La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
SAN GERALDO VISITED THE SOVIET Union in January 1969 as an undergraduate. On the way back, they spent some time in Paris. Cindy, his dear old friend from those days, has been digging up her photos of their adventure and sending them to SG.
I think San Geraldo should grow his hair like that again. I’m kidding, SG, I’m kidding! Right now, I’m grateful he gets it cut at all. And let’s not talk about shaving. He had a Facetime call scheduled yesterday with his cousin. She had to cancel at the last minute. He had already showered, shaved, and put on decent clothes. I told him I was going to write and tell her to schedule (and cancel) twice a week.
Anyway, seeing South Dakota boy San Geraldo in front of the Eiffel Tower immediately brought today’s song, about American soldiers after World War I, to mind. And, no, I don’t actually remember it from World War I!
.
SAN GERALDO VISITÓ LA UNIÓN Soviética en enero de 1969 con un grupo de estudiantes cuando él fue a universidad. De regreso, pasaron un tiempo en París. Cindy, su querida amiga de aquellos días, ha estado desenterrando las fotos de su aventura y enviándolas a SG.
Creo que San Geraldo debería dejarse crecer el pelo así de nuevo. ¡Estoy bromeando, SG, estoy bromeando! En este momento, estoy agradecido de que se lo corten. Y no hablemos de afeitarse. Tenía una llamada de Facetime programada para ayer con su prima. Tuvo que cancelar en el último minuto. Ya se había duchado, afeitado y puesto ropa decente. Le dije que iba a escribirle y decirle que programara (y cancelara) dos veces por semana.
De todos modos, ver al chico de Dakota del Sur San Geraldo frente a la Torre Eiffel me recordó inmediatamente la canción de hoy, sobre los soldados estadounidenses después de la Primera Guerra Mundial. ¡Y no, en realidad no lo recuerdo de la Primera Guerra Mundial!

.
Las Letras
Reuben, Reuben, he estado pensando
Dijo su esposa querida
Ahora que todo esta en paz y calma
Los chicos pronto estarán de vuelta en la granja.
El señor Reuben comenzó a guiñar un ojo y se frotó lentamente la barbilla.
Acercó su silla a la madre
Y le preguntó con una sonrisa
¿Cómo vas a mantenerlos abajo en la granja
Después de que hayan visto a París?
¿Cómo vas a mantenerlos lejos de Broadway?
Jazzin’ alrededor y pintando la ciudad
¿Cómo vas a mantenerlos alejados del daño?
Eso es un misterio
Ellos nunca querrán ver un rastrillo o un arado
¿Y quién diablos puede parleyvous [hablar] a una vaca?
¿Cómo los vas a mantener abajo en la granja
Después de que hayan visto a París?
Rueben, Rueben, estás equivocado
Dijo su esposa querida
Una vez un granjero, siempre un arrendajo
Y los agricultores siempre se apegan al heno
Madre Rubén, no estoy fingiendo
Aunque te parezca extraño
Con un chico que anda suelto con cambio
¿Cómo los vas a mantener abajo en la granja
Después de que hayan visto a París?
¿Cómo vas a mantenerlos lejos de Broadway?
Jazzin’ alrededor y pintando la ciudad
¿Cómo vas a mantenerlos alejados del daño?
Eso es un misterio
Imagina a Reuben cuando conoce a su papá
Le dará un beso en la mejilla y gritará
“¡OO-LA-LA!”
¿Cómo los vas a mantener abajo en la granja
Después de haber visto a París?
Hair, I thought that was a hat. Travel changes a person, more people, should do more of it.
David:
I had to look again just to be sure. Yep, it’s his hair. As you know, I agree with you about travel. Imagine how that trip changed SG’s life.
He looks like a hipster!!
Bob:
Aren’t hipsters just neo-hippies?
Oh youth! Great photo of SG! Hair to spare too!
Jim:
Unlike me, he STILL has hair to spair. He could probably do that same style now… in a slightly different color.
I second david; I had to return to the pix and take a closer look. I like the way SG looks now.
anne marie:
I agree! He had (and has) enough hair for a hat.
I third David! I thought he had bought one of those Russian doohickies as a sou…su..souv….., keepsake 🙂 You both have seasoned so well.
Deedles:
He DID buy one of those Russian doohickies as a sou…su..souv….., keepsake. He just didn’t wear it in Paris because it wasn’t quite cold enough. He, and later I, wore the Russian doohicky into the late ’90s when it finally moulted. Yeah, we’re well-seasoned alright!
SG looks cold – and cool! – in the photo!
Wilma:
Apparently it was raw in Paris, but nothing like what he had experienced in Russia.
One thing is for sure…no one kept SG down on the farm after he saw gay Paree…considering all the places he/you have been since those days. As for SG’s hair, well, in 1969 my hair was waist length and light brown. Short and silver now. Some things are best left in the past.
Mary:
Gay Paree wasn’t that kind of gay for SG at the time, but I would say that trip changed his life. SG and I both ended up with hair to our shoulders, maybe longer. His grew mostly east and west though.
That hair is pretty wild! In the early ’70s, one of my sisters spent a year in Moscow working as an au pair for a U.S. diplomat. She appreciated the experience, but she was happy to return to the U.S.
Love,
Janie
Janie:
What an amazing experience that must have been for your sister. A rare opportunity back then. And, yes, I can imagine she would have been very happy to leave. SG loved it, but oh the stories he tells from his time there (which was nowhere near a year).
Feb 1969 I was on a university trip for 2 weeks visiting and exploring Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. Gees, tell SG we missed each other by “a whole lot of hairs” ~ hey big bushy hair is my world too ~ I just found a picture of my GF Arthur who was blessed with hair too, DNA yeah!
Ron:
1969 I was 15 worked at a camp for learning/developmentally disabled kids. I was in your same three countries 5 years later! And I had a major head of bushy hair. I must have left it there.
ahhhh! I’ve always heard of that song, and that phrase from it, but never had heard a recording of it!
I love this photo of SG and the Eiffel Tower.
Judy C:
SG had the same reaction to the song. I remember first hearing it on an episode of the Little Rascals. I couldn’t find THAT version!