Is Homesickness Contagious?
May Day! May Day!
My son came back from his first summer camp experience not that long ago and he asked me: “Dad, is homesickness contagious?”
I think it might be, Son.
I’m currently feeling homesick for Minneapolis after seeing everybody posting videos of the May Day parade at Powderhorn Park this past Sunday.
Minneapolis is a great town and the May Day Parade plays a part in the greatness!
And people make a parade.
And of course, digging around in my old files I found an early demo attempt of a song called “Powderhorn Park (Ur-demo)”1 which I’ve added to the “Mixed Up Files” album series and which one can listen to in the player below:
I’d completely forgotten about this attempt of making this into a song.2
Specifically, I call out my friends John and Rachel in the lyrics, as they provided succor to me on the occasion of the song.
Yesterday would have been John’s birthday, but we lost him to cancer almost 20 years ago.
I am feeling homesick and sad for lost friends.
I hope it’s not contagious.
I remain your humble servant,
OX&C,
Faux Jean
Here are the lyrics for today’s song:
Powderhorn Park (Ur-demo)
Puss in boots, silly thing, I never knew you loved a parade
Puss in boots, silly thing, I never knew you loved a parade
And then there I was waiting for you in the shade
You were in the sun and you were not too happy
Puss in boots, silly thing, Powderhorn, Powderhorn
Gather round, gotta say, when you call May Day
Everyone gathered round waiting for the show in the sun
Powderhorn Park, you were the powder keg
Like a hippie on the edge
And if I was the spark
You were the oily rag
Sitting in the garage
Waiting to flame
Once I get the flame
The world—I want to burn the whole thing down
Now I know, you were the oily rag
Puss in boots, silly thing, I never knew you loved a parade
But there you were in the sun
And I had to wait for you in the shade
Down on the floor with John and Rachel
John and Rachel.
Puss in boots, silly thing, I never knew you loved a parade
And then there I was waiting for you in the shade
I had gone to you in the sun and you made that face
Wishful thinking got us this far right? Right!
And in the beginning we never used to fight fight fight!
You think I'm pretty, you still think I'm pretty smart, right?
I think you're pretty
I think you're pretty
I think you're pretty tight tight tight!
Puss in boots, silly thing, waiting on the ground for the show
Puss in boots, dat dumb pair . . . . .
call her up saying I don't know even if I did
I would not know what to say to you
Powderhorn Park, you were the powder keg
And if I was the spark you were the oily rag
Like a hippie on the edge
And in the beginning we never used to fight fight fight!
And now I know — I know what's really right.
credits
from From the Mixed Up Files of Mr. Matthew T. Schindler, Volume 12, released March 25, 2025
Words and music by Matty Schindler, aka Faux Jean / Bohunk Junk Songs (ASCAP)
The working title for the song was “I was an oily rag.”
Finding art that you’d completely forgotten is kind of awesome. Oh, this old thing!
May Day is a public holiday in Finland and much of Europe. It often comes with huge celebrations and coincides with International Workers Day, honoring labor. But, damn if I don't also I miss the May Day festivities at Powderhorn Park which just struck me as more joyous and less centered around alcohol. Plus, the weather in Minneapolis was often quite lovely that time of year, if I recall. And I always love a good parade. I was homesick enough for that event this year, I proposed bringing my family to Minnesota specifically to enjoy it at some point in the future, a longer trip for us than even for you cowboys under your orange trees out there on the left coast.