"Spangle Cemetery"

Introduction

By Frank Delaney © 2000

 

When I first came to Spangle in 1969, it reminded me of the great American play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. You had a typical small American town, and overlooking it on a hill was a cemetery with the people from the town who had passed on.

I've been to that cemetery many times, and its one of the prettiest and most historic cemeteries I've ever seen. It always reminds me that we want the best for our children and loved ones, and that life poses many challenges to us all.

Some people just want to get out of a small town; others are content to stay. Some bad things happen to good people that we can't explain. Some people change into strangers, other stay the same person you knew back in high school.

I live on 1st street in Spangle and my house backs up to a wheat field that overlooks that lovely cemetery, and I wrote this song last year about it. It's not about any specific people; it's just about life, and I've used some of the local names I've come across here  in my song. I'll often take a chair from my back porch and walk out to that wheat field, sit down facing that cemetery up on the hill , and play my guitar for the nice folks and loved ones up there.

 

Spangle Cemetery

By Frank Delaney © 2000

 

C (capo 1)                                                 F                             G                     F                            G                 C

There's an old graveyard, I can see now, from my window, On the edge of town, and high upon a hill,

C                                                F                          G                         F                       G                       C

And there's loved ones laying round, we'll all remember, Till they lay us down to sleep, upon that hill.

 

(Key change between C and D between verses.)

 

D                                   G                          A                         G                                  A                      D

Sally[1] Jennings[2], was a lovely girl, voted number one, with hopes and dreams we all can think of still,

D                                            G                        A                  G                        A                       D

But the fast life, brought her down, at just age 21,  and we laid her down, to sleep, upon that hill.

 

 

C                                           F                        G                        F                            G                          C

Bobby Jeske, played good football, for our high school[3], We made all state that year, the sign says still,

C                                F                G                          F                         G                         C

But we lost him, in a jungle, in Viet Nam, and we laid him down, to sleep, upon that hill.

 

 

D                                        G                          A                          G                                      A                        D

Lorna[4] Holling[5], made the big time, down in Hollywood, they changed her name, she's always dressed to kill,

D                                         G                 A                           G                        A                    D

But I talked to her, back in 95, at the reunion, I know we'll lay her down to sleep, upon our hill.

 

 

C                                                                          F                                             G

Johnny[6] Rasmussen[7], married his high school sweetheart, and lives  a simple life,

F                                          G                          C

Farms his dad's farm, kids Peggy, Klaus[8] and Bill[9],

C                                           F                                    G                                     F              G                        C

and he's raising  wheat and lentils, just like his folks did[10], And we'll lay him down, to sleep, upon that hill.

 

 

C                                                 F                             G                       F                            G                 C

There's an old graveyard, I can see now, from my window,  On the edge of town, and high upon a hill,

C                                                F                          G                          F                       G                       C

And there's memories swirling round, I'll sure remember, Till they lay me down to sleep, upon that hill.

 


[1] Sally is the first name of one of my ex-wife's best friends 

[2] Jennings Road is where my friends Chris and Irene Howie live

[3] Liberty High School

[4] Lorna Schiece is the name of my Spangle neighbor; one of the unusual names I came across in Spangle, like Nona Hengen.

[5] Holling is my ex-wife's Maiden name; Her parents were Henry and Laura Holling.

[6] Name of my brother-in-law, John Holling.

[7] Last name of another one of my ex-wife's best friends who came from Spangle.

[8] For Klaus Kuehl, a friend of the Holling Family

[9] For Billy Schiece, my neighbor, and for my friend Bill Sievers, current mayor of Spangle in 2000

[10] Both my Brother-in-law and Bill Sievers continued farming in the family tradition.

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