Harrumph File #046 12.12.2010_ American Pie Redux

A long, long time ago…

I can still remember

How that mouse used to make me smile.

He knew under the southern sun

That he could make some family fun

And maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But in December I did shiver

I read the headlines they delivered.

Bad news on the front page;

He finally left the world stage.

I can’t remember if I cried

When I heard he’d ridden his last ride.

But something touched me deep inside,

The day Walt Disney died.

So bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

Did you write the book of man,

And do you believe in Peter Pan,

If your children tell you so?

Do you have faith in Mickey’s goal,

Can Goofy save your mortal soul,

And can you teach me how to do the “Disney stroll?”

Well I know you think it’s pretty grim

The fate of the world rests on the rim.

You should kick off all your cares.

I don’t want to see you glare.

My favorite was old Donald Duck

With a birthday badge and lots of pluck

But I knew I was out of luck

The day Walt Disney died.

I started singin’

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

Now for many years we’ve been on our own

And moss grows fat on the sword & stone,

But that’s not how it used to be.

When Goofy sang for the king and queen,

In a hat he painted a crazy green.

In a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while Goofy was singing that,

Young Alice stole his crazy hat.

The courtroom she did dread;

The verdict: “Off with her head”

And while Mickey lost his little spark,

The three caballeros practiced in the park,

And we sang with them in the dark

The day Walt Disney died.

We were singing

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

July turned into a summer swelter

The chipmunks were without any shelter,

The Matterhorn was falling fast

They replaced it with a field of grass

But the people wanted a season pass

With Goofy on the park bench with no hat.

Now half the time there’s no watered zoom

When you want to ride Splash Mountain’s flume.

We wanted to advance,

Oh, but we never got the chance!

‘Cause the bean counters that were concealed

Took Disneyland out to left field.

Did you think we could all be healed

The day Walt Disney died?

We started singing

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

And we were all in one place

A family playground built with grace.

With lots of time to start again

So come on: Jack fly high into the sky!

Jill rides Dumbo in reply

But profits are the devil’s only friend

I watched them count their ill-gotten loot

Wearing their new Armani suits.

No mouse, you could fortell

Could break the dollar’s spell.

And as profits climbed high into the night

To fill us all with fear and fright,

I saw accountants laughing with delight

The day Walt Disney died.

They were singing

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

I met a girl on the canoes

And I asked her for some happy news,

But she just said she felt betrayed.

I rode the trolley past the store

Where Walt had ridden years before,

But the driver said there wouldn’t be a parade.

And on Main Street the children cried

The parents wept with them side by side.

But not a word was spoken;

Walt’s fire truck was broken.

And the three guys who loved to joust

Donald, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse.

They closed up shop and sold the house.

The day Walt Disney died.

And they were singing

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Today’s the day that innocence died.”

They were singing

“bye-bye, to that Mickey Mouse guy.”

Took my family down to Disneyland

But Tink wouldn’t fly

Them good ‘ol toons were real sad and they cried

Singin’ “today’s the day that innocence died.

Walt Disney    Dec 5, 1901 - Dec 15, 1966

 We could sure use some Disney magic right about now…

Harrumph…