Joy to the World

As sung by Three Dog Night

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
He was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine.

Chorus
Singin' joy to the world, now
All the boys and girls, now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me.

Everybody sing it: Joy to the world, now
All the boys and girls, now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me.

If I were the King of the world
Tell you what I'd do
Throw away the cars and the bars and the wars
And make sweet love to you
Just make sweet love to you.

Chorus

You know I love the ladies
Love to have their fun
I'm a high night flier and a rainbow rider
A straight-shootin' son of a gun.
Yeah, I'm a straight shootin' son of a gun.

Chorus

Everybody sing it: Joy to the world, now
All the boys and girls, now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me.

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me.

Ah, yeah. It'll be all right...


I've got a few thoughts this morning. Most of them relate to this song and another one by the same title.

When I was a little girl, my family attended the First United Methodist Church in Manchester, Georgia. I was an extremely shy little girl and my mother wanted me to get over some of that. So she was constantly forcing me to be the joiner. I endured a few years of Girl Scouts and I was in the church choir. I love to sing but I am not a singer by any stretch of the imagination. When I was a little girl my brother and I would mess around with our father's tape recorder. We would record our silly antics. Barry could make the sounds of all the animals and some electronic devices. I sang. For a long time we had my butchered version of the Christmas song, "Joy to the World".

I have another memory of the song. This time it is a memory about the song by Three Dog Night. I grew up in a trailer park. There were very few girls to play with. So, I spent most of my time playing with the boys next door- Joel and Steve Armstrong. Steve was my childhood sweetheart. He was covered in warts but he was my Prince Charming. My brother will tell stories about Steve and I sneeking off to kiss. His brother, Joel, was a perverted soul and was generally a bully. But at one time we were an imaginary rock band. We used to pretend that we were performing for an audience and "Joy to the World" was our song. "Locomotion", "Delta Dawn", and the Osmond's "Yo-yo" were also in our porfolio.

When "28 Days" came out with Sandra Bullock, I was able to reminisce about those days. Today I find myself thinking about it because of some defunked friendship. I guess I get that as Jeremiah being called a friend.

I learned that I had friends I wasn't aware of, today. Before mass began, the deacon pulled me into his office and handed me money. He fussed at me a little bit and told me to go get the right front tire fixed as it was showing metal. He was the one who came to my rescue two weeks ago when I had a flat. We talked about the obstacles I had endured the previous week while in the RCIA class. He knew of my financial situation. I was not expecting help. I would not have asked for it. I think he knew that. I have no idea if the money came out of his own pocket or the parish treasury. I'm eternally grateful and humbled. I was in tears as I set through mass. Although I did not find a tire place open within my price range I will be getting that tire fixed on Monday after school.

The love continued. Mom called me while I was volunteering at the library. She invited me to eat out with her and my brother- her treat. Good thing. I had not had much to eat today. I wasn't hungry until about the time for me to go and pick them up.

I feel blessed and loved today.