Lyr Req: How Have You Been (John Sebastian)

Subject: Origins: artist name - how have you been my darli
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 01:03 AM

the lyrics are: how have you been my darling children, while I have been away in the west, I have been traveling without much to carry, just a broken guitar case with tape on the side, and a few signs to help me get rides....(goes on to) found a turtle on the long island expressway. I believe the song was sung at Woodstock (1960's)but can find no recording of it.

Subject: ADDPOP: How Have You Been
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 04:42 AM

Hi - This Google Search (note quotes) will lead you to lyrics and information for this John Sebastian song.
Here are the lyrics, found at this URL:
http://die-augenweide.de/spoon/lyrics/how_have_you_been.htm

-Joe Offer-

---

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN
(John Sebastian)

How have you been, my darling children,
While I have been away in the west?
Though you are strangers, I feel like I know you
By the way that you treat me and offer to feed me
And eagerly ask if I'll stay for a rest.

Now sit yourselves down in a pile here before me.
I wish I had presents for each of your smiles,
But I have been travelling without much to carry,
Just a broken guitar case with tape on the side,
A bag, and a few signs to help me get rides.

But here are some beads from the throat of a princess
Who reigned in the years 'round two hundred B.C.
Divide them and wear them and make sure to share them,
'Cause I want you to have them in hopes that you'll be
As lovely as the lady who gave them to me.

And here is a strange European guitar string
I found on the floor of a club in Marseilles.
It's fat for the third string and skinny for the fourth string,
But I kept it in hopes that I'd use it some day.
It's funny how people just keep things that way.

And here is a turtle from the Long Island Expressway.
He says that his home has been covered with tar,
So I gave him a ride on the back of my suitcase,
And he says that he'd like to stay here in your yard.
At long last, his life won't be quite so hard.

How have you been, my darling children,
While I have been away in the west?
Though you are strangers, I feel like I know you
By the way that you treat me and offer to feed me,
And eagerly ask if I'll stay for a rest,
By the way that you treat me and offer to feed me,
And eagerly ask if I'll stay for a rest.

1970 Faithful Virtue Music Co., Inc
John Sebastian "John B. Sebastian"

Subject: RE: artist name-how have you been my darling children
From: Lanfranc
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 05:54 AM

If you don't have an autoharp, as played by JS on the original recording, this song works well on guitar in open D (DADF#AD), using the 12th, 7th and 5th fret harmonics of all the strings to simulate the autoharp chords.

A long-time favourite of mine, this.

Alan

Subject: RE: artist name-how have you been my darling children
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 08:38 AM

Thanks so much for the info. You don't know how long I've been searching without any results. You're great!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Have You Been (John Sebastian)
From: GUEST,whoamianyway
Date: 17 Aug 12 - 12:02 AM

I heard this from the mail clerk at my barracks in Korea in 1971. I forget his name but he was a very cool guy. he would sing this when he came with the mail call. however the lyrics were a little different -
how have you been my darlin children
while I've been away so long it seems
you all are strangers though it seems like I know you
from the way that you treat me
and offer to feed me
and ask me to sit and stay for awhile
... something like that.

it was a beautiful reprieve from a rather awful experience in the Army that ended up saving me from a life wasted in drugs. I'll always remember him for this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: How Have You Been (John Sebastian)
From: GUEST,wes
Date: 17 Nov 12 - 03:08 AM

I don't know why, but when I heard this the first time on my school bus in the morning going to high school, it pierced right through me. I immediately felt it was the swan song marking the end of the hippie counter culture era for some reason. The swan song closing quite a chapter in time. Lovely song for a melencoly sad moment. Weird huh