Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Gone Are The Days: The '65 Song/The '63 movie

Auburn Annie · 11-28-2005, 09:02 PM

Well, the movie is a precursor to the Broadway play Purlie! See description:

Gone Are the Days
[GONEA]

USA, 1963, 99 min

Directed By: Nicholas Webster
Writer: Ossie Davis
Producer: Nicholas Webster
Cinematographer: Boris Kaufman
Editor: Ralph Rosenblum
Music: Henry Cowen, Milton Okun
Cast: Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Brooke, Godfrey Cambridge, Hilda Haynes

Full Film Note

OSSIE DAVIS (1917-2005)
In addition to being the feature film debut of a young actor named Alan Alda, this tasty slice of old school indie filmmaking is an early example of black storytelling outside of the mainstream. In a no-frills adaptation of his own stage play, Ossie Davis stars as Purlie Victorious Judson, a self-ordained minister returning home to the plantation with his cousin Lutiebelle, played by Ruby Dee, to claim an inheritance due her. The plot twists and con games prefigure Davis's directorial debut, the 1970 film adaptation of Chester Himes' novel Cotton Comes to Harlem.

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As for the song, it's a puzzler since the title might reflect a version of Stephen Foster's song, "Old Black Joe" which begins

Gone are the days
When my heart was young and gay.
Gone are my friends
From the cotton fields away.
Gone from this place,
To a better land I know.
I hear their gentle voices calling:
Old Black Joe...

On the other hand, Connie Kaldor has a song called "Gone Are the Days" on her 1981 album, "One of These Days", that she apparently wrote, lyrics below:

GONE ARE THE DAYS

Gone are the days
That you felt like dancing
Gone are the ways
That you felt romancing
They're gone
With the way that you laughed 'til the tears would come
And oh how the minutes
The days and the years would come

Gone are the days
That you walked hand in hand
Gone are the ways
That you tried to understand
They're gone
With the way that you treasured those special times
Oh the memories are golden
But the present isn't worth a dime

Gone are the days
That he wanted to touch you
Gone are the ways
That he meant so much to you
They're gone
With the smile that you just won't give to him now
You won't give in to him now
No you won't give in

Gone are the days
When you felt like dancing
Gone are the ways
That you felt like romancing
They're gone
Gone
Gone

from One of These Days and Vinyl Songbook

©1981 CAPAC
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But obviously this "Gone Are the Days" is almost 2 decades later.

If "Gone Are the Days" is a Lightfoot original and not a cover of an old folk tune, I haven't found any lyrics/music or information other than what Wayne has on his site.

11-28-2005, 09:02 PM	#3
Auburn Annie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 3,101	Well, the movie is a precursor to the Broadway play Purlie! See description: Gone Are the Days [GONEA] USA, 1963, 99 min Directed By: Nicholas Webster Writer: Ossie Davis Producer: Nicholas Webster Cinematographer: Boris Kaufman Editor: Ralph Rosenblum Music: Henry Cowen, Milton Okun Cast: Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Brooke, Godfrey Cambridge, Hilda Haynes Full Film Note OSSIE DAVIS (1917-2005) In addition to being the feature film debut of a young actor named Alan Alda, this tasty slice of old school indie filmmaking is an early example of black storytelling outside of the mainstream. In a no-frills adaptation of his own stage play, Ossie Davis stars as Purlie Victorious Judson, a self-ordained minister returning home to the plantation with his cousin Lutiebelle, played by Ruby Dee, to claim an inheritance due her. The plot twists and con games prefigure Davis's directorial debut, the 1970 film adaptation of Chester Himes' novel Cotton Comes to Harlem. _______________________________________________ As for the song, it's a puzzler since the title might reflect a version of Stephen Foster's song, "Old Black Joe" which begins Gone are the days When my heart was young and gay. Gone are my friends From the cotton fields away. Gone from this place, To a better land I know. I hear their gentle voices calling: Old Black Joe... On the other hand, Connie Kaldor has a song called "Gone Are the Days" on her 1981 album, "One of These Days", that she apparently wrote, lyrics below: GONE ARE THE DAYS Gone are the days That you felt like dancing Gone are the ways That you felt romancing They're gone With the way that you laughed 'til the tears would come And oh how the minutes The days and the years would come Gone are the days That you walked hand in hand Gone are the ways That you tried to understand They're gone With the way that you treasured those special times Oh the memories are golden But the present isn't worth a dime Gone are the days That he wanted to touch you Gone are the ways That he meant so much to you They're gone With the smile that you just won't give to him now You won't give in to him now No you won't give in Gone are the days When you felt like dancing Gone are the ways That you felt like romancing They're gone Gone Gone from One of These Days and Vinyl Songbook ©1981 CAPAC _______________________________________________ But obviously this "Gone Are the Days" is almost 2 decades later. If "Gone Are the Days" is a Lightfoot original and not a cover of an old folk tune, I haven't found any lyrics/music or information other than what Wayne has on his site.