A Most Mystical Song

Listen to the Jaynetts and I'll wait for you right here.

I grew up with Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Dion & the Belmonts...James Brown...Then along came Dylan, the Beatles, Motown, the Rolling Stones, Hendrix...

There was no shortage of extraordinary music recorded during my youth.

However, I recently spent a full hour listening to only two songs, non-stop. Both songs fit into the (...) above. One of them was the previously blogged I Met Him On A Sunday and the other was the Jaynetts Sally, Go Round The Roses.
After one hour, all I wanted to do was listen to the same two songs for another hour.

Sally go round the roses (sally go round the roses)
Sally go round the roses (sally go round the pretty roses)

Hope this place can't hurt you (hope this place can't hurt you)
Roses they can't hurt you (roses they can't hurt you)
Sally don't you go, don't you go downtown
Sally don't you go-o, don't you go downtown
Saddest thing in the whole wide world
Is see your baby with another girl
Sally go round, oh Sally don't you go
Sally don't you go, Don't you go downtown
Oh, don't you go downtown
Saddest thing in the whole wide world
See your baby with another girl

Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the roses)
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)

They won't tell your secret (they won't tell your secret)
They won't tell your secret, Oh no won't tell your secret
Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Sit and cry with the door closed
Sit and cry so no one knows
Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Saddest thing in the whole wide world
See your baby with another girl

Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the roses)
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)

There is a lot of repitition to these lyrics. A lot of call & response where call equals response adding up to the mystery of how the roses can or can't hurt Sally. The minimalist music is a haunting dialog between a guitar and piano that sound like they are in different rooms. But they enhance, rather than distract from, the mystery of Sally and her roses.

Mystical? Mysterious? Mythological? Take your pick.

Unlike the Shirelles' Sunday song, the Jaynetts' Sally is not a clap along. But while Sally goes around those roses, my hands can provide a dance floor for ten fingers.