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Try to Remember
Words & Music by Tom Jones & Harvey SchmidtRecorded by Ed Ames, 1965 (#73)
From the Musical "The Fantasticks"
D Bm Em A7
Try to remember the kind of September
D Bm Em A7
When life was slow and oh, so mellow;
D Bm Em A7
Try to remember the kind of September
D Bm Em A7
When grass was green and grain was yellow;
F#m7 Bm7 Em7 A7
Try to remember the kind of September
DM7 GM7 C A7
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
D Bm Em A7 D Bm GM7 A7
Try to remember, and if you remember, then follow.
D Bm Em A7
Try to remember when life was so tender,
D Bm Em A7
That no one wept except the willow;
D Bm Em A7
Try to remember when life was so tender,
D Bm Em A7
That dreams were kept beside your pillow;
F#m7 Bm7 Em7 A7
Try to remember when life was so tender,
DM7 GM7 C A7
That love was an ember about to billow.
D Bm Em A7 D Bm GM7 A7
Try to remember, and if you remember, then follow.
D Bm Em A7
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
D Bm Em A7
Although you know the snow will follow;
D Bm Em A7
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
D Bm Em A7
Without a hurt the heart is hollow;
F#m7 Bm7 Em7 A7
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
DM7 GM7 C A7
The fire of September that makes us mellow.
D Bm Em A7 D Bm GM7 Gdim D
Try to remember, and if you remember, then follow.
The recorded version of this song, for all its success, to me still feels like one of the all-time great mis-matches by some recording company's A&R man. The semi-operatic, full-throated rendition that Ames gave to this song just always seemed to sit cross-ways with the gentleness and simplicity of the lyrics -- a little like what you'd get if The Three Tenors sang "Yesterday". End of unsolicited opinion.