Songwriting for Kids: Listening Room

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Carrie Jacobs-Bond was born in Janesville, Wisconsin (Josephine's home state!) She began studying piano as a child (starting at age 4), but it took some years before she decided to "put down on paper some of the songs that were continually running through my mind."

Carrie Jacobs-Bond had a very difficult life. In 1894, her husband died, leaving her and her young son poor and alone. They often had to sleep on friends' floors, and little by little, they had to sell off everything they owned except for the piano.

Carrie decided that if she was going to give her son a good life, she was going to have to work very, very hard. She began to write more songs and play recitals, selling copies of her songs after she played. People loved her music! In a time when women did not usually go into business, she opened up her own publishing company, and slowly, it became the most successful publishing company of the time. Her song "A Perfect Day" was her biggest hit and sold over 5 million copies. She was even invited to sing for the President of the United States, and for the Queen of England!

Carrie Jacobs-Bond is considered to be one of America's greatest songwriters. She wrote beautiful songs and always worked extremely hard, even when everything seemed to be against her.


To learn more about Carrie Jacobs-Bond click here.

Here are the lyrics to "A Perfect Day":

Verse 1:
When you come to the end of a Perfect Day
And you sit all alone with your thought
While the chimes ring out with a carol gay
For the joy that the day has brought
Do you think what the end of a perfect day
Can mean to a tired heart
When the sun goes down with a flaming ray
And the dear friends have to part

Verse 2 (sung in French in this version):
Well, this is the end of a perfect day
Near the end of a journey, too
But it leaves a thought that is big and strong
With a wish that is kind and true
For memory has painted this perfect day
With colors that never fade
And we find, at the end of a perfect day
The soul of a friend we've made