Please Come To The Hazel

The year 2015 was a great year for me personally with respect to seeing live music. The highlight of the year was that I saw Crosby, Stills and Nash perform live.  Big deal you say. Well, it was a big deal because I saw all three Hall of Fame artists perform individually, not together.

Incomparable Alone, Together

First, I saw Crosby in February at the Barns of Wolf Trap in northern Virginia. It was a great show, which I shared  with my older son. The Byrds were one of my favorite groups growing up. In fact, the Byrds were my favorite group after the Beatles and Stones,  so hearing Crosby play Turn Turn Turn and Eight Miles High was a thrill. I saw the Byrds live back in 1965 at Fordham University on the Rose Hill campus which to this day remains one of my favorite musical experiences.

Next, I saw Stephen Stills at the Birchmere, the  famous music Hall in Arlington, Virginia in June. I took my younger son who was only 14 but loves Stills’ timeless classic with the Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth.  It was a tremendous show. I marveled at Stills’ guitar wizardry.

Finally, I saw Graham Nash August at the Birchmere again Nash was last but certainly not least. His performance was tremendous as voice as clear and beautiful as ever. The show was like unplugged as Nash regaled us with many stories between songs. Amazingly he mentioned that between the three of them Crosby, Stills and Nash have written and recorded more than 900 songs.

One of my favorite songs of the three musicians is Nash’s  Chicago.  Call me old-fashioned, but  I still believe we can change the world,  as Nash sang with passion last August. Changing the world may only be a tad more Pollyanna-ish, however, than the belief that the United States will take back the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine this summer.  But we can dream. Maybe we can change the world and win the Cup back all at the same time.

Original Song:  CHICAGO

Songwriter: 
NASH, GRAHAM

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

So Team USA just gags and we’ve lost the Cup for years
Won't you please come to Hazeltine just to cheer
In a land that's known as golfdom how can such a thing be real
Won't you please come to the Hazel for the help that we can bring

We can beat Europe
Reclaim the Cup
USA’s dying
To get it back

Europeans sit yourselves down there's no chance for you here
Won't you please come to the Hazel for your side
Union  Jack won’t help you 'cause he’s going to lose this year
Won't you please come to the Hazel or else join the other side

We can beat Europe
Reclaim the Cup
USA’s dying
To get it back

(We’re dying)
If you believe in Zinger
(We’re dying)
If you believe in Tiger

(We’re dying)
Let a man live his own life

(It's dying)
R & A tweeds who needs them
Open up the door

Somehow the Cup  must be ours I hope the time’s this year
Won't you please come to the Hazel show your face
From the Bethpage by the ocean to the Arizona’s Troon
Won't you please come to the Hazel no one else can root like you

We can beat Europe
Reclaim the Cup
USA’s dying
To get it back

(We’re dying)
If you believe in Zinger
(We’re dying)
If you believe in Tiger

(We’re dying)
Let a man live his own life

(It's dying)
R & A tweeds who needs them
Open up the door

AMDG  Copyright R.E. Kelly 2012-2016