"What the heart believes, the heart will see."
Think for a moment of someone you've loved - sibling, friend, parent - who loved another person that you felt, no matter the reason, was not good enough for them. Can you cite a song lyric more concise than the one above that captures the perpetual mystery of who people end up loving?
Because all the members of Bryndle got a songwriting credit for On the Wind, figuring out exactly who should get the nod for this deeply wise, succinct phrase is tricky. But based on the stellar solo work Karla Bonoff has done since releasing her first album in 1977, and the fact that she sings the lead vocal on the tune, my bet is this tiny masterpiece of a song is mostly hers. No disrespect intended to her bandmates and co-composers - Kenny Edwards, Andrew Gold, Wendy Waldman; all big talents. And the other thirteen songs on the 1995 release called Bryndle are nearly as good.
Back to the beginning. Re-read those eight words and think of your own experiences falling in love. Any parent, friend, sibling ever ask you what you saw in the person? Even if no one asked a similar question, did you ever get a sense that others had unspoken doubts? Re-read those words for the ages once more. See the answer?
After reading your post the first song that came to mind that has that same sentiment but maybe not as succinct is "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris; I guess you were burning the midnight oil last night just like me; a comment at 1:57 a.m.! In any case, Jackson's sarcastic lyric in that great pop song is getting at similar territory as "On the Wind" and is, in fact, more succinct; seven words vs. eight. I chose the latter because it is so elegant. And FYI, in the long run of this series, I've only used a "hook" lyric (like "Is She ...") one time - for a Jagger/Richard song - because I've been aiming to highlight lyrics that are said just one time in a song to encourage any reader to pay closer attention and help me unearth these gems. In addition, I've used Jackson once already (a line from "Stranger Than Fiction") and have tried NOT to repeat any lyricist. So far, the only exception I've made to that guideline has been Paul Simon. All this geekiness aside, thanks for giving this some thought and for your comment.
DeleteLoved todays blog; have been a big fan of Karla since that 1977 album. And so timely because we had dinner with a friend last weekend whose relationship with her partner has frustrated and confused us for years. Reading your blog was a little therapy for me, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Thanks for the comment. And you're welcome re the therapy. My bill is forthcoming.
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