United States Postal Service Full Service Approved
Every time I hear this song, by Paul Revere and the Raiders, I wonder what it would be like if played at a higher speed? But when you look back at what was going on with the U.S. Postal Service when this song was written (1967), you realize that the bogged down, sluggish almost plodding tempo makes sense.
Mail volume was up but the U.S.P.S. did not have the infrastructure to handle it. Postage rates were going to go up for all classes of mail except for Second Class and what was then called “Bulk Mail”, now called “Standard Presort Mail”.
What's most striking is not just the similarities in the struggles faced by the U.S.P.S. then and now but the fact that they are caused by many of the same things and one completely opposite thing. I would love to have your input. Bonus points if you can name the Postmaster General in 1967.
About midway down Mark Lindsay's site he's posted the lyrics to “Rain, Sleet, Snow“. I'll end this post with the quote at the end of those lyrics:
As we fade, the postal authorities struggle on,
Valiantly singing their battle song – To the tune of increasing rates.
By Mark Lindsay and Terry Melcher
©1967 Daywin Music ~ All rights reserved.
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Yup, “you can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant.” This is a long one so you might want to listen while you eat lunch or bookmark it for later. This is an update of a classic, by Arlo Guthrie, and one of my favorites. It's also one of the few songs about Thanksgiving Day that mentions mail in any way, so you may be seeing it here again next year. That is unless you can give me some suggestions. Either way, I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving Day.
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This song, “Letters From Home” by John Michael Montgomery, really speaks to the importance of letters in a soldier's life. The chorus really says it all;
I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,
Pick up my gun an' get back to work.
An' it keeps me driving me on,
Waiting on letters from home.
To this day I imagine there are lots of soldiers carrying a letter in a pocket in an effort to stay connected to those they are missing and that are missing them. I think that email is important to them too, but there is something about receiving a letter written in the hand of one you love. Being able to touch the same thing they touched. Maybe even getting a whiff of their cologne or a photo that you can keep next your heart on hard, lonely days.
If you have a story about how a letter from home impacted your life, we'd love for you to share it in the comments below.