Here’s another edition of the Thursday Evening Post. 🍂

I love the power of music! 🎶

I heard the 1963 song “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen come on the radio.

Lyrics:

Louie, Louie, oh no
Said, we gotta go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I said, Louie, Louie, oh baby
Said we gotta go
A fine little girl, she waitin’ for me
Me catch a ship across the sea
Sail that ship, ah, all alone
Me never think how I’ll make it home
A-Louie, Louie, no, no, no, no
Said, we gotta go, oh no
Said, Louie Louie, oh baby
Said, we gotta go
Three nights and days, I sailed the sea
Think of a girl, oh, constantly
Oh, on that ship, I dream she there
I smell the rose, ah, in her hair
A-Louie, Louie, oh no
Said, we gotta go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
But, Louie, Louie, oh baby
Said we gotta go
Okay, let’s give it to ’em, right now
Me see—
Me see Jamaica, the moon above
It won’t be long, me see me love
Me take her in my arms again
I’ll tell her I’ll never leave again
A-Louie, Louie, oh no
Said, we gotta go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Said, a-Louie, Louie, oh baby
Said, we gotta go
I said, we gotta go now
Let’s hustle on out of here
Let’s go!

I couldn’t think of the last time I heard that song on the radio, but I immediately thought of pep band! 🎶

The first instrument that I formally learned to play was the flute!

When I entered the fifth grade and learned that fifth graders had the option to join band, I assumed I would join and that I would be playing the clarinet.

Why?

My grandmother still had her clarinet! 🤣

I remember how the middle school band instructor had all the fifth graders come to his classroom and listen to a CD that played samples of different instruments.

He asked the students to write down the sound of the instruments that they liked the best.

He then went through the sounds again and explained what instrument made those sounds.

I was MOVED by the sounds of the flute and decided that I would not be playing my grandma’s clarinet. 😂

I remember being SO EXCITED when I got my flute! ❤️

It was so shiny and beautiful and made such magical sounds! 💙

I continued playing the flute through most of high school. (I began playing the guitar in high school, so my passion for the flute changed. 😋)

When I was in high school, I participated in pep band.

I remember the day that the pep band conductor taught us “Louie Louie.”

I recognized the song from the oldies station that played in my home when I was a kid. 😁

That song was always SO MUCH FUN to play in pep band. 😄

Until I heard “Louie Louie” on the radio, I hadn’t thought of pep band in years! It’s so funny how music lets you time travel. 😂

I never new what the words to “Louie Louie” were until I found the lyrics for this week’s post.

I was surprised to learn that The Kingsmen’s version of the song was actually NOT the first release. Richard Berry released the song in 1957.

Richard Berry’s voice is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

The low vocals singing the riff of the song remind me of how cool it sounded when the low register instruments would play the song’s riff in pep band. 😄

Were you ever in pep band?

What do you think of “Louie Louie”?

Which version do you like the best?

May you be well! 💙

If you’d like to support my mission to share my passion for music with the world and spread joy, love, and positivity, you can do so here. Thank you so much! ❤️