2016-06-12 16:21:36流浪阿狗
老歌亂談(588)The Sweetest Gift
1975，Linda Ronstadt推出了她的第6張個人專輯《Prisoner In Disguise》，也是她首度獲得告示牌專輯牌排行榜的冠軍專輯。其中的歌曲多為翻唱好友像是James Taylor、J.D. Souther以及Dolly Parton 《 I Will Always Love You 》 等所寫的歌，也包括了這首由Emmylou Harries替之合音的《The Sweetest Gift》。
此曲為福音歌曲作家James B. Coats ( 1901─1961 ) 於1942所寫，最早是由夫妻二重唱James and Martha Carson在1946錄唱發行。其後也有多位翻唱者像是Blue Sky Boys、The Judds等，都偏向鄉村曲風。
歌曲說的是一位母親至獄中探視犯了錯的兒子。她告訴獄警，無論她的兒子曾經做過什麼 ( 錯事 )，她還是深愛著他；她並未要來使兒子獲得假釋或赦免，也未帶來銀子 ( 錢？) 或作華麗的妝扮 ( 或顯現個人的風格 )；母親帶來最貼心的禮物，是她的一抹微笑，在她離開後讓兒子還能夠記得.........。聽起來還滿感人的。
1976，Dolly Parton、Emmylou Harries和Linda Ronstadt也曾一起在電視節目中表演了此曲。
Dolly Parton、Emmylou Harrid & Linda Ronstadt
One day a mother went to a prison
To see an erring but precious son
She told the warden how much she loved him
It did not matter what he had done
She did not bring to him a parole or pardon
She brought no silver, no pomp or style
It was a halo bright sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift, a mother's smile
She left a smile you can remember
She's gone to heaven from heartaches free
Those walls around you could never change her
You were her baby and e'er will be
She did not bring to him a parole or pardon
She brought no silver, no pomp or style
It was a halo bright sent down from heaven's light
The sweetest gift, a mother's smile