Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 103, in which I interview Linda Kaplan Thaler. Linda and I wrote a bunch of songs in the late 1960s, including "Not Yet Ready to Say Goodbye," which appears on my 1972 Twice Upon a Rhyme album, mentioned from time to time on this podcast. Linda went on to write the world-famous, iconic "Toys R Us" jingle in 1983 ("I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys R US Kid"), mastermind the Aflac Duck campaign nearly two decades later, and work on the political campaigns of both Bill and Hillary Clinton. She has also co-written four books, including The Power of Nice, and the recently published Grit to Great. We discuss all of this and more on the podcast.

You can get Grit to Great here.

Other helpful links -

• Linda Kaplan Thaler on Wikipedia
• Linda sings Skyscraper
• Tony DeSanto sings "Not Yet Ready to Say Goodbye"
• video of my 15 August 2015 concert with Peter Rosenthal in Ronkonkoma, NY
• my 2006 interview by Patrick Rands on WZBC Radio, in which I talk about Linda Kaplan and my discography, which Patrick plays
• my Transfer of Power science fiction story, about what really happened when JFK shook Bill Clinton's hand

Lyrics to songs in the podcast -

SKYSCRAPER

words by Paul Levinson

music by Linda Kaplan

1968

Skyscraper

nestled in the quiet vapor

of the clouds

above the crowds

that teem and dream

below you

Skyscraper

set against the pastel paper

of the sky

I wish that I

could see those colors

glow too

(bridge)

Wonder what you see

Looking down at me

Wonder who I am

Wonder what I'll be?

Skyscraper

dressed up in the sparkling drapery

of night, it's always bright

outside for you

always new

(bridge)

NOT YET READY TO SAY GOODBYE

Words by Paul Levinson

Music by Linda Kaplan

1968

Things been getting' worse, lately

Been lovin' in reverse, lately

Almost time to say we've had our fill

Seems from here the road is all downhill

Don't you believe it girl, we've something still

(chorus)

Hey, we're not yet ready to say goodbye

"Sure gonna miss you" just won't get by

Goodbye don't make it

We can't forsake it

We're not yet ready to say goodbye

Life's been down on us, lately

Been causin' quite a fuss, lately

Breakin' up would be the simple cure

But the treatment would be mighty poor

Long empty evenings never feelin' quite sure

(chorus)

(bridge)

Can't say so long – it's been so long

Can't say that's all – 'cause that's all wrong

(chorus)

A PIECE OF THE RAINBOW

Words by Paul Levinson

Music by Linda Kaplan

1968

A piece of the rainbow

fell to the ground and burst into colors

And I picked up a piece of the rainbow

A pretty little star

I put you in a jar

so I could watch you grow

And I brought home the piece of the rainbow

Enchanted little elf

I put you on my shelf

And hoped that you would glow

And I watched you every day

And you slowly turned to gray

And I picked up my piece of the rainbow

And tossed you back to the sky

And waved a last goodbye

I had to let you go

CLOUDY SUNDAY

Words by Paul Levinson

Music by Peter Rosenthal

1968

Cloudy Sunday

I wake to find you gone

Cloudy Sunday

The bed I sleep upon

is strangely smooth and white

Touched only by me and the empty night

Cloudy Sunday

A fog upon my brain

Cloudy Sunday

condenses into rain

and tears begin to swell

but you couldn't tell that I loved you well

So we loved each other in passing

But I'll keep searching for something more lasting

Like the poet looking

for the once in a lifetime rhyme

Cloudy Sunday

I glimpse a distant form

Cloudy Sunday

I sense that she is warm

but question what I feel –

reflection of me or something more real?

Cloudy Sunday