At first, we though of using the title "Paradise Lost" but then realized it had been used before and, anyway, it will never really be lost as long as anyone can still remember how it was.
Then we almost opted for the song, "Those Were the Days My Friends" that goes like this:
Those were the days, my friends
We thought it'd never end
We'd sing and dance for ever and a day.
We'd live the life we chose
We'd fight and never lose,
Those were the days, oh,
Yes, those were the days.
But we settled on the theme song Bob Hope used all his life, "Thanks for the Memory."
Those of you who don't know the melody, go to the Bob Hope website (www.byjoy.com/BobHope.html). Those of you who do remember, you'll have no trouble, those who don't, our condolances.
The music, written by Ralph Rainger with lyrics by Leo Robin, was introduced on the "Big Broadcast of 1938" by Shep Fields and his Orchestra.
There are too many memories and too many friends to include all of them, or even a representative number of them, in the parody below, partly because it is tough to rhyme some names.
(What rhymes with Claire, Seidler, Rawich, Jareck, Fernandez, Verrell, Yniguez, Jarrin? -- as you can see, the list goes on and on )
So although Vero Beach feels like a spurned lover, the warm feelings most of us have toward the city and it's kind residents and particularly the tradition-steeped Dodgertown, will always remain in our hearts.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY
Of Campy, Reese and Jack,
Combining white and black
They changed the way a Nation thought
And never would go back
How lucky we were
Thanks for the memory
Of Walter O and Kay
Who really led the way
We all felt, as Peter did,
It Never Would go way
How happy it was
Now that we're leaving I wake up
Alone on a gray morning-after
I long for the sound of the laughter
And then I see, the laugh's on me
Thanks for the memory
Of Sandy and Sweet Lou
Cey and Garvey, too
The helped turn this pretty beach
A Dodger Shade of Blue
How happy that was
Thanks for the memory
Of Fernando and his eyes
Looking at the skies
He used a tricky screwball
To cut batters down to size
How clever he was
Gone are those evenings at Lenny's
Good times, it seemed were galore,
But Walt got sore,
Knocked down the door
Thanks for the memory
Gibson and his cap
Tommy and his nap
Orel was near-perfect
and put kindness on the map
We'll never forget
Thanks for the memory
Ross and Vinny at the mike.
Manny on his bike.
Of young replacement players
We said, "What's there not to like?"
They hustled so hard
Thanks for the memories
Of Mouse and Tony J,
Diamond's quiet way
They helped us out so many ways
We'd really like to say,
We thank you so much.
Thanks for the Memory
Sunrise on the beach,
Bobby's was a peach
But Captain Hiram's manatee
Seemed always out of reach
But we didn't care
Many the times that we feasted
Many the times that we fasted
But boy, it was fun while it lasted
But fun is fun, and now we're done
We had our bed of roses
But forgot that roses die --
And we thank you so much.