Saturday Memory
November 8, 2025

I woke up thinking about a song. It was not a dream but an intense recall. The song was “Harper Valley PTA.” I remembered that Jeannie Riley sang it and that she was the first woman to top the pop and country charts with the same song. I also recalled that it had become something of a feminist anthem and was written by one of my favorite songwriters, Tom T. Hall. I first heard the song 57 years ago, but I have not heard it for several decades. I was 30 when I heard it and was about to begin training as a Jungian analyst. The theme of the song is a strong single woman standing up to a small town’s patriarchal hypocrisy. But why am I being reminded of this now as I near my 87th birthday? Sometimes, listening to a song that comes strongly out of the blue like this brings up a new feeling or a realization of some kind that applies to the “now.” When I listened to Jeannie sing “Harper Valley PTA,” I felt a strong urge to turn my poems into songs. How can I do this now becomes a task. I’ll post again when something comes of this. Take a listen:

(24) Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. with Lyrics – YouTube

Russ