Something About Yon Yonson

What song through yonder window breaks?

Richard Cardenas is celebrating John Bellairs Month this January and supporting an online read-along of The Dark Secret of Weatherend (1984), the second book in the Anthony Monday series. I thought I'd wrap up the month with something lighthearted. When Miss Eells and Anthony Monday set out for Duluth they never thought they'd have car problems. Let alone the snow and the wind and the rain and...you know, those statues. They never expected to meet John Johnson of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, either, but he more than once comes to their rescue. And he more than once sings.

Does he ever sing....

"Yon Yonson" is the name of infinitely-repeating poem or song. It was featured in the Kurt Vonnegut novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, and in Dodsworth by Sinclair Lewis. Carl Sandburg included the song in his 1972 folk song collection, which we feature below. A Canadian band, The Dave Howard Singers, released an industrial/punk version of the song in 1987. I'll let you dig that one out for yourself.