Strawberry Fields Forever

It's almost midnight on the last day of the year 2011. I always feel melancholic at this time of the year. Today, I was far South at a rural place called the Knaus Berry Farm. This is a very popular place in the deep farming area called Redland, on SW 248th street (Coconut Palm Drive) and 159 Avenue. The Knaus Berry Farm and Bakery opens only mid-November thru the last Saturday in April. There is always a long line to get into their counter for some of the finest fresh baked goods, featuring their cinnamon buns, money can buy in South Florida. This farm, started over 50 years ago, is operated by the Knaus family, who are Dunkers (a sect of German Baptists) with a reputation for outstanding produce and fresh flowers, fruit flavored milkshakes and homemade ice cream.

In the back, near cherry tomato and tomato fields, is a strawberry field, kept meticulously manicured as you can see in the photo below. Unfortunately, their strawberries cannot be picked today, but the sweet strawberries can be bought inside.

Standing in front of this field, I can't help but to think about the famous song "Strawberry Fields Forever," which is a song written by John Lennon of the famed Beatles, inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home. This song was released in February 1967 and it was considered one of the Beatles' best recordings, defining works of the psychedelic rock genre. The song is soulful reflecting the nostalgia of days bygone. The music composition is very complicated with Lennon playing dissonant notes from his Mellotron. The lyrics are hard to understand, and you would need to do some research to know their true meaning reflecting Lennon's deep psyche at that time. It's beautiful once you understand. I am not going into that here to keep this blog short.

If you live in New York, you should know that there is a Strawberry Fields memorial in New York City's Central Park, named after the song.



Click on the player above to hear Strawberry Fields Forever from the soundtrack of Across the Universe, by the Beatles...