As you already know, we lost '60s heartthrob and Monkees staple Davy Jones to an apparent heart attack at age 66. He's the Monkee that drove the girls crazy and made playing the tambourine cool for all the guys who couldn't play keyboards, guitars, or drums. Here's a clip from his appearance on The Brady Bunch from which the line "Wow, How 'bout the flipside" always comes to mind.
Oh, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.
Today's Valentine for my lovely (blushing) Bride is one that I found as Doctor Who fan. As a matter of fact, my kids love the Doctor's version of this little ditty. It is part of the "one-hit wonders" cadre--you know, songs like "American Pie" that really hit it big, but the artist never really got noticed aside from that. This one is the hit of The Proclaimers, and I'm following it up with a re-make by Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman (the video is not me and the Bride, but it's pretty good). For you, My Love--the sentiment is very real. Happy Valentine's Day.
When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/
But the Blushing Bride wanted to catch a few minutes of the Grammies last night, so we turned it on. Caught Tony Bennet's duet - It was pretty good, he should have done a solo. Also, saw the "tribute" to Glen Campbell. Blake Shelton did a superb job with "Southern Nights." It might have been better, though, if Glen had let others tribute him - his "Rhinestone Cowboy" was anything but sparkling. Then the producers kept teasing us that Sir Paul McCartney would be performing a "medley of Beatles songs." We decided to wait it out. Big mistake! Between the tribute to Whitney (which really was excellent, even if a last-minute edit was necessary), and McCartney's show finale, we had to endure two seemingly never-ending assaults on the music business. The techno display with the mock Mickey Mouses was nauseating, and then that other thing--what was that? And they only gave Tony ninety seconds?!? And then when Sir Paul took the stage, the performance was less than advertised (multi-talent guitar montage notwithstanding). Yeah, I'm not a fan of Awards Shows.
Here's another old love poem written more years ago than I can admit. It talks about two lovers who, for whatever reason, are separated for a time. While all the love poems I've ever written are for my Bride and my Lord, I'd like to dedicate this one especially to all those who have to be away from their Love for a season (think "military" who are deployed away from theirs because they are serving us):
Those who know me and my beautiful Blushing Bride know that we credit the Maker for our meeting, our relationship, our marriage, our family and our love for each other. Who but our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, would have such a great sense of the awesome than to draw two hearts together at missionary orientation? Because of that, I think (since we are on the Lord's Day today) the love song today will be our mutual love song to Jesus. Here are the words:
How do you explain, how do you describe
A love that goes from east to west
And runs ad deep as it is wide
You know all our hopes, You know all our fears
Words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for you to hear
Chorus
So listen to our hearts, and hear our spirits sing
A song of praise that flows
From those you have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell you what an awesome God You are
Words are not enough to tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts
If words could fall like rain
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I would still run out of time
So if you listen to my heart
Every beat would say
Thank you for the life, thank you for the truth
Thank you for the way
Before we begin today's love poem, shall we have a quick lesson? Sonnets are an interesting breed of poem. Here are the basic details:
A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines with a particular rhyme scheme. These lines are typically arranged in three quatrains and a couplet (though not always). The two major rhyme schemes are attributed to the poets who used them regularly--The Italian (some say Sicilian) Sonnet is commonly called "Petrarchan" and the English Sonnet is best known as "Shakespearean". Any further explanation than that, I would refer you to your favorite English teacher to fill in the blanks.
My point behind all of this is that the epitome of love poems is the sonnet. It isn't necessary for the theme of a sonnet to be about love, but when someone starts spouting a sonnet at you, start with the assumption that they are thinking along the lines of amour. William Shakespeare wrote a mountain of sonnets (many, most, if not all of them spewing love). In his Romantic Tragedy Romeo and Juliet our star-crossed lovers engaged in sonnetation (if it's not a word it ought to be) with their first words to each other. And so, My Blushing Bride, I give you this "kiss" from Shakespeare (I've removed the stage directions to see the beauty of the love poem--you will notice the extra four lines tacked on for the purpose of characterization)(R= Romeo; J= Juliet):
(R) If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.
