“Thanksgiving” by Stephen Kellogg – A Song Review

     We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, regardless of country of residence.

     Although it’s not as risky as when artists were far more dependent upon radio exposure to make a living from their music, it is still a risk to put energy into generating a ten-minute song. Most music consumers are like us – short attention-span listeners. But there are always those few songs that break through the barrier. Music historians give credit to The Doors’ “Light My Fire” (1967) as being the first. The song by The Doors was “only” seven-minutes long, but the demand for the uncut version forced radio stations to reconsider commercial scheduling in order to maintain their market share of listeners. As songs got even longer (Iron Butterfly’s seventeen minute “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” in 1968), commercial stations had no choice but to either crop the songs or ignore them. As a consequence, a viable listening audience surfaced for the “underground” stations.

     Fast forward to 2013 - Stephen Kellogg releases a ten-minute song entitled “Thanksgiving.” Kellogg was born in Pennsylvania, was a member of the Sixers (the band, not the basketball team), and now lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. “Thanksgiving” is part of a solo effort.

     “Thanksgiving” can be broken down into segments, but we aren’t sure if we have it right. Still, when it comes to lyrical poetry, it doesn’t matter if you are hearing what the songwriter originally intended. All that matters is that the song speaks…         Yes, "Thanksgiving" speaks.

      Two easily identified segments are defined by the church-like choir at the start and end of the song. Between the choir segments, Kellogg tells his story. The lyrics are pasted below. There is a setup to the story, with the story starting after the statement:

"A melody, floating just within your grasp, it goes…"

     The longest segment follows. The story starts with a statement of the appreciation for Thanksgiving, especially as a boy. The boy grows, meets a woman, marries her, and has children. Initially, the wife functions as his axis. But the relationship ends in an ugly divorce.

      Today, he has perspective. He doesn’t feel shame regarding the past, but he knows he was the cause of his current situation. Then, there is a John Lennon “Imagine” segment that leads to the church-like ending segment.
Currently, Stephen Kellogg is permitting free downloads.

The Lyrics of “Thanksgiving:”

The Choir:

Oh Thanksgiving, the harvest draws to a close

Pride of man will swallow him, for he reaps what he sows

Oh living, it’s harder every day

Only in the darkness can you see you’ve lost your way

Stephen Kellogg:

I recollect the Rose of Sharon had come back again

The trees were blowing in the breeze all high above my head

When a cavalcade of memories appeared to me in words I wished I’d said.

From that point on a song stayed in my thoughts most of the time

But when I tried to sing it out loud it would always leave my mind

Like the things you know are true, but never can explain when you get asked.

A melody, floating just within your grasp, it goes…

When I was a child, I always remember

The way I would feel, 4th Thursday November

My uncles would play, there would be music

And I was taking it in.

Only much later, I noticed the drinking

The feeling my family was growing and sinking

St. Petersburg Palace stain glass in sun

They were well on their way I had only begun.

So boy meets a girl, Venus and Adonis

Friendship on fire, adulthood upon us

They teach you to fly, then spend all of their time

Standing over you, clipping your wings.

Where there was a me, there could be an us

I dreamt about money, she talked about trust

She is my axis, death is by foxes

And we were well on our way.

In America, this is home

Stories, everybody’s got one

This is mine, you will have your own

Nothing like the real thing, nothing like it.

Cleaner than Christmas or our wedding day

I knew her father was pissed, though he wouldn’t say it

I would be too and someday I will be

No kid could be good enough.

Taking on Sunday, taking on owls

Catching a glimpse of the wolf as it howls

Got a lot of nice things, got a really nice house

Done is so beautiful.

On Father’s Day, I’m thinking of mothers

I can only suppose they’re thinking of others

Insurance is up, it came in the mail

Yeah it kills me what they’re charging for little white pills.

I blow through the years like a mother defending its own

And I fear, I’m driving on spare tires

Seems like I’ll never get home, like I’ll never get home

Like I’m getting threadbare.

I can’t find my way, she showed me the map

I still can’t believe I acted like that

Just follow your heart up past most of the brain

If you get lost at reason, move down past pain.

I’ll see you in court, bring your raincoat

I’m keeping the kids, I’m keeping the house

It takes minutes to make us a baby

And years to remember what that was about.

America, this is home

Stories, everybody’s got one

When we die what will we have done?

Nothing like the real thing, nothing like it.

It’s snowing in April, something’s changing in me

That’s the sound of a heart getting clean, baby

I traded in booze for loads of caffeine

And my friends they traded in me.

Another Thanksgiving and I’m all alone

My favorite holiday and nobody’s home

No shame in the past, no pride in the future

I know, believe me I know.

Those years we spent talking, learning to agree

The truth is I’m just thankful you tolerated me

There’s so many thorns, not enough roses

My girls as they sleep, the eye as it closes.

This year for Thanksgiving I’m keeping my list short

No one gets married, no one gets divorced

Can you imagine?

What if the world could stand still for even a day?

If there was no crime, no rape and no killing

Addictions suspended, no cutting or drilling

If everyone took the day off and hung out with their friends

Their favorite friends.

I know what you’re saying, it’s not realistic

I’ve heard it my whole life, look at the statistics

But lucky for us, I’m not a guy that gives up

I never give up, ‘cause I go…

The Choir:

Oh Thanksgiving, the harvest draws to a close

Redemption is a bugle humility composed

Sweet forgiveness, thawing across frozen ground

Casting light eternally, carrying its sound.

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Website: http://www.stephenkellogg.com/

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