This week features a little shameless escapism for all of you winter depressives.  Well, actually, with no request this week and no particular inspiration, I fell back on one of those tunes that frequently pops into my brain, completely unbidden.  It’s Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.  Don’t ask me why.  There must be something about the opening line that insinuates itself.  If I Had You is another one, the sort of tune I find myself humming involuntarily.  I suppose we would now call them brain default tunes.  

As brain default tunes go, it could be worse.  It could be Jon Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt or something.  It turns out that Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams was written in 1931 by Harry Barris who, though not in the top tier of the songwriter Pantheon, had a long career in music and the movies.  He was one of the original Rhythm Boys with Bing Crosby, and also wrote Mississippi Mud, and, more notably, I Surrender, Dear.

Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams is in some ways a sort of boiler plate song, but I think one thing that must subliminally attract me to it is the melody on the 6th , (or 13th really. I told you it was subliminal) on the words “gray”,  “through”, and “sunshine”.  Also the bridge has a nice circle of fifths to it, for you harmonists.  This is nothing new really, but it adds interest and makes it more fun to play.  The lyrics are, if not inspired, at least encouraging and I only hope that they are not too upbeat for those of you who are more naturally phlegmatic! (Have you ever noticed, by the way, the embarrassing amount of dreaming goes on in American popular song?  It’s a wonder anything gets done.)

For whatever reason, this little piece of work yearned to get out.  Maybe now, having done it, it will recede for awhile.  I have, for fun, done this with a sextet: piano, bass, drums, guitar, tenor sax and, something new, a trumpet with a Harmon mute.  Click above to hear it.  The lyrics are below.

Refrain:

When skies are cloudy and gray

They’re only gray for a day.

So wrap your troubles in dreams

And dream your troubles away.

Until that sunshine pops through

There’s only one thing to do

Just wrap your troubles in dreams

And dream your troubles away.

Bridge

Your castles may crumble, that’s Fate after all.

Life can be funny that way.

No use to grumble, just smile as they fall.

Weren’t you king for a day? 

Refrain:

Say! Just remember that sunshine

Always follows the rain.

So wrap your troubles in dreams

And dream your troubles away.