Skating in Old Bryant Park
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c)(p)2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
I see you...
skating
in old Bryant Park
round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago
A potter's field became Reservoir Square
The lions came in
they built a library over there
You sit there at night
thinking Thanatoptical thoughts
But who knew you came out in the day?
Who knew you knew how to skate?
You're
skating
in old Bryant Park
round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago
A potter's field became Reservoir Square
The lions came in
they built a library over there
You sit there at night
thinking abolitiionist thoughts
But who knew you came out in the day?
Who knew you knew how to skate?
You're
skating
in old Bryant Park
round and round we go
You poet!
You're skating
in old Bryant Park
named for you so long ago
We played at the skating rink they set up at Bryant Park, located behind the main branch of the New York Public Library, last year. I wrote this song to play that day.
William Cullen Bryant, an editor, poet, and abolitionist from the 1800s, watches over the park in statue form. In this song he gets up and skates with everyone else.
the lions = you know those big lions in front of the NYPL?
And what are "Thanatoptical thoughts?"
Bryant's most famous poem, the one you probably read in high school, is called "Thanatopsis"
Who does what on "Skating in Old Bryant Park"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): organ
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): vocals
David Winograd: tuba
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
