RUNNING TIME: Approximately 30:49
All but one of the Mister Rogers LPs that I own today have been picked up randomly throughout my adulthood. This is the only one from my actual childhood. Among the superhero and Sesame Street albums my brother and I listened to as kids, A Place of Our Own could also be found in our Justice League of America record case. This is one of at least three different releases of this album.
A Place of My Own
Mister Rogers opens this album with a song about how children need a place to call their own. Just as dishes and socks have a specific place where they belong, children also need a place to call their own whether it be a "step on a staircase" or a "spot anywhere."
It's Such a Good Feeling
The classic song which ended Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for so many years. Only a slight variation on the lyrics we're all used to from the television program: "When you wake up ready to say, I think I'll grow twelve inches today."
You Are Pretty
Heading into a brief time of Make-Believe, Lady Aberlin sings this song with Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl.
A Lonely Kind of Thing
Mister Rogers plays some loud music for children to listen to when they are angry before he goes into this song for children to sing when they are lonely.
Wishes Don't Make Things Come True
Back to Make-Believe, Handyman Negri sings this song to Lady Elaine who has wished for him to be stuck in the ground. As mentioned before, this song is in stark contrast to the song Find a Star found on the King Friday the XIII Celebrates LP.
You Will Not Go
Lady Elaine sings this slightly-eerie song to Handyman Negri as he tries to head towards the castle. She assumes that her wish will come true but finds that Handyman Negri is not actually stuck.
A Handy Lady and a Handy Man
As Lady Elaine realizes that Handyman Negri is not stuck at her Museum-Go-Round, she invites him to come back later so they can have a "handy lady and a handy man." Mister Rogers concludes Side 1 by talking about how wishes do not make things come true -- regardless of how hard a person wants them to come true.
SIDE 2
I Did Too
Mister Rogers sings this song about his experiences as a child which are very similar to the experiences of many children listening to the album.
Look and Listen
Mister Rogers talks about different morning sounds such as an alarm clock, running water, and a toilet flushing: "There are so many interesting things to see and hear." This leads into this popular song from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Hello There
After talking about how wonderful it is to have loving people around you, Mister Rogers mentions that teachers can also care about children as well. Lady Aberlin then sings this very simple and quiet song.
Propel Propel Propel Your Craft
King Friday sings a slightly lethargic version of his popular Row Row Row Your Boat interpretation as heard on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as well as the King Friday the XIII Celebrates LP.
Many Ways to Say I Love You
Handyman Negri and Lady Aberlin teach King Friday that there are many ways to express love by singing this song.
I Need You
Mister Rogers concludes this album with this song about the importance of friendships: "A bird needs air for its wings to fly. A boat needs water to float. A teacher needs students who want to know why. An election needs a vote. Or a lining needs a coat. Just as I need you so I can be who I am. You need me so you can be yourself. We both need each other so we can be who we are. We are friends."
For more on this release of A Place of Our Own, visit the Neighborhood Archive.
2 comments:
I believe Mr Rogers did sing the "twelve inches" version of the song on the TV show too, but probably only in the older episodes. I seem to remember seeing a youtube episode where he sang a longer version than he does nowadays. And I also seem to have some memory of him slipping a bit and absently singing that lyric in a modern episode but I can't for the life of me remember which one.
The song "Hello there" is very strange. At least the way it's mixed here, it's so dreamlike. I picture Lady Aberlin roaming in and out of a misty background, with lots of cross dissolving and double exposures.
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