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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

ABC Wednesday/Thursday Theme Song: Lemon

Lemon Tree very pretty

And the flower very sweet.



But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.


http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/
ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt



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This Lemon Tree is a song of my youth. We didn't have a radio at that time. Television hasn't arrived in Sibu, Borneo yet. My neighbour had a radio, and they blared their songs so loudly, even though we lived in quarter acre houses, we could hear the transmission, though not very clearly. So I could only hear the chorus. In fact, all the kids on the street were sing," Lemon tree, very pretty." I sang it enough to remember it today.

We didn't understand why the crazy singer was singing the lemon tree was very pretty and the fruit was impossible to eat. We didn't have lemon trees but we had lime trees, and they had thorns. Why would someone sing that a thorny tree be pretty. I now have a lemon tree in my garden, and I have become a greenie, and the tree is indeed very pretty.

The other part about the fruit is impossible to eat baffled us. Mum didn't buy a lot of tidbits, so we made our own. We ate our thinly sliced lime in a dip made of soya sauce, salt, sugar and chilli sauce. It was delicious. We ate them rind, peel and all.

Now my siblings and I are grown, our teeth can't handle eating the lime. When my sisters visit me, I asked them if they wanted to eat the lemon like the way we did when we were young, they all shake their heads.

Addition from my youngest sister Grcae:
Ann, can you add thinly sliced.. cos I think people reading it thinks that we buy the lemon like we bite plum or peach. One day at the Thai restaurant, I asked for some sugar and the waitress gave me a packet sugar meant for tea and coffee. So I told Chris and Jessie how my sisters ate lemons. After that, Christopher didn't eat any food, he kept on dipping the lemon quarter into the sugar and fish sauce.

the next time we went there, Chris asked for sugar again but I forbid him to eat the lemon because after sucking on the sugar, he wouldn't eat anything else.

love Grace

Peter, Paul & Mary Lemon Tree Lyrics
When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me,
"Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree."
"Don't put your faith in love, my boy", my father said to me,
"I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree."

Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.

One day beneath the lemon tree, my love and I did lie
A girl so sweet that when she smiled the stars rose in the sky.
We passed that summer lost in love beneath the lemon tree
The music of her laughter hid my father's words from me:

Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.

One day she left without a word. She took away the sun.
And in the dark she left behind, I knew what she had done.
She'd left me for another, it's a common tale but true.
A sadder man but wiser now I sing these words to you:

Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.

LEMON TREE by The Brothers Four

30 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Ann, I have heard that song ---but it was years and years ago, and I had forgotten it...

So--if the tree is pretty and the blooms are nice and smell good--- who cares if the lemons cannot be eaten....

I do love lemons and limes though ---so I'm glad that there are lemon trees where the lemons can be eaten.

Hugs,
Betsy

Kay L. Davies said...

I remember Peter, Paul and Mary; and the Brothers Four; and the Lemon Tree song, very well. I was in high school and then college, when "Folk Songs" were so popular in North America.
I can't eat lemons but I like lemonade. And I love to squeeze lemon on fish'n'chips. I also like to squeeze limes on some foods, but I can't eat lemons or limes plain.
However, my youngest brother was raised in Mexico where he and his friends ate lemons as if they were oranges. So who knows.
Beautiful pictures, Ann, and a good choice for ABC Wednesday and Thursday Theme Song. I have my song all picked out for TTS, but am not quite ready to post it.
-- Kay, Alberta

Rose said...

hi! thanks for your comment on my blog. when we all look back we think did i do that. shaking hands with a poor dirty person is something you bypass and shake hands if the person weren't that way.like your photos. i love lemons but i find it difficult for me to eat. take care. rose

Jingle said...

love the lemons on the tree.
beautiful L post.

rainfield61 said...

I remember the song I heard the most during I was small and still in my mind. We did not have radio too. So it was from my neighbour:

"Can't buy me love."

No no no, I did not understand what is English at that moment.

It was the Cantonese version: Hung Fai Di lah..

Gigi Ann said...

I remember that song, and now I will have it in my head the rest of the evening, however it is a lovely song.

Wanda said...

This was so good to hear your personal story of the song.

I've heard it many time, but love the story of your childhood and the lemon tree.


Have a great day... I have a Lemon tree in my L post today too.

Roger Owen Green said...

My wife & I are seeing Peter & Paul (alas, w/out Mary) in November.

There was a commercial for furniture polish using that tune; it was, of course, for Lemon Pledge, about 1:50 in.

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Verna Luga said...

Oh.. this is awesome Ann, my first time to hear that song.. great!

ABC Wednesday Here

Tumblewords: said...

I do remember that song! Wonderful memories - enjoyed reading your post! It's great...

George said...

This song really takes mr back many years, but I remember it very well. Thanks for the pictures that accompany the lyrics.

Sylvia K said...

Great post for the L Day, Ann! Surely did bring back lots of memories! Great song and I hadn't heard it in a long time either! Hope your week is going well!

Sylvia

Jama said...

I remembered that song well! but I've never eaten lemon like you did, never even seen a lemon tree as a child!

Rajesh said...

Wonderful choice and beautiful flowers.

Coffeeveggie addict. said...

lovely p0st and s0ng!never heard it bef0re! the stronger and the flexible

Maria Berg said...

R.E.M is also a group that made a song called lemon tree!
MB

Cezar and Léia said...

Bonjour dear Ann
The lemon flower is so delicate, I didn't know it, it's gorgeous!
And the Lemon song is beautiful, the video clip has lovely images as well!Thanks for sharing!
hugs
Léia

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

Thanks for kind comments, I am not so sure about flower species. But indeed it is a peace lily or 和平百合. If I am not mistaken it should be under the scientific name of "(Spathiphyllum species)."
Wong
You have a beautiful blog and may I ask permission to follow your blog?

magiceye said...

loved the lemon tree take on the theme! made me nostalgic

Singapore plants lover said...

I love your photo of lemon tree, never seen the flowers before...By the way, a potted lemon tree was sold in the market here about S$35, I just wondering how lone it can last here in Singapore.

Carver said...

I remember that song well. Great take on the letter L. Good shots of the lemon tree and I enjoyed your stories.

Ah Ngao said...

recently got a bad experience with lemon - i squeezed too much lemon into my tea and got gastric

Ginny Hartzler said...

Yes, I remember this song very well! Oh, you are so lucky to have a pretty lemon tree in your ysrd. How often do the lemons come and how long do they stay on the tree? Are you always thinking of recipes to use them in meals?

Annelie said...

I love this Lemon Tree song....
And why can´t you eat them? To sour?

Martha said...

Don't know that I've ever seen a lemon tree, but we have loads of apple trees, cherry trees, and peach trees nearby.

Mike B. said...

My son would disagree that the fruit can't be eaten- hopefully he'll grow out of it!

Cheryl said...

I love that 4th photo with the lens zoomed in on the lemon in the background.

aurbie said...

That was my grandmother's favorite song. We don't have lemon tress in our town but we have crabs! Too bad they don't grow on tress. It would easier to harvest them.

Hope you have been well. Been missing my blogging time. By the time I post all my photos I am worn out.

Anonymous said...

OMG I hadn't heard that song in like forever. It's wonderful. And your photos are the bomb!!! They are fantastic. :) And just a little FYI the picture on mine, the first one, the baby is a girl. LOL No big deal, who can tell when they are that age LOL :)

Hootin Anni said...

Ann!!!! I do so love this song, I used to sing along with it all the time when I was much younger. You brought back some of my youth! And such lovely photos you've captured. What a wonderful choice this week.