Name That Tune!

          While shopping on eBay, I discovered a music box that caught my eye. Confession: I have a weakness for them, so any excuse to buy one works for me.

          Hmm, maybe my daughter-in-law would love this for Christmas! So, I read the ad to make sure this music box was in good working order and to find out what song it played because no title was listed.

          I never buy a music box without knowing what it plays. I mean, who wants the run-of-the-mill Memories, Happy Birthday, or Row Row Row Your Boat unless that’s actually what you’re after? Not this gal.

          I quickly jotted off a memo to the seller: “Can you please tell me what song this music box plays? Thank you. –Sarah”

          The next morning, I was pleased to find a response, although a tad unusual. It went like this: “Hi. Thank you for your interest in our item. Here’s the crazy thing: I recognize the song it plays, but I have no idea what it is. I feel like it’s a wedding song but not Here Comes the Bride. I will try to upload a video of the song for you tomorrow. Blessings! –Millie”

          …to which I replied: “OK. I’d be very interested in knowing. Thank you. –Sarah”

          The next day I received another note saying the seller couldn’t send me the video, so she’d upload it into the eBay ad, which could take up to 48 hours to appear. Included with this explanation was this: “Hi again, Sarah! I’m so embarrassed to do this, but if you pronounce it out loud the song goes:

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DOOOO-DA-DO!

 

…If that rings a bell. Not sure if that’s any help at all, or if I just sound like a moron. I just cringed at myself. Ugh! –Millie”

          I laughed so hard and had to read the conversation to my hubby. He too lost it! We were in hysterics, sitting here DO-DO-DOing and even trying to figure it out. Oh my!

          Well, that deserved a response: “Millie, yup, you do sound like a moron—or like ME! Maybe a little Twilight-Zonish! I’ll keep checking the eBay ad for the video.”

          Thankfully, eBay got with the program, and the video appeared. I played it so Brian could hear it too, thinking I might not recognize what DO-DO-DO-DO, etc. really meant. We were pleasantly surprised, recognizing it immediately.

          A win/win! I quickly clicked the BUY-IT-NOW button and finished checking out!

          Once more I received a note from the seller: “Thank you for your purchase! I hope you do know the song with my horrible effort to get the melody to you. Many blessings! –Millie”

          I wrote to thank the seller and let her know: “Millie, the song is PERFECT! It’s from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony but also the tune used for the hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. Hey, did we win the game show, Name That Tune? Is there a prize? Anyway, it will make a fantastic Christmas gift. Yeah, I’m coo-coo for shopping in July!”

          “Sarah, glad the song uploaded. I know about that game show, but unfortunately I don’t have a further prize. 😊 Maybe fast shipping??? Haha! It’s shipping out today. Thank you. –Millie”

          But Millie did give us a prize! You see, she didn’t know we needed to laugh the days these exchanges took place. We’d been burdened down with several hardships the previous week and leading up to that day. So, she totally made our day!

          Better yet, God knew we needed laughter—joy too! He gave us that, and the mail carrier will give us the package from Millie soon. In the meantime, here are the lyrics to the song this music box plays:

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, op’ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

 

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise;

Field and forest, vale and mountain, flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain praising Thee eternally!

 

Always giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,

Well-spring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest!

Loving Father, Christ our brother, let Thy light upon us shine;

Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

 

Mortals, join the mighty chorus, which the morning stars began;

God’s own love is reigning o’er us, joining people hand in hand.

Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife;

Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.*

OR…

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DO-DO-DO-DO,

DOOOO-DA-DO!

😊

 

          Of course, we’ll have to wind the music box many times to get all those DO-DO and DOOOO, DA-DOs in there! After all, how can we expect such a little box to hold all that!

 

          “Awe, Sarah, you are awesome. We appreciate you. The real “prize” was the embarrassment of trying to ‘DO-DO-DO’ the song for you! Bahahahahaha. Ugh! 😊 The music box is in the mail. I hope you and your very lucky daughter-in-law just love it! –Millie”

          We will!

 

*from the hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, lyrics by Henry Van Dyke, 1907 and

music by Ludwig van Beethoven written between 1822 & 1824, public domain

 

#musicbox #ChristmasinJuly #eBay #laughter #Beethoven #NameThatTune #joy #Godthegiver

Photo credit: “Millie” of Maryland