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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Meaningful lyrics can draw all ages together By Linda Bryant Smith Herald Columnist For the past few weeks, I've been humming a different tune. I picked it up from a singer named Fred Knittle. If I had an MP3 player and knew how to work it, it would be my first download. I'm hooked. My senior "groupie" phase began early on Sunday two weeks ago. My 9-year-old grandson, Adamson, sent me an e-mail that included his new favorite song, "White and Nerdy." Even as I was hustling to the Internet to find out what on earth was going on, a voice on the television set stopped me. It was the deep, flowing baritone of Fred Knittle, 83, singing, "Fix You," a song made famous by Coldplay. As I tuned to the tube, I saw him. Thinning silver hair, hefty frame, oxygen tubes running into his nose, sitting because standing required more than he had to give that day. He was backed by a group of seniors who had all the moves -- at least the ones arthritis at our age will allow. The words of "Fix You," are all the more poignant coming from his lips. "Tears stream down your face, When you lose something you can't replace Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you…" Knittle, a school administrator and WWII vet, is one of the soloists in the Young at Heart chorus, a group of singing seniors from Northampton, Mass., whose musical repertoire is drawn from contemporary rock music selected by their director, Bob Cilman. Cilman organized the chorus in 1982 when he went to work at the community's senior center. After a lot of local exposure in the 1980s and '90s, the group hit the road performing concerts in England and Europe as well as in major cities here at home. Thus they're comfortable performing in a concert theater as well as the side yard of a prison. Standing ovations are the norm. They are now the subjects of a documentary "Young @ Heart[""] produced by a British filmmaker who first saw them perform in London. (See Robert Horton's review, "Elderly rockers' energy makes for engaging tale" in the The Herald's April 18 edition). The documentary opens with Eileen Hall, 92, singing her cover of The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go." For young lovers the message means one thing. For much older folks, the words carry images of life and death choices we will all make one day. In fact, the documentary follows the singers through their day-to-day lives -- at home, rehearsals, in the hospital and, even, as death claims one of their own. According to Horton's review, their music video of the Talking Heads' "Road to Nowhere" dovetailed with the Isley Brothers' "Shout" was one of the "kickiest things" he's seen or heard in years. Horton gave this documentary a rave calling it "a terrific case for the agelessness of music." The television news clip I saw on the group was brief but tantalizing. I hadn't yet seen Horton's review, so I went to the Internet. Knittle's "Fix You" solo is on YouTube and has already had a half-million hits. I listened all the way through and once again that evening. Beautiful music sung from the heart has a way of soothing and softening the weariness at day's end. In his version of Coldplay's hit, the words are clear and strong almost offered as prayer of hope for what's to come. The lyrics of many contemporary songs are lost to my aging ears in cacophony of dissonant guitar riffs, pounding drums and shouting singers. Young at Heart singers seem to have a knack for changing that. I can understand the lyrics. And frankly, it was the lyrics I was most interested in when the grandson shared his favorite rap song. Visions of gangstas, hos and other equally vile terms came to mind. I valued his confidence in telling me, but I'm not about to tolerate that kind of language and neither are his parents. As it turned out, "White and Nerdy," sung by "Weird" Al Yankolovich, is also on YouTube. It's from his 2007 platinum album "Straight Outta Lynwood." Weird Al's version parodies "Ridin' " by rappers Krayzie Bone and Chamillionaire. I'm not sure if Adamson knows what a parody is or even what nerdy means. He just liked the lyrics because he could relate to someone who has to mow the lawn, loves computers, has a Web page for his dog, is a whiz at Minesweeeper, saves action figures that are cherry and is just too white and nerdy to "roll with gangstas." May it ever be so. The song, it seems, has found popularity with the playground set. Lots of kids, Adamson told me, think it's cool. Like "Fix You" it's all about the lyrics, the voice and a listener looking for a message. Music, ageless and marvelous, is one of life's true joys for the young and the young at heart. May it ever be so. Linda Bryant Smith writes about life as a senior citizen and the issues that concern, annoy and often irritate the heck out of her now that she lives in a world where nothing is ever truly fixed but her income. You can e-mail her at ljbryantsmith@yahoo.com.

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