What is more American than a small town carnival complete with corn dogs, lemonade, livestock and of course, a mid way full of neon lit adventure. Many years ago, WHEN DAYS WERE PSYCHEDELIC, The Heart Of Illinois Fair was THE PLACE to take your girlfriend and gain her affection throughout the day and night. There were stuffed animals to win, food to share and Ferris wheels to ride.
July in Central Illinois in the mid 1970's meant, the girls usually wore shorts, often times, cut off jeans, a skimpy halter and sometimes.... a pair of cowgirl boots, shiny necklaces and bracelets. For the guys, we wore cut off jeans, wife beater shirts, tube socks and converse tennis shoes. What a sight, but one that I remember fondly. We'd be dropped off at the Expo Garden gate late in the afternoon after a parent got off work.... a year later we'd be driving ourselves. Once we paid our admission with the few dollars we had earned that Summer, we'd step through the three armed attendance counter and enter our own little wonder world. The street was lined with rows of multi colored flags that would lead us to the first of many cross paths and exhibits. The pace of the walk would be slow as we would stop at every exhibit and take our time gazing at every trinket and nick knack. Most of all, we would flirt.
At the time, there was nothing sexier that holding hands with your girl and then occasionally finding the right moment to pull her closer into your orbit, a hand now on her bare waist with her hair brushing against your face! The slight scent of perfume mixed with light perspiration and strawberry shampoo never failed to excite me as a sweaty carney would lock us into our seat on the Ferris Wheel after the evening sun had disappeared below the midwest horizon. Now, we were completely alone. No one to tell us what to do or who we could see. For a moment, high above the city, we chose our own destiny.
We were sawdust lovers, a couple of carnival freaks, Eyes for each other and lips wet and ready for the ride of a lifetime. Young love. Carnival romance. The best of times.
It was with this memory that I began writing a song called Tilt A Whirl Girl. It's so simple that I thought it may be a nice song to sing for people of my generation and even to my grandson who had recently been born.
TILT A WHIRL GIRL
BY
DARREN PEACOCK
1. UP AND DOWN THE OLD CAROUSEL
THE CARNEY’S ARE CALLING TO ME
THREE DARTS AT A WHEEL….OH SUCH A DEAL
SOME BROKEN HEARTS NEVER HEAL
2. COTTON CANDY LOVE OH SO FINE
SWEETER THAN SUGAR IN TEA
IN A TILT A WHIRL….. I MET A GIRL
SHE LET ME RIDE IT FOR FREE
CHORUS
TILT A WHIRL GIRL….SHE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY
TILT A WHIRL…. SHES BEEN TWIRLING ALL DAY
WITH HER CROOKED SMILE THAT SHE HIDES FROM THE WORLD
AH TILT A WHIRL GIRL
3. TAKE A RIDE….STRAP YOURSELF TIGHT
NEON GLOWS BRIGHTER THAN MOONLIGHT
LATER ON…..FOOD ON A STICK
CIRCUS IS CLOSING UP SOON
CHORUS
TILT A WHIRL GIRL…..SHE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY
TILT A WHIRL GIRL …. SHE’S BEEN WHIRLING ALL DAY
WITH HER LAVENDER BOOTS AND HER CARNIVAL CURLS
AH TILT AS WHIRL GIRL
BRIDGE
WE COULD PRETEND THAT WE WERE IN LOVE
JUST FOR THE DAY
WE COULD GET HIGH ON THE FERRIS WHEEL
TAKE US AWAY…..TAKE US AWAY……TAKE US AWAY
TILT A WHIRL GIRL….SHE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY
TILT A WHIRL GIRL ….SHES BEEN CRYING ALL DAY
WITH HER CROOKED SMILE THAT SHE HIDES FROM THE WORLD
AH TILT A WHIRL GIRL
The carnival would continue to remain a magical place....
especially when my kids were young. There would be other wonderful memories with them but I still have a special place in my heart when when we were young and the Days Were Psychedelic.
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