I like to try to blend science and art in my professional life at the time
in my professional life at the time
in my professional life at the time about a decade ago I was doing outreach
about a decade ago I was doing outreach
about a decade ago I was doing outreach work with public health department and
work with public health department and
work with public health department and it was going into people’s homes and
it was going into people’s homes and
it was going into people’s homes and gathering their stories and interviewing
gathering their stories and interviewing
gathering their stories and interviewing them and finding that their stories were
them and finding that their stories were
them and finding that their stories were more interesting and marvelous than
more interesting and marvelous than
more interesting and marvelous than anything I could ever make up so it
anything I could ever make up so it
anything I could ever make up so it dawned on me one days I was driving way
dawned on me one days I was driving way
dawned on me one days I was driving way up there in Greg LA that maybe I should
up there in Greg LA that maybe I should
up there in Greg LA that maybe I should put their songs there two stories to
put their songs there two stories to
put their songs there two stories to song and that really opened up a large
song and that really opened up a large
song and that really opened up a large segment of time for me and I have
segment of time for me and I have
segment of time for me and I have numerous stories than of people put into
numerous stories than of people put into
numerous stories than of people put into song and what was marvelous about it was
song and what was marvelous about it was
song and what was marvelous about it was that I would later then on subsequent
that I would later then on subsequent
that I would later then on subsequent visits bring my guitar and sing their
visits bring my guitar and sing their
visits bring my guitar and sing their song for them and they it was marvelous
song for them and they it was marvelous
song for them and they it was marvelous for me and I hope it was marvelous for
for me and I hope it was marvelous for
for me and I hope it was marvelous for them and most of them all of them have
them and most of them all of them have
them and most of them all of them have said that they enjoyed it very much to
said that they enjoyed it very much to
said that they enjoyed it very much to be written up in song so this song
be written up in song so this song
be written up in song so this song Marguerite she was born in the
Marguerite she was born in the
Marguerite she was born in the french-speaking portion of Belgium she
french-speaking portion of Belgium she
french-speaking portion of Belgium she spoke four languages
spoke four languages
spoke four languages she spoke Spanish her father was from
she spoke Spanish her father was from
she spoke Spanish her father was from Spain she spoke French
Spain she spoke French
Spain she spoke French she spoke phlegm Oh or Flemish and she
she spoke phlegm Oh or Flemish and she
she spoke phlegm Oh or Flemish and she spoke English and she was a teenager
spoke English and she was a teenager
spoke English and she was a teenager during World War two
during World War two
during World War two and she told the stories of living in
and she told the stories of living in
and she told the stories of living in the sewers and in the tunnels under the
the sewers and in the tunnels under the
the sewers and in the tunnels under the city to avoid the bombs she told the
city to avoid the bombs she told the
city to avoid the bombs she told the story of stories of her peers being
story of stories of her peers being
story of stories of her peers being lured by the German soldiers with money
lured by the German soldiers with money
lured by the German soldiers with money and clothing and food and how those poor
and clothing and food and how those poor
and clothing and food and how those poor women were publicly shunned on the
women were publicly shunned on the
women were publicly shunned on the streets with their heads shaved remember
streets with their heads shaved remember
streets with their heads shaved remember those stories
those stories
those stories there’s been a movie made of it she
there’s been a movie made of it she
there’s been a movie made of it she proudly said I resisted I was tempted
proudly said I resisted I was tempted
proudly said I resisted I was tempted but I resisted she met her husband her
but I resisted she met her husband her
but I resisted she met her husband her future husband on the streets of her
future husband on the streets of her
future husband on the streets of her city home city Haines st. Pierre he was
city home city Haines st. Pierre he was
city home city Haines st. Pierre he was a US soldier AWOL and intoxicated he
a US soldier AWOL and intoxicated he
a US soldier AWOL and intoxicated he proudly would say I was there saving the
proudly would say I was there saving the
proudly would say I was there saving the world from Hitler they largely hugely
world from Hitler they largely hugely
world from Hitler they largely hugely downplayed his dishonorable discharge
downplayed his dishonorable discharge
downplayed his dishonorable discharge and lamented that he had no veteran
and lamented that he had no veteran
and lamented that he had no veteran medical benefits they had to get
medical benefits they had to get
medical benefits they had to get permission from the Pope to be married
permission from the Pope to be married
permission from the Pope to be married and to leave France so they waited for
and to leave France so they waited for
and to leave France so they waited for that to come oh I wanted to interject
that to come oh I wanted to interject
that to come oh I wanted to interject also he said he would come back for her
also he said he would come back for her
also he said he would come back for her after the war and she told me she didn’t
after the war and she told me she didn’t
after the war and she told me she didn’t expect him to show up but he did he
expect him to show up but he did he
expect him to show up but he did he actually went back they petitioned the
actually went back they petitioned the
actually went back they petitioned the Pope to be married and they were married
