Peter, Paul And Mary - Whatshername Lyrics

My wife and I listened to this song at my brothers house 45 years ago.

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I first heard it at a P,P&M concert long long ago, and it brought tears to my eyes.
My son is now a movie writer, and I've tried to persuade him to make this into a short film.
The wistfulness and angst are so incredibly palpable.

I was 12 years old—13 tops—when I bought Album 1700 and played it over and over again. Whatshername is a classic in my mind, and I've sung it ever since, in many moods. It's so beautiful and wistful, it just makes me feel peaceful and understood while I sing it. Can you imagine a 12-year-old girl soulfully singing this song? I'm sure I didn't know what "gay" meant at the time, but I sang it like Jimmy McGregor and Don were old friends of my own.

Later, when I took some piano lessons from a jazz pianist, I discovered how wonderful the chord progression was in the very first line. And of course the brilliance continues.

Thank you, Paul Stookey, Dave Dixon, and Richard Kniss, for creating this wonderful song. And especially thanks, Mr. Stookey, for singing it in such a modulated and mellow way. Perfect singing, perfect interpretation. You made a lonely 12-year-old girl very happy, and now I'm a reasonably happy 61-year-old woman whenever I listen to this song—or sing it to myself.

+Lorelcom -- Thank you for your beautiful story. Every once in a while someone writes a comment such as yours and it rescues YouTube from the cesspool that an army of ignorant trolls intentionally work to create. Your recollection of that precocious 12-year-old singing this song soulfully brought a big smile to life. These are not simple lyrics!

@Noe Berengena — Wow. I just came back here to listen to this song again and found your reply. Thank you for your kind words. I have to say that I'm surprised by how many touching comments there are on YouTube (once you get past the trolls). It's heartening to discover how many people have been touched by an artist's work, how an album helped young siblings get through their parents' divorce, or a song brings a lost loved one back to life. And it tickles me when a 17-year-old says they feel they should have been born in the '60s or '70s because they so relate to the music of that era. Also moving is when a lonely or sad person writes in the comments about the troubles they're going through and is responded to with kind words by other folks.

It's what makes life worth living.