From humble Brooklyn Roads you came
A Solitary Man
to bring your music to our ears
Your wish, your hope, your plan
Through Tin Pan Alley’s sweat & toil
to LA’s Golden stage
your talent grew, your music flowed
and Diamond came of age
you gave “The Monkees” their first big hit
made “Believers” of us all
with Cherry Cherry, You Got to me
we’ll come running, proud and tall
You got the feelin’, oh no no
your boat you surely rowed,
by now we cried out “Do It ” Neil
and how our pleasure showed
Someday Baby, You’ll Forget,
Girl, you’ll be a woman soon,
we thanked the Lord for the nighttime, yes!
and for every newborn tune
Through Memphis Streets, down Glory Road, The time is now, you said,
And if we walked a Crooked Street
the wine was still Red Red
With Brother Love, Sweet Caroline,
Soolaimon and Rosie too,
To “I am I Said” the best of all,
and the fun of Song Sung Blue
lay me, you sing, while ladies scream,
Walk on Water, Neil, we pray
Dear Father, will you Be, with us,
Help your Skybirds find our way
A Serenade, the Gift of song
a poet in your prime
You’ve been this way in days before
please pass here one more time
You bring us flowers very show
with your American Popular song
Remember me, in my Blue Jeans
as I dance and sing along
You stay awhile with September morn,
we were Dancing in the street
for the Good Lord loves you, you’re that kind
and we worship at your feet
Hello Again, you greet us all
as Jess, the Movie Star
to America you bade us come
and we travelled wide and far
The Rainy Day songs came, and yet,
our Heartlights shine with pride
for we’re Alive, and ready set,
to cross the moon we ride
These are the Best Years of our lives
with Mountains of Love, its true
if there were no dreams where would we be
we’re all hooked on the memory of you
And now underneath that Tennessee Moon
we’ll just reminisce for a while
ther’s really no limit to what can you can do
win the world, sure, you’ll do it in style
We thank you Neil, for 30 years
you’ve made our dreams come true
with your Beautiful Noise, If you know what I mean,
All we really need is you
This poem was incomplete for several years, but the wonderful Tennessee Moon tour inspired me to finish it. The concept is not new and I am no Shakespeare, so all you “serious” poets out there have nothing to fear from my simple offering
Ian Graham 1996