“On St. Germain Street”
(Composed and arranged by Reynold D. Philipsek copyright 1996 and 2026 Zino-Rephi Music BMI)
Reynold-guitars, keys, vocals
Scott Wenum-drums
Brandon Lenz-bass, recording engineer
Zane Schaefer- brass section parts
Remastered by Stymie Seamans on 4/13/26
There is an instrumental version out there with a similar title (St. Germain Street, 2020) that is totally different. This is a much earlier vocal version.
St Germain Street is the Main Street in my old hometown and I do have fond early memories of that time and place. (So I hope this recording resonates with my friends who grew up in St. Cloud.)
This is from the 1996 album “The First Hundred Years” (are the roughest). That album title comes from something my Uncle Dave would often say.
On the track fade there are many sounds and “George Martin effects”including sirens, backwards drum loops, street sounds, car horns and a back-mixed snippet from the first single I recorded “Oval Portrait” though you really have to listen close to catch some of it. Incredibly, when I recorded that single with The Cure of Ares as a sophomore in high school The Beatles were still together.
(The “psychedelic-funhouse mirror” ending is another nod in The Beatles direction).
Lastly, looking back, I am rather happy about how these lyrics turned out. I’m grateful for that. Writing and recording has always been the part of the biz I liked most.
Enjoy.
Be Kind.
Love,
Reyn
“On St. Germain Street” lyrics
Once upon a time
Long ago and not so far away
On this street you’d find
A world you wouldn’t recognize today
As St. Germain Street
Church bells start to chime
On a sunny Sunday afternoon
With ever-steady time
the players change
But there’s no break in the tune
On St. Germain Street
It’s always time for turning tides
The barber shop, the corner store
There they are
There they go
The local bar
An apartment block
One day it’s here
Then it’s not
Let it be
Moving on
Like an old man’s smile
on a great grandson
Let it out
Let it in
When all is past
It will all begin again
it’s early summertime
Laundry on a Monday morning
Hanging on a line
Another page in an ongoing story
On St. Germain Street
Click on mp3 below to hear: