Feeling Kind Of Mayberry (Lyrics by Dennis Kurttila)

“Feeling Kind Of Mayberry” was written by Dennis in 2015 when his late wife, Wendy, was in the early days of her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Little did he know of the struggles that were ahead of them, nor did he anticipate the moments of nostalgia that would overcome him during that season of their lives. 

Deeply longing for simpler times and moments when things made more sense became the catalyst for Dennis to write “Feeling Kind of Mayberry.”  Looking back on his earlier life brought up feelings that became a beacon of hope in some of the darker times he would experience and were a part of what carried him through the most difficult periods of this journey.  The front porch swing and other imagery in this song came from Dennis’s home in Franklin, Tennessee where he raised his family and felt most at home and at peace in our crazy world. 

Why Mayberry? Mayberry was an idyllic place where problems were solvable, and neighbors were kind and helpful. It was a place where you could expect to learn good life lessons and “everything would turn out alright”, as the song says. People were not made to be perfect, but their faults were a part of the magic of Mayberry and were met with a certain amount of understanding and grace. These faults and failures were the fertilizer for learning and growth and were brilliantly woven into the stories they told through this popular television program. People were good, the bad guys always got what they deserved, and life was simple and predictable. Obviously, this isn’t always the case in the real world, but the show gave a message of hope and goodness that we all need, still to this day. 

While Dennis wrote the initial version of “Feeling Kind of Mayberry,” it was the collective efforts of The Forty-First putting their unique spin on it that brought it where it is today.  It is our hope that everyone gets the chance to be “Feeling Kind Of Mayberry” in their lives. 

Happy listening.
 

“…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands…”
1 Thessalonians 4:11
 

Herb Chapman - Bass/Vocals
Steve Charles - Guitar/Mandolin/Banjo/Vocals
Dennis Kurttila - Guitar/Drums/Vocals

Engineering - Steve Charles, Dennis Kurttila
Tracks recorded @ Highland and Solid Ground Studios
Mixed and Mastered @ Solid Ground Studio