Biography:
Elizabeth Eaton Converse was born in Laconia, New Hampshire in 1924, the middle child of three siblings. She was bookish, the valedictorian her class at Concord High School, and described by most who knew her to be a polymath. She attended Mt. Holyoke College on an academic scholarship beginning in 1942, studied French, and wrote for several campus publications. By 1944 she decided to leave college, at which point the records of her whereabouts are sparse until about 1949, when she made her way to New York City.
There were two major developments during Elizabeth’s time in New York. The first was her procurement of her nickname “Connie.” It is unclear how or why or when exactly, but the name stuck. The second was Connie’s burgeoning interest in playing and writing music, first for guitar and later for piano. No doubt this stemmed from her love of poetry, as many of her earliest songs were poems that she had written and then set to music. The songs became instant hits with her family, and also attracted the attention of animator and amateur recordist Gene Deitch. Beginning around 1954, Connie would make visits to Deitch’s home in Hastings-on-Hudson to record almost 40 songs.
At first listen, Connie’s music seems to keep close company with the female folk artists who were her contemporaries. The knack for plaintive storytelling shares much with Peggy Seeger and Susan Reed. Reed knew Connie’s music well, and performed a set of her songs in 1961 at the Kaufmann Concert Hall in New York. But Connie’s music stands out from that of the American folk revival of the 1950’s. Her fluid and disarmingly intelligent poetry reflects an urban perspective, that of a new New Yorker becoming disenchanted by the bucolic tropes of folk music. She is at once a maverick and a romantic, intellectual and spiritual, a staunch independent and a tender, pining lover.
Over the years Deitch, along with his colleague Bill Bernal, worked to promote Connie’s music, but despite their efforts, the songs remained unheard to all but a few dozen of Connie’s acquaintances. In 1961 Connie tired of New York and left for Ann Arbor, where her brother was a professor at the University of Michigan.
Having dropped out of college seventeen years prior, it came as something of a surprise that, within months of her arrival in Ann Arbor, Connie had implanted herself firmly in the academic community of U-Mich. She began as a secretary at the Center for Research on Conflict Resolution, eventually working her way to Managing Editor and Co-Editor of CRCR’s Journal of Conflict Resolution.
Connie’s work in Ann Arbor left little time for music and, while she still happily played at family gatherings, there is little evidence that she wrote new material. She did, however, continue her attempts to promote her music already extant. Susan Reed, the folk harpist, took an interest in Connie’s work and performed a set of her songs in New York. There were a handful of scores for commercials and some work on a short film. But never the kind of widespread success she had hoped for her music.
Connie became increasingly despondent in the 1970’s, a period she described as her Blue Funk, although her family and friends say they could not detect any outward change in her character. In 1971, she requested an extended leave of absence from CRCR, citing what she saw as her poor performance at work and unspecified medical problems. Her employer responded by organizing a group of Connie’s friends and colleagues to contribute to a pool of money that would allow her to take a six-month sabbatical in England, which she would later describe as one of the only times in her life that she allowed herself to enjoy “unproductive fun.”
In August of 1974, after waiting for the resignation of Richard Nixon, Connie wrote a series of farewell letters to friends and family. She packed up her Volkswagen and disappeared, her whereabouts unknown to this day.
Film maker Andrea Kannes is currently working on a documentary about Connie. More info here: http://connieconversedoc.com/
I Have Considered the Lilies
Connie Converse Lyrics
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They never toil, they only bloom
They never feel chilly
Or tired or silly
And they don't need much room
I have considered the lilies
I have considered how they grow
O-o-oh, lilies
Toil not neither do they spin
I'm gonna take my working papers
And turn them in
I'm handing over my pencil and pen
I won't be needing my broom again
I'll bloom by day
I'll bloom by night
And blooming will be my delight!
Bright tiger lilies
Still water lilies
See how they all dilly-dally!
Look at the day lily
Lemon lily
Cala lily
Or the lovely little lilies of the valley!
O-o-oh, lilies
Toil not, neither do they spin
I'm gonna take my working papers
And turn them in
To be more splendid than Solomon
I'll walk around wearing the morning sun
The sun by day
The moon by night
And blooming would be my delight!
It would be fun
But I'm afraid
That I would freeze
King Solomon
Was not arrayed
Like one of these
So-o-o-o, lilies
I can't afford to dilly-dally!
I've got to work for my cotton
Work for my linen
Linen and damask and challis
Not like the day lily
Lemon lily
Cala lily
Or the lovely little lilies of the valley.
I have considered the lilies
I have considered how they grow
Tell me, tell me how to be a lily
If you know
The lyrics of Connie Converse's song "One By One" communicates a whimsical desire for a simpler, carefree life, in which the singer could live freely as a lily. The singer considers lilies as a metaphor for a life without "toil," "chilly" or responsibilities, exclaiming that they "only bloom" with no need for space or effort. The singer expresses a desire to leave behind their daily routine symbolized by "working papers," "pencil and pen," and the "broom." They yearn to spend their days and nights blooming, just like different types of lilies, ranging from "bright tiger lilies" to "little lilies of the valley," each with their unique features. However, the singer experiences some hesitation in pursuing this idealized life of ease, fearing that they may end up freezing like King Solomon or unable to afford such a lifestyle.
The song may reflect the struggles of Converse herself, who was a talented but unrecognized singer and songwriter in the 1950s before abandoning her music career and lifestyle in 1961, choosing to disappear without a trace, never to be seen again. The song carries a wistful tone of someone who feels trapped in conventional life, yearning for life and freedom to bloom. It is a reminder of the perils of conforming to societal expectations and the importance of finding or creating one's unique path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I have considered the lilies
I have pondered and admired the ways of the lilies.
They never toil, they only bloom
Unlike humans, lilies do not have to work for survival, but simply exist to bloom and spread beauty.
They never feel chilly
The lilies do not feel cold or uncomfortable in any way, as they are content with their surroundings.
Or tired or silly
The lilies do not experience fatigue or make mistakes, as they are perfect in their own form.
And they don't need much room
The lilies do not require much space and can grow just about anywhere where there is soil and water.
Tell me, tell me how to be a lily If you know
The singer expresses a desire to emulate the carefree and effortless nature of the lilies.
Toil not neither do they spin
Lilies do not have to work hard or engage in labor-intensive activities like spinning.
I'm gonna take my working papers And turn them in
The artist is resigning from whatever job they have and letting go of their responsibilities to pursue a life of leisure and blooming.
I'11 bloom by day
The artist plans to bloom during the daytime when the sunlight is shining bright.
I'll bloom by night
The artist will also bloom at night, regardless of the darkness and absence of natural light.
And blooming will be my delight!
The singer will find joy in the act of blooming and spreading beauty to the world around them.
See how they all dilly-dally!
The artist is caught up in marveling at the various types of lilies, such as the tiger, water, and day lilies, and how they all bloom in their own unique ways.
Or the lovely little lilies of the valley!
The singer continues to express admiration for other types of lilies, including the charming and delicate lilies of the valley.
To be more splendid than Solomon
The singer wants to be more magnificent than even the great King Solomon, who was renowned for his wealth and beauty.
I'll walk around wearing the morning sun
The singer envisions themselves walking around bathed in the glow of the early morning sun, radiating their own beauty.
The sun by day
During the daylight hours, the artist will continue to bask in the sun's warm and nurturing rays.
The moon by night
At night, the artist will find solace and comfort in the moon's gentle and calming light.
And blooming would be my delight!
The singer reinforces that their ultimate goal in life would be to bloom and spread beauty wherever they go.
But I'm afraid That I would freeze
The singer expresses some hesitation and fear when it comes to actually living this life of freedom and beauty, as they are scared of the unknown.
King Solomon Was not arrayed Like one of these
The artist recognizes that even the great King Solomon could not compare to the natural beauty of the lilies.
I can't afford to dilly-dally!
The artist realizes that they cannot afford to waste time and must continue to work in order to support themselves.
I've got to work for my cotton Work for my linen Linen and damask and challis
The artist lists various materials they must work hard to obtain and turn into clothing.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, HEROIC CITIES LLC
Written by: Elizabeth Converse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind