Jackie and Roy's Lyrics to Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

[wflicker]

Decades ago, I heard a version of this, and I believe it was by Jackie and Roy, which included "Doctors once prescribed a diet, sulphur and molasses was the dose....".
Yet, all the Jackie and Roy versions of this that I can find
don't seem to include this verse.

Does anyone know if Jackie and Roy recorded this song that included this verse? Thanks very much.

[Ron Thorne]

These are the "original" lyrics as far as I know.

I can't answer what I perceive to be your question, though I'd find it strange that Jackie and Roy would not use the full lyrics written by a lifelong friend. They were very close friends of both Tommy Wolf and Fran Landesman, and were among (if not) the first to record this great song.

Another link on the relationship(s) with Jackie and Roy.

Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

(Tommy Wolf/Fran Landesman)


Once I was a sentimental thing
Throw my heart away each Spring
Now a Spring romance
Hasn't got a chance
Promised my first dance to Winter
All I've got to show's a splinter
For my little fling

Spring, this year has got me feeling like a horse
That never left the post
I lay in my room
Starring up at the ceiling
Spring can really hang you up the most

Morning kiss wakes trees and flower
And to them my life
To drink a toast I walk in the park
Just to kill those lonely hours
Spring can really hang you up the most

All afternoon
Those birds tweet-a-tweet I know their tune
This is love this is it
Heard it before
And I know the score
And I decide that love is a bore
Love seem sure around the new year
Now it's April

Love is just a ghost
Spring arrived on time
But what became of you, dear
Spring can really hang you up the most
Spring can really hang you up the most

Spring is here
There's no mistaken
Robins build their nest from coast to coast
My heart tries the same
So they won't hear it breaking
Spring can really hang you up the most

College boys are riding somewhere
... tender passion there it grows
But I'm on the shelf with last years easter bonnet
Spring can really hang you up the most

Love came my way
I'm holding the last
We had our day
Now that's all in the past
Spring came along
A season of song
For love's sweet promise
But something went wrong
Doctor's once prescribed a tonic
Sulfur and molasses was the dose
Didn't help me a bit
My condition must be chronic
Spring can really hang you up the most

All alone, the party's over
Winter was a gracious host
But when you keep praying
For snow to hide the clover
Spring can really hang you up the most

[clinthopson]

Didn't June Christy make a really fine record of this wonderful song?

[clinthopson]

And Irene Kral, my favorite underknown singer.

[Mike Schwartz]

Carmen did a stellar version as well...I have in in a stack at home somewhere.

[clinthopson]

Bob Dorough gave it his very personal touch.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Ella does a great version, too.

Irene is Roy's younger sister.

[Chaz Longue]

The Mark Murphy version on RAH is the one that hooked me on this wonderful song.

Somewhere I have Fran's book containing the lyrics...

David

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

And, as had been mentioned before, the title is a riff on the TS Eliot's opening line of The Wasteland, "April is the cruelest month."

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by Chaz Longue

The Mark Murphy version on RAH is the one that hooked me on this wonderful song.

Sadly, Mark Murphy's version wouldn't hook me on anything... but long ago a friend gave me five songs I needed to know if I wanted to "sing Jazz" and this was one of them.

It is quite the most difficult song I''ve ever worked on! difficult to sing in the best circumstances, but well worth mastering....

[ScottyWright]

Thank you Ron, for posting the lyrics. There are few corrections that should made, though:


Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

(Tommy Wolf/Fran Landesman)


Once I was a sentimental thing
Throw (threw) my heart away each Spring
Now a Spring romance
Hasn't got a chance
Promised my first dance to Winter
All I've got to show's a splinter
For my little fling

Spring, this year has got me feeling like a horse
That (that's) never left the post
I lay (lie) in my room
Starring (staring- typo) up at the ceiling
Spring can really hang you up the most

Morning (morning's) kiss wakes trees and flowers
And to them my life (I'd like)
To drink a toast
I walk in the park
Just to kill those lonely hours
Spring can really hang you up the most

All afternoon
Those birds tweet-a-tweet (twitter-twit)
I know their tune
This is love this is it
Heard it before
And I know the score
And I decide (I've decided) that love is a bore
Love seem (seemed) sure around the new year
Now it's April

Love is just a ghost
Spring arrived on time
But what became of you, dear
Spring can really hang you up the most
Spring can really hang you up the most

Spring is here
There's no mistaken (mistaking)
Robins build their nest (nests) from coast to coast
My heart tries the same (to sing)
So they won't hear it breaking
Spring can really hang you up the most

College boys are riding somewhere (writing sonnets)
... tender passion there it grows (in 'The Tender Passion' they're engrossed)
But I'm on the shelf with last years easter bonnet (last year's Easter bonnets)
Spring can really hang you up the most

Love came my way
I'm holding the last (I hoped it would last)
We had our day
Now that's all in the past
Spring came along
A season of song
For love's (full of) sweet promise
But something went wrong
Doctor's (doctors) once prescribed a tonic
Sulfur and molasses was the dose
Didn't help me a bit (it didn't help a bit)
My condition must be chronic
Spring can really hang you up the most

All alone, the party's over
(Old Man) Winter was a gracious host
But when you keep praying
For snow to hide the clover
Spring can really hang you up the most


For a singer, being aware of verb tense and syntax is vital to phrasing and interpretation. Also, the melody has a certain cadence, and the lyric fits into that pattern. We singers do tend to take liberties, but liberties are taken from something, and that something is the written song. After all, paraphrasing and not knowing the words (or melody) are not the same things...

Also, Hornplayer, you mentioned there were 5 songs suggested to you: what were the other four?

SW