This is a beautiful monologue first recorded and performed by the great Jackie Gleason. My Dad included it in his act and performed it during the seventies when he was working the clubs around Sydney. It never failed to reduce grown men to tears. It is narrated, usually with an organist playing a lullaby softly in the background. I wish Dad had recorded it as he always did it beautifully – and always dedicated it to me and my sister. Just thought I’d reproduce it here…
Ode to a Sleeping Beauty.
Dear Daughter,
I tiptoed into your room tonight and I looked down at you smiling in your sleep. You were so lovely my heart nearly broke, and I thought how very much like Sleeping Beauty a little girl is.
When I tuck you in I never know how old you will be when you wake; one evening you’ll crawl into your dad’s lap and throw your arms around his neck, the next morning you may be much too grown up for that sort of thing. You’re so quickly approaching the awkward age, too young to drive the car, yet too old to be carried into the house half asleep on daddy’s shoulder.
I have a secret I never told you Sleeping Beauty. You are going on an exciting trip, you’ll travel from yesterday all the way to tomorrow. It’s a rapid journey and you’ll travel light, leaving behind your measles, mumps, freckles, bumps, bubble gum…and me. I promise not to feel hurt when you discover the world is more interesting than your daddy’s lap.
Yesterday you were blue jeaned and pigtailed – the neighbourhoods best tree climber – tomorrow you’ll be blue organdy and ponytailed, and you will view the world from a loftier perch…a pair of high heeled shoes.
Yesterday you could mend your dolls broken leg with a hug, tomorrow you’ll be able to break a boy’s heart with a kiss. Yesterday you could get lost one aisle away from me in the supermarket, now I have to worry about losing you down another aisle…to some strange young man.
Just at the point where your growing pains stop, mine begin. Yesterday you were a pain in the neck when you were around…tomorrow you’ll be an ache in the heart when you’re not.
Tomorrow you’ll lay aside your jump rope to tie up the telephone line, and the little boy who used to push you in the mud will fight to sit out a dance with you.
The clock downstairs is counting the minutes for you; the sky upstairs is saving it’s brightest stars and the sun is waiting with it’s shiniest day. I can’t expect you to live in your doll house forever. Sooner or later the butterfly sheds the cocoon and the smallest bird must try it’s wings.
When you grow up and out of my arms, when you finally get too big for my shirts, I’ll still recall how you used to scatter dust and dolls through every room in the house – but you spread sunshine too. The dust is settled, your mum’s picked up the dolls but your sunshine will always fill the corners of our hearts.
So here I am, talking in your sleep – because if you saw this look on my face you’d laugh, and if I spoke with this lump in my throat I’d cry. Yes Daughter, when I looked at you tonight you were Sleeping Beauty and so I tiptoed over and kissed you – you didn’t wake up, I knew you wouldn’t, according to the legend only the handsome young prince can open your eyes, and I am just the father of the future bride.
Slumber on my lovely, tomorrow when you wake you’ll be a young lady and you won’t even realize you’ve changed course in the middle of a dream, but you might notice a change in me. I’ll look different somehow; a little older, a little sadder, a little wiser – but a lot richer.
Tonight I kissed a princess…and I feel like a king.
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My parents had this on a long play record. Played rarely due to a daughter that passed away at the tender age of two. My mum still has this at home. I want to get a copy on mp3. It is a classic for those who know.
Hi Richard, this recording is so much a part of my childhood that I cannot recall those days without it coming to mind. As I said, my dad performed this on stage – sat on a stool under a single spotlight – and it was so effective, you could hear a pin drop in the audience. The times I did see him do this on stage it was always funny to see when the lights came up at the end in the audience the numbers of grown men with tears streaming down their faces into their beer glasses
and all trying not to look emotional. Dad often did this piece when he did a Mother’s Day or Fathers Day show in a club – never failed to reduce people to blubbering wrecks. I hope you are able to get this on mp3, it is a classic and such a very touching one at that. And doesn’t Jackie Gleason do it so well?
Thanks for your prompt reply. This was always an unmentioned subject in my house in the 60′s. I spoke with my mum this morning to confirm details. I then flashed up the computer here in the sickbay, low and behold, you popped up.
I thought it would take me on a quest to find the piece. Jackie Gleason is the only one to do this in my opinion. Being out here on the rig, every so often I challenge myself with a quest to find treasures. Today, you facilitated my answer.
My parents lost their first daughter in 60 I think. She got under the house (just like daddy) and accidentally ingested poison that was stored there. As you can imagine, a terrible dark period ensued. My father loved Jackie and this piece had special meaning. I was born in 63.
I sit here in the sickbay, my IPOD full of many treasures. From the 30′s all the way through to late, including a plethora of classical.
Again, thanks for your information.
Richard
My father was a big fan of Jackie Gleason; I do recall Kamahl (know him…?) recorded the ‘Ode’ in the 1980′s and had a stab at doing it in the clubs but never did it like Gleason…or even my dad. One time dad did a show in some NSW country town and recited the Ode as the closing act, a big burly man came up to him afterwards and told him he had three daughters and was feeling a complete mess having heard the Ode performed. Did you know that there is also another Ode on the same Gleason record album along the same vein called ‘Apology at Bedtime’ where a dad is apologising to his little boy, as he sleeps, for being cranky and impatient earlier on in the day. I tell you, it is a real killer tear-jerking-wise; dad had a go at memorising it for performance but he could never get throught it without breaking down. There is something about it that just grabs you by the throat – if I can get the text I will reprint it here. That is very sad about your sister, houses back then all had underneath access, I remember ours did, and we always played underneath as kids.
You have a good broad taste in music – I suggest you check out the Australian composer Phillip Wilcher, I have written a review for his latest CD, his music is phenomenal.
http://www.culturedviews.com/bundanon-a-musical-landscape-by-phillip-wilcher/2009/05/19/view.htm
Hey Richard try this link – you get to hear a short excerpt from the Ode – by Jackie Gleason of course. You can download it too I think…
http://mog.com/music/Jackie_Gleason/How_Sweet_It_Is!_The_Jackie_Gleason_Velvet_Brass_Collection/To_a_Sleeping_Beauty_(Monologue)_%5B*%5D
I first heard this on a LP recording by Jackie Gleason back in the 50′s. I still think this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Over the years I have silently recited it many times to my 3 beautiful daughters and now have been blessed with a second grand daughter and so it continues.As I recall on that record there was also an ode to a little boy.Does anyone know the name of that album?
Yes, it is called ‘Apology at Bedtime’ and the album was called The Best of Jackie Gleason…I have it in a post here:
http://www.culturedviews.com/from-father-to-son-apology-at-bedtime-jackie-gleason/2011/06/19/view.htm
I have five sons and can never make it through this one without a box of tissues. Glad to find a kindred spirit
I was rummaging through some old album today, reminiscing, and out of no where, Ode to a Sleeping Beauty came to mind. I first heard it when I was working in a recording studio in the late 60′s and never forgot it.
So, from the 60s to 2011 – what a jump, and I so glad I could find the lyrics. Reading them, I can still hear the sadness in the ‘dads’ words. It truly deserves to be kept around for all time.
As a dad with a daughter, I can relate all too well.
Thanks Wendy, for making it available.
Thanks for sharing that with me
My late father would perform this on stage as an interlude during his act – he was a comedian – and it never failed to reduce many in the audience to tears…the men mostly! if he was doing a fathers day show he always included it as a feature and men would come up to him afterwards with tears in their eyes and tell him about their daughters and how much it brought it home to them that time passes by so quickly when you are a parent. It is a beautiful piece of writing, not maudlin in any way, and one that carries a special message for all parents.