Pope to be married and they were married
Pope to be married and they were married and came to the US I will say that I was
and came to the US I will say that I was
and came to the US I will say that I was honored to sing this song at some of her
honored to sing this song at some of her
honored to sing this song at some of her birthdays and some of their
birthdays and some of their
birthdays and some of their anniversaries and also at her funeral it
anniversaries and also at her funeral it
anniversaries and also at her funeral it is entitled self-titled Marguerite
is entitled self-titled Marguerite
is entitled self-titled Marguerite [Music]
ah hi I am Marguerite it is with
ah hi I am Marguerite it is with pleasure that
pleasure that
pleasure that and we meet your father he worked with
and we meet your father he worked with
and we meet your father he worked with man
back in Belgium 1939 we were young and
back in Belgium 1939 we were young and could not believe
could not believe
could not believe how terrible this world could be but
how terrible this world could be but
how terrible this world could be but when the grown-ups whispered fearfully
the children listened carefully back in
the children listened carefully back in Belgium 1943 who how that war changed
Belgium 1943 who how that war changed
Belgium 1943 who how that war changed everything
everything
everything [Music]
[Music]
[Music] nights of nights and they’re awful
nights of nights and they’re awful
nights of nights and they’re awful thundering
thundering
thundering [Music]
[Music]
[Music] when I grew up I left the place
married a soldier from united states but
married a soldier from united states but when my father died I could not return
when my father died I could not return
when my father died I could not return our kids were young we had to work in
our kids were young we had to work in
our kids were young we had to work in Boston 1954
to women now old and gray would meet
to women now old and gray would meet again after all this time
again after all this time
again after all this time [Music]
[Music]
[Music] in a cafe
in a cafe
in a cafe on a winter day Minnesota 1989
now you say that you lost everyone
now you say that you lost everyone yes we always wondered wondered where he
yes we always wondered wondered where he
yes we always wondered wondered where he had gone
had gone
had gone [Music]
see appears you do connect for prepare
see appears you do connect for prepare 12 Ayyappa gloomy
vous appelez your soul uber chic Disney
vous appelez your soul uber chic Disney son
son
son [Music]
[Applause]
[Applause] thank you so much
I’ll do something on a lighter note and
I’ll do something on a lighter note and I can dedicate this one to the folks at
I can dedicate this one to the folks at
I can dedicate this one to the folks at the rail river and anyone else who
the rail river and anyone else who
the rail river and anyone else who happens to be a railroad or depot the
happens to be a railroad or depot the
happens to be a railroad or depot the aficionado
aficionado
aficionado [Music]
[Music]
[Music] it’s called the freight train blues he
it’s called the freight train blues he
it’s called the freight train blues he was born in Dixie and Boomer Shack just
was born in Dixie and Boomer Shack just
was born in Dixie and Boomer Shack just a little shanty by the railroad track
a little shanty by the railroad track
a little shanty by the railroad track the hominid the driver was is lullaby
the hominid the driver was is lullaby
the hominid the driver was is lullaby and a freight train whistle taught him
and a freight train whistle taught him
and a freight train whistle taught him how to grab his that it was a fireman
how to grab his that it was a fireman
how to grab his that it was a fireman and his mama dear she was the only
and his mama dear she was the only
and his mama dear she was the only daughter of an engineer sister loves a
daughter of an engineer sister loves a
daughter of an engineer sister loves a break man and it is no joke it’s a
break man and it is no joke it’s a
break man and it is no joke it’s a wonder how she keeps her good man broke
wonder how she keeps her good man broke
wonder how she keeps her good man broke [Music]
[Music]
[Music] he’s got the freight dream balloons he’s
he’s got the freight dream balloons he’s
he’s got the freight dream balloons he’s got him in the bottom of his ramble in
got him in the bottom of his ramble in
got him in the bottom of his ramble in gee we need whistle blows he’s got to go
gee we need whistle blows he’s got to go
gee we need whistle blows he’s got to go Oh
Laurie well I guess he’s never going to
Laurie well I guess he’s never going to lose the freight train blues
[Music]
[Music] airplanes and autos always leave him
airplanes and autos always leave him
airplanes and autos always leave him cold and the steamboat whistle never
cold and the steamboat whistle never
cold and the steamboat whistle never stirs his the only thing that makes him
stirs his the only thing that makes him
stirs his the only thing that makes him warm to navigate
warm to navigate
warm to navigate he’s a wild can’t whistle on a
he’s a wild can’t whistle on a
he’s a wild can’t whistle on a southbound frayed
well he rambles through the cities he
well he rambles through the cities he travels through the towns and he never
travels through the towns and he never
travels through the towns and he never can’t find a place to stop and settle
can’t find a place to stop and settle
can’t find a place to stop and settle down
every time he finds a place he wants to
every time he finds a place he wants to stay then I whistle blows and he’s on
stay then I whistle blows and he’s on
stay then I whistle blows and he’s on his way he’s got the freight train days
he’s got him in the bottom of his
he’s got him in the bottom of his rambling G when a whistle blows he’s got
rambling G when a whistle blows he’s got
rambling G when a whistle blows he’s got to go
to go
to go [Music]
[Music]
[Music] well I guess he’s never going to here’s
well I guess he’s never going to here’s
well I guess he’s never going to here’s the freight train
the freight train
the freight train [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
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