Ferris Wheel (Back-Story, Lyrics, and Link to song
on YouTube)
Back-story:
I am a big fan of Stephen King.
To be clear, I am not an expert or a fanatic. I have not read everything he has written,
and I have no intention to try. Here’s
why I like the guy. He’s dedicated to
his craft, being prolific as ever,writing 2000 words every day and still going
strong in his’70s. He’s a former
teacher, a good one who had a stronger call to be a writer. Jake Epping, the terrific teacher in King’s
work, 11/22/63, truly reflects King’s life as a teacher, and the book gives us
a good look at the qualities a good educator should possess. King was a guitar player in the now defunct
Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock group composed of well-known writers including
Greg Isle and David Berry, two of my favorites.
He has great taste in music. When
he writes, He listens to guys like John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob
Dylan, favorites of mine, too. However,
of all of his traits that attract me to him, it’s his sincerity that grabs me
the most. His genuine nature best comes
through in his book, ON WRITING, a nonfiction work including his biography and tips
for those who wish to be writers. To sum
it up quickly, because this guy has been such a great inspiration to me, I am
so grateful his book HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, my all-time favorite of his works, triggered
the writing of “Ferris Wheel.” Now, here
is how it happened.
HEARTS IN ATLANTIS is a series of novellas that follows the lives of
Bobby Garfield, Carol Gerber,and John (Sully) Sullivan from 1960 to around
2000. The opening novella focusses on
these three enjoying the summerafter finishing the sixth grade. While the summer has its problems and
complications, it contains the fun, joy, and innocence experienced by many kids
at that age. When the summer comes to an
end, Bobby and his mother move away to
another town, and Carol and John eventually lose track of each other after high
school. The subsequent novellas contain
a common thread. They connect back to the problematic events these three
experienced during that memorable summer in Harwich, Connecticut.
During that summer Bobby and Carol have crushes on each other, and
like most kids that age, they keep their feelings to themselves. However, when they are at a seaside amusement
park, with some adults and other kids, they get on a Ferris Wheel and sit with
each other. The Ferris Wheel gets stuck
while they are sitting at the top, and while they are just waiting, out of
nowhere, Bobby quickly kisses Carol.
Carol, because she is so caught off guard, tells Bobby to do it again,
so that she can savor the kiss. The moment is a heart-warming one and the epitome
of innocence. Oddly enough, it never occurs for them again during the rest of
the summer. The next time they kiss is
when they meet up many years later in the final novella. Between these two kisses, the book is filled
with stories connected to Bobby, Carol, and Sully and the difficult issues of
the 1960s, events probably most appealing to Baby Boomers.
I read HEARTS IN ATLANTIS several times, and every time I read it
the scene on the Ferris Wheel always triggered a time of innocence for me. It took
me back to when I was in the 5th Grade in Saugerties, NY. Three weeks into the school year a new girl moved
into town, and she joined our class. The
moment I saw her the magic hit me, and I was in love for the first time. For the next few years, I walked or rode my
bike by her house, hoping she would be on her porch or in her yard. When she was, we talked, and oh, those moments were grand for me. Unlike Bobby and Carol, we never kissed, and
eventually, I stopped going by her house.
In King’s book, Bobby and Carol run into each other in their old
neighborhood park many years later, and they share another magical kiss.
In my home town, my fifth-grade crush and I ran into each other at a
party when we were in our mid-fifties, and memories of those pristine days of elementary school came back
to me instantly. It was great to talk
with her, and it was good to see life had gone well for the both of us. Even now, whenever I am going through trying
times, I sometimes find myself thinking about those innocent talks at her house,
and the sweet memories of those days comfort me.
My experience with my first love and the power it still has today
got me thinking about Bobby and Carol and their first kiss. Did they ever return to that moment when they
were confronting difficult issues? The
novellas never addressed this moment, but I would like to think Bobby and Carol,
like me, returned to it when they needed solace. Realizing these beautiful moments of
innocence were not unique to Bobby, Carol, and me, started the wheels rolling
for a new song. I wanted a song that would illustrate how reflecting on beautiful,
innocent moments transcended time and held it together for us when we were
going through difficult periods in our lives.
The chorus came to me first, and after it developed, I simply reinforced
it with Bobby and Carol’s story.
After Siobhan and I created the basic tracks with her bass and my
guitar and vocals, we turned to our SAMMY Award winning, ace studio musician,
Perry Cleaveland, for some filler and
lead work. Most people in our area know
Perry for his incredible mandolin and fiddle playing, but they do not know he
is an awesome piano player, too.
Coincidentally, we were storing Siobhan’s sister’s keyboard in our
basement. We set it up and turned Perry
loose. The touch he added to the song with
this instrument was simply beautiful; so, even if you are not taken by the back-story
and lyrics, please check out the recording.
After Perry also added some great fiddle and harmony to the song, our long-time friend, Maria Gillard,
stopped by the basement and enhanced the song with a sensational harmony. We finished up with me adding some harmonica
and electric guitar filler. Siobhan then
went to work doing what she does best, tirelessly mixing and mastering the
recording until she got it to where we all liked it. I hope it appeals to you, too.
Lyrics:
Verse 1:
Bobby and Carol grew up living on the same street
Whenever they were together, life couldn’t be more complete
They fell in love for the first time in the summer after
sixth grade
Everyone thought their romance was one that heaven had made
Their story simply started with neither having a plan
They were just on a Ferris Wheel looking out over the land
As they took in the scenery, the Ferris Wheel came to a stop
They glanced at the sky and the ocean from sitting way up at
the top
While they sat there just glazing, they caught each other’s
eyes
Bobby quickly kissed Carol, taking her by surprise
Carol, she got all flustered, not knowing what to do then
But it didn’t take her too long to tell Bobby to do it again
Chorus:
And that kiss went on forever, transcending space and time
Its beauty and its magic so simple and sublime
The two felt as we all feel, and they did what we all do
They returned to that sweet moment when they needed to get
through
Verse 2:
Bobby and Carol’s romance sadly came to an end
Bobby had to move away; they swore they would stay friends
For some time they wrote letters to keep what they had alive
But pen and paper were not enough for their love to survive
Carol went on to high school, her courses all advanced
She was the perfect student, Cheerleader, queen of the dance
Bobby, on the other hand, he took another path
Cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol were more exciting than math
Despite their different directions, each of them carved out
a life
Carol became a professor; Bobby had three kids with his wife
For the most part, their lives went well, no drama or major
ordeals
But at times when things got rough, they returned to that Ferris
Wheel
Chorus:
Verse 3:
Forty years flew by ‘til Bobby saw Carol again
They returned to the home town for a funeral of an old
friend
At the church and the grave site, neither saw the other
there
The ceremony ended, final condolences shared
Before Bobby headed back home, he went to the old
neighborhood
To the park where he played baseball, and rode his bike
through the woods
As he sat on that park bench, these words came to his mind
“If you swear, I won’t walk with you.” something Carol said
all the time
Bobby’s thoughts were not imagined; they came from a voice
that was real
From the girl standing behind him, the one from the Ferris
Wheel
Not a word was spoken, when they caught each other’s eyes
But this time it was Carol who came through with the
stunning surprise
Chorus: (two times)
Here is a link to the song on YouTube. It’s an auto generated video created by CD
Baby, our distributor. If an ad appears
when the link opens, click to dismiss it, and the song will start. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWbvauDgV5c&list=OLAK5uy_lKQ6DKjn_qKvAdU5tCD42gWuNb0g_MVW0
