Jud Strunk - Daisy A Day

The country music performer Jud Strunk was born Justin Roderick Strunk, Jr. on June 11, 1936 in Jamestown, New York. He was a singer-songwriter akin to Jimmy Buffett (except Strunk sang about his adopted state of Maine rather than Key West and the tropics) who played the tenor banjo and piano. He also was an actor specializing in comedy.

In 1960, while still in his early twenties, he moved to Farmington, Maine, eventually making his home on a farm in Eustis, Maine. Strunk toured in a one-man show for the U.S. Armed Forces, after which, he regularly traveled from Maine to to New York City to perform. He had a role in the Broadway musical "Beautiful Dreamer,' which led to television acting jobs in California during the early 1970's: two appearances on "Bewitched" and a regular gig on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

He recorded four record albums of country music, "Downeast Viewpoint" (Columbia - 1970), "Jones' General Store" (MGM - 1971), "Daisy a Day" (MGM - 1973), and "A Semi-Reformed Tequila Crazed Gypsy Looks Back" (MCA - 1977). The albums are filled with his own songs that evinced a political and ecological awareness. Ironically, he scored a Top 15 hit on the Pop chart with his single "Daisy a Day," a song without political import but that proved to be a good, old-fashioned tear-jerker about devoted love.

In 1974, he cracked the Top 60 on the Pop charts with his spoken-word single "My Country," and his 1975 novelty song "The Biggest Parakeets in Town" made it into the Pop Top 50. Married and divorced twice, he had three children: Rory, Jeffrey and Joel. He died in that particular bette noir of musicians, a light-plane crash, on October 15, 1981 when he was just 45 years old. His sons are trying to get a movie based on his father's life into production.

DAISY A DAY

He remembers the first time he met her
He remembers the first thing she said
He remembers the first time he held her
And the night that she came to his bed

He remembers her sweet way of saying,
"Honey, has something gone wrong?"
He remembers the fun and the teasing
And the reason he wrote her this song:

"I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away"

They would walk down the street in the evening
And for years I would see them go by
And their love that was more than the clothes that they wore
Could be seen in the gleam in their eyes
As a kid, they would take me for candy
And I'd love to go tagging along
We'd hold hands while we walked to the corner
And the old man would sing her his song

"I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away"

Now he walks down the street in the evening
And he stops by the old candy store
And I somehow believe he's believing
He's holding her hand like before
For he feels all her love walking with him
And he smiles at the things she might say
Then the old man walks up to the hilltop
And he gives her a daisy a day

"I'll give you a daisy a day, dear
I'll give you a daisy a day
I'll love you until the rivers run still
And the four winds we know blow away"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jud
• Strunk
• Daisy
• Day

[sprinter440]

I remember hearing this song back in 1972 and I thought it was great then and I knew that someday it would have more meaning. Well, 38 years have gone by and it has so much more meaning ot me today as I remembet so much of the past 4 decades. Thanks for this memories - those that are young - love the day and cherish the moments.

[Mojo62ify]

This is such a beautiful example of a gentlemen's everlasting love for his lady even though she has passed on, his love is still very strong for her. Thank you so very much for posting this song

[9lontoonieful1]

Beautiful old song, well done!

[jkgramps]

I'm posting this in Kath's memory

[lunantess]

i remember my mom always singing this song,i love it brings back many memories

[jkgramps]

Posting this in Kath's memory

[jkgramps]

Posting this in Kath's memory

[thetitanicisdead]

Jud Strunk died of a heart attack when he was flying a plane, and his plane crashed at the Carabasset airport, in Carabasset Maine. R.I.P.

[evensout]

alas, I wish it had been once a day, but I did give my wife flowers whenever I thought of it--which was quite often... I take the flowers to a field of memories now... how I wish I could place one more, simple daisy in her hand...

[cristinamoldoveanu]

Thank you very much for the song and for the story. A simple song but so evocative...some of my sweetest dreams were linked to this song. Though I was always lonely I believe that such dreams and beliefs will never die. This song speaks to my heart and it keeps running in my memory.

[brucew44guns]

A rather simple song, and simple music, but what a powerful song to hear. Gets me a little choked up at times, wonderful!!, and thanks for posting. Jud had to be a great guy.