"The Things I've Saved"

Eddie Brown (lft) and Joe Gilbert (rt) 1941-1966

 ..is the title of a  beloved song from my childhood. I was raised on music; all kinds of music, thanks to my musically gifted parents. This beautiful melody has been playing in my mind over the past few days. It was sung by a male Gospel/Folk duo known as Joe and Eddie in the 60s, and had been lost to me for decades (Thank you, Youtube!). On this particular song, (the late) Joe Gilbert sings alone, for the first and only time before his tragic death in a car accident. He's accompanied by an acoustic guitar, and it is lovely, I tell you! I'm sharing the lyrics because as a young girl, 6 and 7 years of age, I was captivated by them! The words held so much wonder for me back then. Now that I am older, these simple words ring so clear and true. And they express exactly how I feel today.

I'm finally leavin, after all

One last word I don't wanna holler down the hall

Everybody leaves something when he goes away

 After I'm gone, here's what I hope will stay:

Violets in springtime

Starry nights in fall

 Sunlight on a summer's morning

Love to warm you when the snowflakes fall

The spark in the eyes of children

And secrets whispered by the sea

A countryside like a great cathedral

A place called home, a land forever free

This will be my last will and testament

being of sound body and mind

This will be my last will and testament

These are the things I've saved, to leave behind...

Yes, 

This will be my last will and testament

being of sound body and mind

This will be my last will and testament

These are the things I choose to leave behind!

Joe Gilbert, Eddie Brown

© 1962

Featured on "There's a Meetin' Here Tonite, the Best of Joe & Eddie" CD