Bobby Driscoll March 3rd 1937 to March 30th 1968 |
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When I was a very young child, my grandmother took me to see Walt Disney's "Treasure Island". Robert Newton's over-the-top portrayal of Long John Silver has become the parody that everyone recognizes, but it was the thirteen year old actor who played cabin boy, Jim Hawkins, that I was to encounter years later in Kenneth Anger's book, Hollywood Babylon II.
I was so touched by the vignette on Bobby Driscoll that it prompted me to write the song, "Avenue A". Bobby's 31 year old body was found by children playing in an abandoned tenement building on East 10th Street, which intersects with Avenue's A,B,& C, in New York's Lower East Side. How he got there is being told in a new book by Brian O'Hara called "A Forgotten Life". Apart from "Treasure Island", Bobby starred in many movies including "Song Of The South", "The Window" (for which he received a special Oscar), "When I Grow Up" & it was his voice that was used in the Disney classic animation, "Peter Pan". Like Peter, Bobby never really grew up. For us baby boomers, he was our yesterday. He was our lost childhood. AVENUE "A" (words & music by Bob Velvin, copyright 2002 Bobbysox/Castle Hill Music, all rights reserved) Down On Avenue "A", Bobby Driscoll is standing Hands in his overcoat, desolation smile Somewhere back in L.A., he had a wife called Marilyn Goodbye was all she wrote, see you once in a while So don't you stray down to Avenue "A" There's a lot of bad air out there, or so they say But If you go, one thing you should know Don't let the children play on Avenue "A" A thousand light years away when he wished upon a star A Walt Disney hero of the silver screen Fame can lead you astray, Bobby Driscoll flew too far Right out of "The Window" by the age of sixteen So don't you stray down to Avenue "A" There's a lot of bad air out there, or so they say But if you go, one thing you should know Don't let the children play on Avenue "A" When an Angel falls from grace there's no place to go If he gets Captain Hook'd on virgin snow When they found him that day no-one seemed to know his name So they buried his heart out on "Treasure Isle" Only children can play, "Peter Pan" must share the blame For he played the part of the permanent child So don't you stray down to Avenue "A" There's a lot of bad air out there, or so they say But if you go, one thing you should know Don't let the children play on Avenue "A" Don't let your children play on Avenue "A" |
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