Yellow Ribbons

Work is now forming into a black hole that sucks in most available free time. The sucking force will be especially strong next week, since I aim to have some kind of spring break to coincide with Lilly and Ann's break the week after next. So it's good, actually, that cold air blew in today, followed by icy drizzle late this evening. An incentive to stay inside.

In yesterday's comments, tied to my apron strings noted that she, too, has had a re-understanding of a well-worn song, in her case "Tie a Yellow Ribbon." I'm some years older than she is, so I remember when the original was on the radio in 1973. It is indeed about an ex-con coming home to his wife or lover or girlfriend, uncertain in his future status with her, etc., till he sees "100" yellow ribbons round the old oak tree.

Later I wondered exactly how the thing morphed into a welcome home for the hostages in Iran in 1981, and then for returning soldiers in later wars, but in fact song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" was the variation, since earlier songs -- and a John Wayne movie, for that matter -- used the symbolism of a yellow ribbon as a mark of affection for a distant soldier. The practice may in fact have roots going back centuries, though as with most folk customs, no one knows. Anyway, the lesson here is that almost nothing is new under the sun, to paraphrase some very old writings.

As far as I know, Tony Orlando and Dawn never did a follow-up of their big hit. You know, the one in which the ex-con violates parole by passing bad checks a few months after that yellow-ribbon incident, and is returned to the hoosegow. But that probably wouldn't be a sentimental favorite.