'School Days' by Loudon Wainwright III

[harvey1954]

Loudon appeared three times in MASH, but had nothing to do with the theme song. He did perform "General MacArthur Blues".

[Studeman51]

I saw him perform in a little club in Santa Monica called McCabe's sometime in the mid 70's, he sounds just as I remember it.

[drjohnanthony100]

can anybody give me suggestions how to sell my firends songs there so addicting they must be heard

[CaradaysRedux]

Love this song, wish I'd written it!

[manualman9]

I remember his school days at St Andrew's, because I was there too. He was great then, and sang many songs that I recorded in our little jug band , The Triacia Company. One of them was about President McKinley, and he recently sang it again on his Emmy winning album.

The last time I saw Loudon was in Gaithersburg, MD, and I sat next to his wife Kate as we watched him. Rufus was born a week or two later, as I recall.

He is also an accomplished Shakespearean actor and played in Falstaff at SAS.

[harvey1954]

@manualman9 It was the fact that he sang about Delaware that first got me into his music. I lived in Wilmington during his reign. Saw him at the Grand Opera House two years ago just to hear him sing "In Delaware when I was younger".

[FENNYMAN]

He has been my music for over 40 years. Superb songwriter and performer.

[jondoe8889]

This was (I assume) a local radio show. Or not. It wasn't a history show. The interviewer dropped the ball a few times, Loudon kept it rolling. We don't know if there was time to address these common mistakes. Loudon has written so many iconic songs, it's easy to assume he wrote them all.

But thanks for reminding us.

[BOXINGFANFAN]

i thought Nick Drake penned Suicide is Painless, but i must be wrong

[ceh2574]

Um actually Johnny Mandel wrote the MASH theme, or am I going crazytowns?

[rosiecox1]

that dj talks too much, go loudan , u legend man, ireland calling

[Anahita61]

I first heard him around 1972, and loved him instantly. School Days is my favorite Loudon song, and it's so nice to hear him sing this song so well now. He still has such a beautiful voice.

[shonazadog]

Yay, Laphroaig gets a name-check! Best whisky on the planet!

[indieopium]

I love Loudon, but I didn't like the fact, that he didn't correct the comment, about him writing Daughter.

[fellowvoyager]

man, being able to hit those high notes at his age. it is simply astounding how well his voice has aged.

[Litle84]

Its sooooo uncanny how much him and his son and even a bit of his daughter sound a like. Love Rufus a tonne! but Loudon takes the cake!

[gabeshedd]

@Litle84 They're collaborating on Rufus' new box set.

[wdchefdave56]

He was in a couple of the first episodes of "MASH", and wrote the THEME SONG!

(He's the guy playing his guitar!)

His Dad did well as "Poet Laureate of the United States".

And, he has a couple of kids.

Forget about the "Dead Skunk"... and that his childhood friend was Liza Minelli.

"In his own right, INDEED!"

How soon they forget.

[wetmonday]

I am a huge fan of Loudon but I do have to correct a couple of points.

He didn't write the theme to MASH, he was in the show for a few epsiodes but the theme Suicide Is Painless" was written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Mike Altman (lyrics)

Also he never wrote the song Daughter that was written by his good mate and often support act Peter Blegvad.

[pinchof56]

I have loved this man's music since i first heard him in 1971..a true genius with words and melody!!

[mcrave52]

I love the comment that he's a "songwriter in his own right", as if that's an afterthought after giving the IMPORTANT info that he's Rufus and Martha's dad.

[fnupfnup]

He's written songs as well?!

:O

[mcrave52]

heh heh heh. I became a huge Loudon fan after hearing a song off his second album. the song is called "Plane, Too." and is a laundry list of things one would see while on an airplane. I thought "how can someone make a good song out of this?" and I was hooked!

[Pavl1801]

no shit - one of the best american songwriters of all time. i guess he's ok "in his own right."

[jmccullough]

Funny. He told me once that people used to ask him about his writing for Life magazine (that was his father). He would tell them, I write songs now."

[littlefeat1987]

he should have put a donk on it

[livemusichead1]

I could kiss Jian Ghomeshi's whole face

For the introduction he gives in this clip

To my hero, Loudon Wainwright III

And what a great performance of School Days

I absolutley love it

[fuzzmaniac]

I had the great pleasure of meeting the man himself after a show in Glasgow in 2007. What a brilliant songwriter Loudon is. Rufus is a little too theatrical for my taste, but I adore Martha and saw her play too.

[GgRrYyPpHhOoNn]

I got to meet him in Atlanta and I guess I was just perfectly lucky because no one else was in the room except him and me. I bought a bottle of wine that he selected and we drank for almost 40 minutes before he went on. I got a free Recovery CD and autograph.

[rainstar614]

i'm from delaware man.

[Ottee2]

He strikes a chord with my generation. Although I too had not heard him sing before this.

[waynedewho]

Shamefully this was the first that I have heard his voice....well I heard Rufus's (Rufus') which are, yeah, father-son....I'll shut it now.