The boomers were about to put considerable pressure on school space. I was part of the apex of that incredible human wave. Within a few years we had "split shifts" at the public school. And yet our community was slow to respond, as we got dragged through referendums that were like pulling teeth to get passed. I was in elementary school in 1965. Schools attracted many gifted and intelligent females to teach in those days. As women became more liberated in subsequent years, breaking through a glass ceiling, they had more options. It was good news for women but maybe not so good for elementary school education.
I had Pearl Hanse for the fifth grade. I remember how much she enjoyed singing "Shenandoah."
There was a time when East 7th Street was the main entry to Morris from the east. That's how the Dairy Queen got situated there. I remember being behind Don Goracke one evening when he ordered a whole bunch of malted milks for his family, perhaps eight? I exaggerate not. And if the Dairy Queen didn't please your palate, well, the "Pylin" drive-in was along that street too. The Pylin - let's all "pile in" - was right out of "American Graffiti." The old school and the playground to the east were the focal point of the community.
Sobering elements too
On a macro level, the year 1965 was most disturbing because of Vietnam. Our first combat troops arrived there in that year. By year's end, 190,000 U.S. soldiers were in that hellhole of a country for that time.
Dr. Martin Luther King was in ascent as a prominent national figure. Today he's lionized by all including the political right which would not have had much time for him in the mid-1960s. He and 2,600 others were arrested in Selma AL during demonstrations against voter registration rules. Surely there were events setting a dark tone. But as always, popular music provided escapism. I remember members of our UMM men's chorus singing the Herman's Hermits tune "I'm Henry VIII" on the bus. They sang it well because I can still remember it so well today. Remember: "Second verse, same as the first. . .?"
Sonny and Cher gave us "I Got You Babe" which is not pigeon-holed for the year 1965, because it got resurrected for the famous "Groundhog Day" movie with Bill Murray. Of course the Beatles held sway, giving us "Ticket to Ride" from the "Help!" album and movie. How can we forget "This Diamond Ring" which I believe was a favorite of Del Sarlette of Sarlette's Music in Morris.
Us kids discussed updates from our "World Events" posters in class. If you're an age peer of mine, you surely remember those, n'est-ce pas? That, and the "Chicken Fat" vinyl record. The less said about the latter, the better. But when it came to news, we began getting Vietnam seared into our consciousness whether we liked it or not. Actually we didn't like it. I would never be in position to worry about the draft. I pitied the poor souls who did have to worry. They went to Canada or Australia to try to avoid it. I blame none of them for whatever evasive actions they took, except maybe Donald Trump who had the rich person's advantage of finding a doctor who could come up with some sort of "reach" exception from the draft, i.e. "bone spurs."
Do I admire John McCain for what he went through in the war? Respect, yes, but I'm not sure admiration is apropos. He too would have won my admiration if he could have simply avoided it all. The U.S. waded into that conflict in the oddest way. Nothing good came of it. Lots of bad did come of it. So, music gave us some escapism.
A pennant for Minnesota
And let's consider sports. Oh my, 1965 was most significant in Minnesota sports annals. Our Minnesota Twins won the 1965 pennant! What could have brought greater ecstasy to Minnesota boys of that time? Sports had a strongly masculine association then. Our Twins won 102 games in '65. It was the year the Yankees got knocked off their perch. Harmon Killebrew hit a most dramatic home run just before the all-star break. We should have won it all that year. Problem is, we came up against Sandy Koufax in the World Series. Koufax beat us in Game 7 and we were deflated, never mind we had been through nirvana with the pennant. Sigh.
Enshrining year in song
I have written a song about our 1965 Twins. A couple stanzas even acknowledge the tragedy lurking in the background through all of that: the Vietnam war escalation. I felt I could not in good conscience write a totally joyful song based on the year 1965. It would not do justice. But the overall tone of my song celebrates our Minnesota Twins, managed by Sam Mele, a surrogate "father" for all Minnesota boys of my age.
My song has the title "Twins Win in '65." I may have the song recorded sometime in the next year. The song has a "strophic" melody, i.e. just one melodic idea, and employs a mere two chords, but I love it. The rhythm is hard-charging, so if I have it recorded, maybe I'd arrange for a live drummer. Sounds exciting. Here are the lyrics and thanks for reading. - B.W.
"Twins Win in '65"
by Brian Williams
Nineteen sixty-five
Cold War in its prime
Could man stay alive?
We all had to ask
I was just a kid
Not too scared of it
I just went and did
All my heart desired
All my heart desired
Baseball in the air
Twins were on a tear
Nothing could compare
To that pennant run
There in Bloomington
At Met Stadium
Fans had all that fun
April through October
April through October
We heard LBJ
Say we had to stay
In that hellish fray
With the Viet Cong
We just said hell no
We don't want to go
We'll search high and low
For a way to end it
For a way to end it
Baseball gave a key
To serenity
So much skill to see
On that glorious field
Twins looked oh so fine
In their northern clime
We just drew a line
The Yankees could not touch us
The Yankees could not touch us
Mudcat in the groove
Stardom there to prove
He just could not lose
When it counted most
Harmon hit them out
Never left a doubt
He was all about
Our title aspirations
Our title aspirations
Zoilo with his glove
Made us fall in love
He caused lots of buzz
With his stellar play
With his mastery
He was MVP
We could all agree
The shortstop had an engine
The shortstop had an engine
We saw "Kitty" pitch
Pop that catcher's mitt
He made batters miss
With his strength and guile
Pascual had it too
His right arm could rule
Quite the winning stew
For the fans to worship
For the fans to worship
All hail Tony O.
All-Star head to toe
Talent good as gold
Wearing No. 6
He hit frozen ropes
Building all our hopes
He pleased all us folks
Who cheered for Minnesota
Who cheered for Minnesota
War kept rolling on
Even though we sobbed
We felt we were robbed
Of our innocence
Still we cheered with spark
At our dear ballpark
Twins were in our hearts
And always they would stay there
And always they would stay there
ENDING:
Twins win in '65
Twins win in '65
(repeat)
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