Monday, April 9, 2012

A Lesson from Bambi

When I was in the first grade, I was selected to play Bambi's mother in the school play in Germany.  Man, I loved that costume. It had a deer hat that I wanted to wear all. the. time. I'm pretty sure that I wore the costume as pajamas until I couldn't fit into them anymore. But I digress...

There were lots of songs (I even had a solo), but the one I remember was the song that the rabbits sang to Thumper. It went something like this, "If you can't say something nice...SHHH!!! Say nothing!"  That song was playing through my mind today - not because I wanted to say anything that wasn't nice.  I was seeing some pretty negative stuff on a communication line with folks who work on remote sites. It wasn't to me or about me or about anyone in my work site, but it was just so negative and so petty I couldn't stand it anymore and I turned the source of the communication off.  It was unsettling and I haven't been able to shake it off today.

So, for the happier part of this post, which I did not plan or think of until I mentioned the solo I sang as Bambi's mother (in the cleaned-up, first grade version, my character did not die, by the way).  It was a pretty little song.

"I'll call him Bambi, my little fawn.
He'll chase the sunbeams sparkling at dawn.
I'll call him Bambi, and when he's grown
Brave, tall and proud he'll stand,
Prince of the forest land.
Just like his father, little Bambi will be."

Hmmm. I haven't thought about that in a long time. I'll have to see if there are any pictures.  I think I remember seeing one once...

6 comments:

  1. Hi Jean, I too was in a play about Bambi, many years ago. Let's see I'm 46, and that was in the 1st grade as well, so that was, nevermind, hehe. Seeing it was soooo long ago, I am amazed that I can remember this song. And there was another one, dip drip drop lil April showers....I loved your blog, it confirmed that the song I have played over and over in my head, was in fact, the right song. And for the right play, hehe. Take Care, Charlene-Narrator (I was the only one who could memorize all those words, hehe)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Charlene-

      I LOVE IT!! I loved that April showers song, too!! I hear it in my head sometimes, since I live in Oregon...it rains A LOT.

      I hope you will come back to visit again. I've been away from the blog a bit, but I am trying to work my way back. Thanks for coming by!

      Happy Thanksgiving!

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  2. I was also in that play in first grade at St. Albert the Great school in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. I played a chipmunk. That was 1965, but I remember the "I'll Call Him Bambi" song like it was yesterday

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  3. I was Bambi's mother toooo! 1971, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Still remember that song. :-)

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  4. I was in Bambi when I was younger and played the role of Bambis mother too, its when everyone at my school finally noticed I had a voice and I never forgot that day or what is was like to be on the stage singing infront of maybe just 40-60 people, but it feeling like thousands... Ive been looking for this song for awile but couldnt find it until now and im extremely happy I have.

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  5. Another Bambi mother here. Also played the role in first grade... which for me was 1976 in Biloxi, Mississippi at Jeff Davis Elementary.

    Loved the song—and was sad to discover that almost none of the songs I remember are in the Disney movie (which I watched for the first time today). I knew the plot was different, having been spoiled on the movie many years ago.

    Does anyone know who wrote the “I’ll Call Him Bambi” song? Or where one might get the sheet music for it?

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