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| Can you see the osprey? |
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| All Photos by Norman E. Hooben |
When the swallows come back to Alabama maybe I'll get my breakfast.
by Norman E. Hooben
I could leave it at that and 99.9% of the readers would probably not get it
but the sentence is a play on words combining both the author of a song and its
would-be publisher.
Sometime prior to 1939, songwriter Leon René penned the lyrics to “When the
swallows come back to Capistrano” a romantic song I was familiar with in the
late 50’s sung by then popular Pat Boone.
René had difficulty getting his song published and it was suggested by
Shapiro, Bernstein & Company (a publisher) to change the title to “When the
swallows come back to Alabama” since most people did not know where Capistrano
was.
René came up with the idea for this song when he was in bed one morning
recovering from tuberculosis. His wife had not brought him his morning meal, so
he quipped, "Maybe when the swallows come back to Capistrano, I'll get my
breakfast."
Eventually Warner Brothers published the song,
giving René a much-needed $500 advance. The investment paid off for Warner
Brothers, as the song was recorded by many big names and sold very well as
sheet music. In addition to Glenn
Miller, the song was also recorded by the Ink Spots, Pat Boone and Elvis
Presley.
So when the swallows come back to Capistrano it’s a sure sign of spring and so it is with Osprey… When the Osprey come back to Cape Cod it’s not only a sign of spring and pleasant weather, the tourist and locals alike start piling in to Frosty’s for some fried clams.
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