Richard and Mimi Farina Appreciation Page:

Richard and Mimi must have been deeply in love.  I hear Mimi's pretty and strong soprano supporting and nurturing the more plain but direct voice of her lover and musical partner.  Mimi is Joan Baez's sister and had a similar voice to her sister, but not quite the same strength.  When she played music with Richard, she played guitar. Her guitar work is suprisingly rich and supports Richard's dulcimer.  Richard, was a word man.   He wrote an interesting book, "Been down so long, looks like up to me".   He played the dulcimer.  Perhaps it was the simplicity of the instrument that appealed to him.  The combination of their voices and the openness and folk sound of their instruments made for a full sound.  In their recordings, they were often accompanied by bassist Russ Savakus, and Charles Small on piano.  John Hammond, Felix Pappalardi and Bruce Langhorn also contributed to their recordings.

Mimi Farina established a volunteer musical effort, called Bread and Roses. Salon Magazine has an interesting review of a re-issued Vanguard recording called Pack Up Your Sorrows.  The Beat has an intersting quick bio on Richard.

Vanguard was their label.  As far as I know, there were two albums made before Richard died.  He was killed in a motorcycle accident going to a party celebrating the publishing of his book. There was another album, a "Best Of" also on Vanguard. 

Here are RealAudio examples of some of their songs.

Pack Up Your Sorrows, written by Richard Farina and Pauline Marden.  I think this song is one of the simplest and prettiest of their efforts and would have the broadest appeal.   See lyrics, below

Reflections In A Crystal Wind, written by Richard Farina.  The rich imagery and detail allows the mind to wander.  I always explore the mysteries of relationships in my mind as I listen to this. See lyrics below.

Pic courtesy of Dirty Water.com

Pack Up Your Sorrows

No use crying, talking to a stranger, Naming the sorrows you've seen. Too many sad times, too many bad times, And nobody knows what you mean.

Chorus:
But if somehow you could pack up your sorrows, And give them all to me, You would lose them, I know how to use them, Give them all to me.

No use rambling, walking in the shadows, Trailing a wandering star. No one beside you, no one to hide you, Nobody knows where you are.

Chorus

No use gambling, running in the darkness, Looking for a spirit that's free. Too many wrong times, too many long times,
Nobody knows what you see.

Chorus

No use roaming, lying by the roadside, Seeking a satisfied mind. Too many highways, too many byways, And nobody's walking behind.

Chorus

Reflections In A Crystal Wind

If there's a way to say I'm sorry, perhaps I'll stay another evening, beside your door, and watch the moon rise, inside your window, where jewels are falling, and flowers weeping, and strangers laughing, because you're dreaming that I have gone.

And if I don't know why I'm going, perhaps I'll wait beside the pathway where no one's coming, and count the questions I turned away from, or closed my eyes to, or had no time for, or passed right over because the answers would shame my pride.

I've hear them say the word "forever", but I don't know if words have meaning, when they are promised in fear of losing what can't be borrowed, or lent in blindness, or blessed by pageantry, or sold by preachers, while you're still walking your separate ways.

Sometime we bind ourselves together, and seldom know the harm in binding the only feeling that cries for freedom and needs unfolding, and understanding, and time for holding a simple mirror with one reflection to call your own.

If there's an end to all our dreaming, perhaps I'll go while you're still standing beside your door, and I'll remember your hands encircling a bowl of moonstones, a lamp of childhood, a robe of roses, because your sorrows were still unborn.