Autumn days when the grass is jewelled (again)
In which we remember an old school hymn
I’ve noticed, recently, a lot of people finding this site because they’re searching for the lyrics to the song Autumn Days, the primary school assembly staple by Estelle White. So, I thought I may as well post at least part of them:
Autumn days when the grass is jewelled
And the silk inside a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well(Chorus)
So I mustn’t forget
No I mustn’t forget
To say a great big thank you
I mustn’t forget
You can find the rest of the lyrics here, although there’s a small mistake in the second verse.*
I’m sure it became a classic assembly hymn-singing staple because it’s only vaguely religious. It is to hymns what Intelligent Design dogma is to creationism – it implies we’re talking about some sort of god here, but the details aren’t just vague, they’re not there at all. In other words, it fits in perfectly in your average non-sectarian British school, forced by law to hold regular “religious” assemblies, but forced by common sense to make them as non-religious as they can get away with.
* it should be “and the song the milkman sings,” I’m sure.