모두 아시다시피.. 사형수의 마지막날 아침
새벽 선잠을 모티브로 한 곡이지요? 저는 어린 시절 뜻도 모른 채 이 노래를 즐겨들었답니다.
그리고 어느 날 불현듯 가사를 알아듣고는 그 충격적인 서사에 그만 깜짝 놀라고 말았습니다. ㅠㅠ
원래 Tom Jones가 가장 먼저 부른 것은 아니고, Johnny Darrell이라는 미국의 컨추리 가수가 부른 곡이죠. ^^
송 라이터는 Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. 이란 사람입니다.
아래는 관련 위키피디아 페이지에서 긁어온 정보입니다.
"Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. and first recorded by singer Johnny Darrell, is a country song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1965, when it reached No. 4 on the country chart.[2] That same year, it was sung by Bobby Bare and by Jerry Lee Lewis, who included it in his album Country Songs for City Folks (later re-issued as All Country). Tom Jones learned the song from Lewis' version, and in 1966, he had a worldwide No. 1 hit with it.
The old home town looks the same
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my Mama and Papa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
The old house is still standing tho' the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Then I awake and look around me
At four grey walls that surround me
And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming
For there's a guard and there's a sad old padre
Arm in arm, we'll walk at daybreak
Again I touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home