The Folks Who Live On The Hill- A Rodgers & Hammerstein Classic: Much of the appeal of this song may be based on a universal desire to find that psychological sense of security where we can take refuge from the outside world and feel safe as well as comfortable. The lovely verse talks about how some men having " lofty goals " strive for success and recognition . Hammerstein takes a different point of view where "All I want is just a plot of land and live there with you." The main refrain then begins with a gradual upward ascent before a very short bridge or mid section ending with " And when the kids grow up and leave us " to introduce the final segment that ends with " And we like being called, what we have always been called, the folks who live on the hill." The melody gently supports the domestic sentiments of the lyrics which seem to have the greatest impact on the popularity of the song.
The version featured is one with a sensitive vocal presentation by Peggy Lee and an understated arrangement by Nelson Riddle. A high muted trumpet passage has an eery quality and together with a supportive string section provide a fine backup to the tender but expressive voice of Peggy Lee. Her greatest vocal assets are precise articulation, great interpretive powers and a restraint that brings the meaning of the song into such a clear focus. It is further proof that female singers don't have to bellow at full volume like so many of today's younger performers. Sensitivity is something that singers tend to acquire as their vocal artistry matures.
A Purely Personal Observation: There is a gentle sadness that pervades this performance, not just from Peggy Lee's singing but the orchestral background and the lonely trumpet passages. Could it be that the ideal of a home away from the troubles of the world is something that might not be realized and that influenced both the singer and he arranger ? Just a idle speculation on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
LINK:
http://youtu.be/---Uh2ctBcA
Your comment about the "high muted trumpet passage" caught my attention because of the "eery quality" to which you refer. I'm not quite sure I have it correctly but the actual progression of the notes in the passages somehow speak to "Americana", the wide-open west, rolling plains, Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath, the grand canyon - images of of a nascent and innocent America in a much less complex time. It's those very notes caressed by one of the most beautiful string sections I have ever heard which draw us into the song because we quietly and secretly yearn for the safety, security and purity of those times.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Gloria Lynne does a very similar version with the very same string arrangement.
Also, interestingly, Sinatra (the conductor of this arrangement) conducted a few albums at Capitol. Another I can think of is with Dean Martin in which every title had the word "dream" in it.