Children’s Day
Words: 10-11-1991
Music: 10-11-1991
What’s It All About?
This song is a scavenger hunt… a treasure map… of those years in my life in the late eighties that were full of music, parties, women, and transition.
I invite folks who were around Southern California in the mid- to late-eighties to take a stab at some of the references. Here’s a few of the personal ones:
- “Stickman,” “Dahlia,” “Hole,” and “I Told You” are all songs by the band Children’s Day, from their albums “A Message To Pretty” and “Hooky.” You can still order “Hooky” from Posh Boy, and the CD includes the complete “A Message To Pretty.” Despite being a generation old, their music holds up — a little “eighties goth dark,” perhaps, but still rocking. I hope those guys are still getting royalties after all these years..! I knew the members of the band; we swam in the same little pond, and their music is a soundtrack for a lot of my memories of that period.
- The bridge is pulled directly from my memory… three separate incidents, two different women. I’m saving the details for a book / screenplay… something, someday. Formative moments.
- Psychopathway was my first gigging band. Good times, bad times… again, wait for the book..?
- In early 1991, my bass guitar was stolen out of my truck, and caused a transition to acoustic guitar for a while. Meant I wasn’t in a band, or looking to be in one.
When I wrote this song, so close to the events it quasi-chronicles, I think it was with a sense of melancholy. These days, when I play it — and I still do — I feel a little fire, a little happiness, and more than anything, I feel grateful for that time.
The recording presented here is live, direct to digital, with no effects or post-production.
Lyrics:
Helen smiled and she said
Vodka rushing to her head
“Come one, come all, it’s time to play
This is your very own Children’s Day.”
Stickman, Dahlia, Safari Sam
Dig a hole and make a plan
I told you and I will tell you again
The music, it was different then…
Walking in the dark, wet
The bottle traded like a secret
Trying to escape the din
Whiskey love, Cadillac sin
In the canyon with Typhoid Mary
Coaxing pleasure, acting scary
This is not how I had planned it
You were crying, all hope abandoned…
Waking as if from a dream
Lovers changed as did the scene
We moved forward on a psychopathway
So far from our last
Children’s Day
Now if the bass had not been plundered
Would we still this spell be under
The Children’s Day
Will never tell
Somehow that seems just as well to me
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Very nice guitars and vocal work to go with those lyrics! It would make for a a good theme to some dark heartland indie film.
…and yes, I am still around… skulking… stalking… and being creepy. :D
What an excellent song Matthew!
How come the Dahlias did not record it?
Anyway, I nominate you as one of the 5 or so Childrens Day fans in the universe.
I have absolutely no understanding why Russell Scott did not make it, either with Childrens Day or The Dahlias, in other words, with or without me.
Any news of Russell or Pat Russell?
Robbie: I haven’t seen Pat or Russell in probably twenty years. Not sure what anyone’s doing. But yeah, they made some great music!
Nice to see you around here!
Hey Matt and Robbie -
Wow..some good old memories when I stumbled onto this site!
I actually married Russell Scott (he and Patrick own their own online marketing firm now).
Russell and I have two little girls and live in SM now. I remember Robbie (it’s melissa by the way!!! I have been with Russell for 22 years!!!! hee hee hee)…
I totally agree that there was some sort of error in the universe that Russell did not make it in the music biz. I am biased, but I really believe that they were an amazing band and had such wonderful potential.
And I ended up working in the music biz for a while and some of the crap bands that I saw just made be believe in them even more as great songwriters and showman.
Hope that you are all well. I will let Russell and Patrick know that I found this site.
Hello Melissa — wow, the Internet has really brought me some connections with my past lately. Very recently, I got back in touch with Ron Russell!
If by SM you mean Santa Monica; small world, I work for Mahalo.com, which is right there at Lincoln and Colorado.
I’m curious how you came across my site… say hello to Russell and Patrick for me, if they remember me…