Harper Valley PTA isn’t the Girl Next Door but Don’t Forget to Remember Me

It’s hard to believe that in two days Princess Nagger will be hopping on the big yellow bus back to school – I don’t know about you, but it seems this summer flew by rather quickly.  Though at times it seemed interminably long, simply by virtue of the excessive heat we’ve been inundated with all summer long.  Apologies to my family and friends in Seattle, seems we’ve taken all your summer warmth this year and compounded it onto ours in excess.

This week’s theme for Monday’s Music Moves me is songs about school, since school has either already started for some (crazy, I know) or soon to start (like Princess Nagger).  One of the first songs that popped into my head (thankfully [for you] it wasn’t Wheels on the Bus or something similar) was Harper Valley PTA.  Well, OK, it didn’t actually pop into my head, I did a search for ‘school songs’ and saw this on the list and remembered how fun it was.  I found a video that incorporated scenes from the movie that was made from it, starring Barbara Eden and thought it would be fun to share:

Harper Valley PTA Lyrics
Jeannie C. Riley

I want to tell you all a story
’bout a Harper Valley widowed wife
Who had a teenage daughter who attended
Harper Valley Junior High
Well her daughter came home one afternoon
and didn’t even stop to play
She said, “Mom, I got a note here
from the Harper Valley P.T.A.”

The note said, “Mrs. Johnson, you’re wearing
your dresses way too high
It’s reported you’ve been drinking and a-runnin’ ’round
with men and going wild
And we don’t believe you ought to be
bringing up your little girl this way”
It was signed by the secretary, Harper Valley P.T.A.

Well, it happened that the P.T.A.
was gonna meet that very afternoon
They were sure surprised when Mrs. Johnson
wore her mini-skirt into the room
And as she walked up to the blackboard,
I still recall the words she had to say
She said, “I’d like to address this meeting
of the Harper Valley P.T.A.”

Well, there’s Bobby Taylor sittin’ there and
seven times he’s asked me for a date
Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice
whenever he’s away
And Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary
had to leave this town?
And shouldn’t widow Jones be told to keep her window shades
all pulled completely down?

Well, Mr. Harper couldn’t be here ’cause
he stayed too long at Kelly’s Bar again
And if you smell Shirley Thompson’s breath,
you’ll find she’s had a little nip of gin
Then you have the nerve to tell me
you think that as a mother I’m not fit
Well, this is just a little Peyton Place and
you’re all Harper Valley hypocrites

No I wouldn’t put you on because it really did,
it happened just this way
The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A.
The day my Mama socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A.

Next up is another song that was on the list, by a band I love, Saving Jane with “Girl Next Door”:

Girl Next Door Lyrics
Saving Jane

Small town homecoming queen
She’s the star in this scene
There’s no way to deny she’s lovely
Perfect skin, perfect hair
Perfumed hearts everywhere
Tell myself that inside she’s ugly
Maybe I’m just jealous
I can’t help but hate her
Secretly I wonder if my boyfriend wants to date her

She is the prom queen I’m in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I’m sitting in the stands
She gets the top bunk I’m sleeping on the floor
She’s Miss America and I’m just the girl next door

Senior class president
She must be heaven sent
She was never the last one standing
A backseat debutant
Everything that you want
Never to harsh or too demanding
Maybe I’ll admit it
I’m a little bitter
Everybody loves her but I just wanna hit her

She is the prom queen I’m in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I’m sitting in the stands
She gets the top bunk I’m sleeping on the floor
She’s Miss America and I’m just the girl next door
Oh and I’m just the girl next door

I don’t know why I’m feeling sorry for myself
I spend all my time wishing that I was someone else

She is the prom queen I’m in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I’m sitting in the stands
I get a little bit, she gets a little more
She’s Miss America and… she’s Miss America
I’m just the girl next door…

And finally, a song (that will most likely become my theme song when Princess Nagger heads off to college in about 10 years) by one of my all-time favorite artists, Carrie Underwood “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”:

Don’t Forget to Remember Me Lyrics
Carrie Underwood

18 years had come and gone
For momma they flew by
But for me they drug on and on
We were loading up that Chevy
Both tryin’ not to cry
Momma kept on talking
Putting off good-bye
Then she took my hand and said
“Baby don’t forget:

Before you hit the highway
You better stop for gas
And there’s a 50 in the ashtray
In case you run short on cash
Here’s a map and here’s a Bible
If you ever lose your way

Just one more thing before you leave
Don’t forget to remember me”

This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home
and those bills there on the counter
Keep telling me I’m on my own
And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it’s not, I tell her everything’s all right
Before we hung up I said
“Hey momma, don’t forget:

to tell my baby sister I’ll see her in the fall
And tell me-maw that I miss her
Yeah, I should give her a call
And make sure you tell Daddy that I’m still his little girl
Yeah I still feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be
Don’t forget to remember me”

Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven’t done this in a while
So I don’t know what to say but
Lord, I feel so small sometimes in this big ol’ place
Yeah, I know there’s more important things, but
Don’t forget to remember me

Don’t forget to remember me

Enjoy your Monday!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and her cohorts in crime, Lorie of The Shewbridges of Celebration, Florida,, Larry from Cakeblast, and Callie from JAmericanSpice for Monday’s Music Moves Me – want to join in the fun? It’s easy peasy! Just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!

CONGRATS! APPLAUSE – APPLAUSE

The awesome Run DMT also hosts Music Monday:

I’m also linking up for what was the Sunday Song Hop and now is Pinning and Singing on the Weekend over at 5 Minutes Just For Me: I’m going to have to get busy pinning, but at least it’s to share music, too: