Gary Troxel (b. November 28, 1939, Centralia, Washington) and Gretchen Christopher (b. February 29, 1940, Olympia, Washington) were two high school students waiting for Christopher's mother to pick them up after school. They started singing and humming a song together, and liked it enough to ask Christopher's friend and singing partner, Barbara Ellis (b. February 20, 1940, Olympia, Washington), to join them as a trio to perform it.
They performed the song twice at school functions, and their classmates wanted recordings of it so they could learn the song. After six months, they got the track recorded. They sang it a cappella, then dubbed the instrumental accompaniment, consisting only of Latin-styled acoustic guitar and the rhythmic shaking of Troxel's car keys. "Come Softly to Me" was also recorded by Frankie Vaughan and The Kaye Sisters, who had a chart hit in the United Kingdom with the song. The Fleetwoods' version of "Come Softly To Me" can be heard on a portable radio at one point in the 1986 movie, Stand By Me, which was set in Washington state.
Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records (later changed to Dolton Records), was responsible for the changes to the group name and song title. He thought that the title was too risque and not commercial-sounding enough, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me". He also thought that the group's original name wasn't commercial-sounding enough. The new name of the group, The Fleetwoods, was based on the telephone exchanges in the areas where the three members lived, Fleetwood2-xxxx and Fleetwood7-xxxx.
The Fleetwoods continued to record into the 1960s, with a number of other successes, although none so big as "Come Softly to Me". Their second hit, "Mr. Blue," was one of the few recordings by a white singing group to make the rhythm & blues chart. The beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel was drafted into the U.S. Navy. Additionally, the British Invasion of the mid 1960s ended the public's taste for sweet, melodic music.
By the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant, Ellis was managing a trailer park in Canada, and Christopher was a housewife and modern dance teacher. In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that under the United States Constitution, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation.
Graduation's Here
The Fleetwoods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things won't be the same
The day to grow up finally came
Graduation's here
Graduation
Our trips to the ocean
Were so much fun
Graduation's here
CHORUS
Our senior year and our one big sin
Was the "senior skip" when we were all turned in
The gaudy mischief had to come but now it's gotta go
'cause graduation's here and we'll soon be on our own
Bah-oodo-doo-dahm, doo-dahm, doo-dahm
Doo doddy doddy dahm
Graduation, graduation, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, graduation
Now we are walking down the aisle
I cry inside but I'm trying to smile
Goodbye friends, alma mater too
Graduation's here
The Fleetwoods's song Graduation is about the bittersweet feelings of leaving high school and moving on to adulthood. The song begins with the realization that high school parties are over, and things won't be the same as they used to be. Finally, the day to grow up has come, and graduation is here. The song reflects on fond memories of trips to the ocean and the games they almost won. The chorus talks about the one big sin, the "senior skip," and the gaudy mischief. The lyrics convey a sense of sadness and excitement for the future.
The song's overall message is that graduation is a symbolic milestone in life. The closing line says, "Now we are walking down the aisle, I cry inside but I'm trying to smile. Goodbye friends, alma mater too. Graduation's here." The line highlights the mix of emotions each student feels when leaving high school behind. In the end, the message is that the journey of life has only just begun, and while the friends and the memories of high school will always be cherished, there is much more to look forward to.
Line by Line Meaning
High school parties are over
We can no longer indulge in our youthful, carefree ways of partying as high school has come to an end.
Things won't be the same
Our lives are about to undergo a significant change and we won't ever be able to go back to the way things were.
The day to grow up finally came
Graduation represents a turning point in our lives when we must leave behind our adolescent ways and take on adult responsibilities.
Graduation's here
The culmination of our high school experience has arrived and we are about to embark on a new journey.
Our trips to the ocean
The times we spent at the beach together hold fond memories for us.
Were so much fun
We enjoyed those moments of leisure when we could let go of our worries and complications and just have a good time.
Remember the games we almost won
We remember those games where we came close to victory and the thrill of almost achieving it.
Our senior year and our one big sin
During our final year of high school, our biggest transgression was the act of skipping school, known as the 'senior skip.'
Was the "senior skip" when we were all turned in
Although we got in trouble for it, the moment of rebellion and camaraderie was worth it.
The gaudy mischief had to come but now it's gotta go
While we enjoyed engaging in foolish activities, we must now put them aside in order to move on to bigger and better things.
'cause graduation's here and we'll soon be on our own
As we transition into adulthood, we will no longer have the support system of school and our parents to rely on.
Bah-oodo-doo-dahm, doo-dahm, doo-dahm
Musical interlude
Doo doddy doddy dahm
Musical interlude
Graduation, graduation, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, graduation
Reiterating the main theme of the song - Graduation.
Now we are walking down the aisle
We are literally walking down the aisle to receive our diplomas, but symbolically entering a new phase of life.
I cry inside but I'm trying to smile
We may be emotional about leaving our high school experience behind, but we try to remain strong and positive.
Goodbye friends, alma mater too
We are saying goodbye to not only our friends, but also to our school and all that it represents.
Graduation's here
Re-emphasizing that the theme and central message of the song is Graduation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GRETCHEN CHRISTOPHER, BARBARA ELLIS, GARY TROXEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elliotsoldies9585
This is almost certainly going to be my choice for my graduation song.
Class of 2022 baby!
@senormundo9921
C/O 22 🤩
@IchabodvanTassel98
Class of 2019 here!
@FredPickett
What a good good Group/such good harmony.
@legroom4575
This has to be one of the prettiest songs I have ever heard