Past Phrasle (#600)
Saturday, September 16, 2023
raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens
Originates from the song "My Favorite Things," which is from the 1959 musical "The Sound of Music" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical itself is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers." The song has been widely covered and is considered one of the iconic pieces from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog. It has also entered the broader cultural lexicon as a representation of simple joys and comforts that can help people through difficult times.
In the context of the musical, the character Maria Rainer, who is a governess for the seven von Trapp children, sings this song to comfort them during a thunderstorm. The song lists various things that are comforting or joy-inducing, such as "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens." The idea is to think about these "favorite things" whenever one is feeling sad or scared as a way to lift one's spirits.
