"Blinded By the Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

What does this song mean anyway?

Well, it doesn't matter. "Blinded by the Light" was popular when I was about 10 years old (1977?). I loved singing it...I bought the 45 at the TG&Y store that was through the woods by our house. I used to squirrel away whatever money I had and save up to buy various things - jewelry, candy, records, beach chotchkies (is that the right spelling???). So, I bought my 45 of this song and took it home. I gathered my girlfriends and we made up dances to it. This one and songs by The Sylvers - "Boogie Fever" and "Hot Line". We choreographed and rehearsed and forced my poor parents and sister to watch us dance. I don't really have much rhythm, so I'm not sure what I thought I was doing, but it gave me such joy to dance around. And SING!!

I LOVED to SING!! I learned songs from the time I was really little and I made up songs all the time. I made up songs to the music books my mother had for her accordion and later her organ. I made up songs to the pictures in the Atlas we had. I made up songs for my dolls. And I was fascinated by all the variety shows on TV - Glenn Campbell, John Denver, Mac Davis, Sonny and Cher... I remember singing, "Brand New Rollerskates" when I was pretty young. And learning my sister's camp songs.

I don't sing much anymore...only in the car when I'm not listening to Air America (I love Thom Hartmann). I used to sing with Roby in the car all the time. Sometimes, we would find a song we were in love with and put it on repeat for days... He was a tenor and I have a pretty low voice for a woman. He would sing the female roles in Chess, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera and I would sing the male roles... We could sing "Embassy Lament" acapella. He never told me I couldn't sing. We loved singing together. One time (a silly but cherished memory), we were in his apartment down by PSU - making his four-post bed, singing to Alison Moyet..."Is This Love?". He said to me, "You sound just like her when you sing this song..." I'm sure he never knew how special that made me feel. I was embarrassed but so pleased. It made me want to sing Alison Moyet all the time. What I wouldn't give to sing one more song with him in my car.