.

Okay, it was me.  I am the one who LOVES 40’s music.  And if I’m driving your little wiggly selves here, there, and yonder for you to see a musical and have a picnic and play at the park, the least you can do is sit there and enjoy it, right?

Today as we were listening the song “Mairzy Doats” came on the air.  Have you heard this one before?

The main lyrics are:

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey

A kiddley divey too, Wouldn’t you?

If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,

Sing “Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.”

And so on.

How cute is that?  I love this song.

So fun, a happy song that you can clap along to.

And then the year that it was recorded put all my mental toe-tapping to a screeching halt.

1944.

Do you realize what was going on in this country in 1944?

I’m not a great historical scholar, but I know that World War II for this country lasted from 1941-1945.

This happy, silly song landed on the scene smack dab in the middle of this hard time of rationing and sending our soldiers to war for long periods of time with no word as to how they were doing, if they were even alive.  There was no e-mailing or skyping.  The families back home sometimes just didn’t hear.

Let me reiterate–this was not a happy or silly time for our country and her people.

And yet–

the 40’s station is filled with songs like this one–songs that I simply cannot be sad or on my pity pot while listening to.

And many of them were on the air before the end of the war.

I can understand the light-heartedness of songs after the war ended, but as we listened today, after my I started paying attention to the years of the songs, I was amazed.

The spirit of the people during that era–

indomitable is the word that comes to mind.

They hadn’t buried their heads in the sand, dancing and singing, totally oblivious to what was going on.

No, they were quite aware.

And still they sang.

This is the generation of my Granny.  And my Great Aunt. Strong people who knew what had to be done and did it.  Who lived with the reality of war and death and fear each and every day.

I’m not sure I could have gotten up out of the bed every morning, y’all.

But not my Granny.  Not the men and women of the 1940’s.  They got it.  And still the band played on.

Giving them an outlet.  Something to smile about.  To take heart in.

And we take to our beds with season after season of our favorite shows on Netflix over the dog eating our shoes.  Or our favorite restaurant being closed on Sundays.   (both of these *ahem* may or may not have actually happened–not naming names, of course)

I’m not putting down my generation, because each generation has their own set of problems and challenges to face and overcome.

But those men and women of the 40’s–my hat is off to them. I love the spirit exuded in their music.  Much more so than the spirit of the music of some other decades I could mention but won’t.

Tonight I’m thankful for the people who stood strong in the midst of doubt and hardship and heartache.  They set the bar high for facing brokenness and still keeping one’s wits and spirits up.  I have the utmost respect for the composers, conductors, and performers of that decade.  They were serving their country in the best way they could with their gifts and talents and here, seventy years later, it has made a huge impact on me.  They didn’t give up.  They didn’t crawl in a hole and wait for the world to end.

Sort of puts all my “stuff” into perspective.

If you have a moment, listen to a song or two from the 40’s.  And remember.  And carry some of that indomitable spirit in your heart too.  We are standing on the shoulders of giants.  Who had great hearts and spirits, and whom we just might have inherited our own bit of indomitability from.

 

Love to all.

 

 

Just to get you started, here’s another favorite of mine.  (It’s pre-war. Sad to think that a long winter was coming for this country when this song was on the air.)