The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.
Thursday May 7, 2015
Today's Quote/Picture/Video reveals the thrills and romance of the old time lamplighter.
Of course Dickens wrote about lamplighters
If any of our readers have had the good fortune to behold a lamplighter's funeral, they will not be surprised to learn that lamplighters are a strange and primitive people; that they rigidly adhere to old ceremonies and customs which have been handed down among them from father to son since the first public lamp was lighted out of doors.
- Charles Dickens
My past life
It's dusk. The sun disappears and the moon dimly lights the marble streets of any 19th century town. The candles (or some other consumable liquid or solid lit by a wick) of street lamps wait to break through the darkness. The lamplighter, in his modest clothing highlighted by a sweet top hat, proudly enters the scene, ready to light up the night.
I've always felt an affinity for lamplighters. Their job was simple but important. They illuminated a pre-electricity world, one lamp at a time. Shop keepers and families waited eagerly for the light to guide their way. In some communities they were also the night watchmen.
The Old Lamplighter - Bing Crosby
A fitting tribute.
I've always felt an affinity for lamplighters. Their job was simple but important. They illuminated a pre-electricity world, one lamp at a time. Shop keepers and families waited eagerly for the light to guide their way. In some communities they were also the night watchmen.
The Old Lamplighter - Bing Crosby
A fitting tribute.
He made the night a little brighter wherever he would go
The old lamplighter of long long ago
His snowy hair was so much whiter beneath the candle glow
The old lamplighter of long long ago
You'd hear the patter of his feet as he came toddling down the street
His smile would hide a lonely heart you see
If there were sweethearts in the park he'd pass a lamp and leave it dark
Remembering the days that used to be
For he recalls when dreams were new he loves someone who loves him too
Who walks with him alone in memory
He made the night a little brighter wherever he would go
The old lamplighter of long long ago
Now if you look up at the sky you'll understand the reason why
The little stars at night are all aglow
He turns them on when night is here he turns them off when dawn is near
The little man we loved of long ago
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
The old lamplighter of long long ago
His snowy hair was so much whiter beneath the candle glow
The old lamplighter of long long ago
You'd hear the patter of his feet as he came toddling down the street
His smile would hide a lonely heart you see
If there were sweethearts in the park he'd pass a lamp and leave it dark
Remembering the days that used to be
For he recalls when dreams were new he loves someone who loves him too
Who walks with him alone in memory
He made the night a little brighter wherever he would go
The old lamplighter of long long ago
Now if you look up at the sky you'll understand the reason why
The little stars at night are all aglow
He turns them on when night is here he turns them off when dawn is near
The little man we loved of long ago
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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