This came by email from a friend of a friend today:
When you work with children you never know what is going to impact them, and most times you never learn what impact you have had on them. But sometimes you get a surprise. 20+ years ago I began singing and playing my guitar once a week with the 4th grade at Pemetic. It started when my Jenn was in 4th grade and they kept asking me back. I took it as a challenge to find songs that the boys would sing along with. There was no show choir then, so singing wasn’t as “cool as it is in our schools now. So I taught sea chanteys and “Charlie on the MTA”, and other fun or silly songs. I was asked back to sing with several 4th grade classes. I really have no idea how many. Today, a mom from one of those classes brought me this brand new book, published July 25, 2017, and told me about how I taught a generation of SWH kids about Charlie. Thank you Marjory Russakoff! You totally made my day. It may be time to dust off the old guitar . . .
BTW ~ The Author’s father was the man for whom the original song was created. He ran for Mayor of Boston and the song was a protest about the increase in fares (from a dime to 15 cents) which in 1949 was substantial Today, the Charlie Card honors Walter O’Brien. He never became mayor, but he will never be forgotten!