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"The Song For the Close of School"

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Fluttershy11
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Joined: 11 Jan 2012
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Posts: 186
Location: Southern Maine

07 May 2012, 10:27 pm

Greetings fellow Planeteers! I thought for a change of pace I'd post something *positive* in light of my last 20 posts being kinda depressing. Anyways, here goes:

About 3 years ago, as Usagi1992, I made a thread in this section discussing the theory that men are more prone to crying over beautiful music then women are. One of the songs I listed and gave a youtube link to was "Aogeba Totoshi", the traditional graduation song of Japan. For those that don't remember it or never heard of it, have a listen:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbgKWloZ8Yw&feature=related[/youtube]

One of the biggest tragedies to me at the time was that no one knew who originally wrote the song or the lyrics. But in January of 2011 the mystery was finally solved!

It turns out that this was originally an AMERICAN song!

Yes, it was written and published in the year 1871 in the H.S. Perkins songbook "The Song Echo", a whole omnibus of songs specifically written to be sung in the little red schoolhouses that were built after the Civil War had ended. While the lyrics were credited to a "T(imothy). H. Brosnan", still no one knows who wrote the music, but one thing is for certain...the melody is EXACTLY the same as "Aogeba Totoshi"! Listen for yourself: (and yes, they are singing it in English)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2XkpJMxxA&feature=related[/youtube]

The song was given it's Japanese lyrics in 1883, with the focus of their version's lyrics being on showing eternal gratitude for their teachers, rather then the sorrow felt between fellow students at parting ways, never to meet again.

But whether Japanese or American, this is still one of the most beautifully sad songs in the history of the world, imho.

Thoughts please. :)

Fluttershy11



OliveOilMom
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Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Age: 61
Gender: Female
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09 May 2012, 6:57 am

I've never heard of any of those. The song we always played at the end of the school year was "School's Out" by Alice Cooper. Probably a lot different than the ones you posted.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvDPYOe-7nI[/youtube]


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