Trove Of Tunes – My Prayer, Entering the Seventieth Year
From a 1926 violin melody to a 1956 chart-topper, and now, a soundtrack to my memory of my father, at the start of his 70th year.
It was 1956, and there was a mix of hope and rebellion in the air. Velvet smooth melodies played alongside rock and roll hip-shakers. My father was born on the eighth day of August that year, which means he steps into his seventieth today.
Listen to ‘My Prayer’ by The Platters, from the album ‘The Platters’, released in 1956.
From Daylight To Twilight
‘My Prayer’ was given a facelift by The Platters in 1956, and the soulful ballad became an instant chart-topper. But the song’s roots go back three decades—to 1926, when violinist Georges Boulanger composed an instrumental called Avant de mourir (Before Dying). Thirteen years later, in 1939, lyricist Jimmy Kennedy added words to it, turning it into ‘My Prayer’. That same year, Glenn Miller and The Ink Spots released their own vocal versions, both climbing high on the charts.
Cut to 1956 — the song almost didn’t get recorded by The Platters. Mercury Records hesitated, until they learned The Four Aces were planning their own version. Competition and commercial instinct put any doubts to rest, and what we got instead was Tony Williams’ soulful tenor sliding into our ears — and onto our slow-dancing feet.
It’s a song built on patience. There’s no rush to the hook. The Platters let the harmonies breathe, with Tony’s voice rising and receding like a tide. It’s part prayer, part love letter, and part time capsule of mid-50s romantic pop.
I’ll take it as a prayer — and as my father walks into his seventies, just like the song, I sing:
‘Tonight while our hearts are aglow
Oh, tell me the words that I'm longing to know
My prayer and the answer you give
May they still be the same for as long as we live
That you'll always be there at the end of my prayer.’
– My Prayer, The Platters
I’ll be back soon with another number that pins my ear, finds my trove, and stays with me. Till then, you can continue to check out my Trove Of Tunes curated in a Spotify playlist by clicking here.
Cheers,
Shri