(J) Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.
(R) Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
(J) Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.
(R) O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do;
They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.
(J) Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
(R) Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.
Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.
(J) Then have my lips the sin that they have took.
(R) Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!
Give me my sin again.
(J) You kiss by the book. (Romeo & Juliet, Act I, Scene v.)
Before SCC declared "I Will Be Here"; before Lionel was "Truly"; Leon Patillo was making the wedding altar rounds with a song that was inspired by Scripture: "And Adam said, 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.'"(Genesis 2:23) And thus, the fate of Wedding ceremony music (especially for "Church Weddings") was set in motion. And so, My Love, here's another love song - "Flesh of My Flesh":
CHORUS:[accessed from http://www.smartlyrics.com/ 2/10/2012]
You are flesh of my flesh
Bone of my bone
There's no one closer
You are flesh of my flesh
Bone of my bone
We are one
I do pledge my life to you
Forever and always
I will take good care of you
And shower you with praise
Others try and separate us
But they don't have a chance
No one else can take your place
No not even one
CHORUS
I do give my life to you
Today and everyday
I will stand right by your side
Whatever comes our way
I have searched and searched for someone
Who'd make my dreams come true
Nowhere else on this earth
Is there anyone like you
Instrumental
The storms of life can blow and blow
But they won't knock me down
We'll stand the test
The test of time
Cause we stand on Holy ground.
Chorus
Not to be out-done by their mainstream counterparts, Christian artists jumped onto the love song bandwagon, and many of their offerings found their way into the wedding song milieu. Here's a favorite from SCC which he wrote for his Bride, and I would gladly sing for mine:
Tomorrow morning if you wake up(accessed 2/9/12 at: http://stevencurtischapman.com/)
And the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
‘Cause I will be here.
CHORUS
I will be here when you feel like being quiet;
When you need to speak your mind, I will listen.
And I will be here when the laughter turns to crying;
Through the winning, losing, and trying, we’ll be together,
‘Cause I will be here.
Tomorrow morning if you wake up
And the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons are made for change,
Our lifetimes are made for years,
So I will be here.
CHORUS
I will be here, so you can cry on my shoulder;
When the mirror tells us we’re older, I will hold you.
And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me;
I will be here.
I will be true to the promise I have made,
To you and to the One who gave you to me.
As sure as seasons are made for change,
Our lifetimes are made for years,
So I, I will be here.
We'll be together and i will be here.
In the late 1970s and early '80s there were a host of songs from another host of different sources (in both the "Christian" and the not-so-Christian arenas) that made getting married all the rage. Why were so many people rushing to the altar? Because they had to have their favorite romantic song performed by their closest friend who thought they could sing it just like the artist while they wore a white wedding dress or a wide-lapeled, ruffle-shirted, butterfly-bowtied, velvet trimmed, baby blue tux with white shoes. Some of the songs were pretty good anyway. And for today's Valentine installment for my Blushing Bride I dedicate Lionel's offering to the milieu of honey-dripped songs that made their way to many altars with hopeful Brides and Bridegrooms. Truly --
Girl, tell me only thisAnd here he is to sing it for you:
That I'll have your heart for always
And you want me by your side
Whispering the words I'll always love you
Bridge:
And forever I will be your lover
And I know if you really care
I will always be there
Now I need to tell you this
There's no other love like your love
And I,as long as I live,
I'll give you all the joy
My heart and soul can give
Bridge:
Let me hold you
I need to have you near me
And I feel with you in my arms
This love will last forever
Chorus:
Because I'm truly
Truly in love with you girl
I'm truly head over heels with your love
I need you, and with your love I'm free
And truly,you know you're alright with me
March, 2000. It was the second day of my training at the International Mission Board's training center for overseas workers (they keep changing the name, so I don't know what they call it now). We looked across the crowded room. Our eyes met. (Shall I continue or just get sappier by the minute?)
Actually I did meet my Blushing Bride on the second day of that training. I was headed for a career in Ukraine, and she a two-year term in Egypt. Our friendship blossomed over the next five weeks, and then we went our various ways. Apparently, there was a plan that meant more than overseas service. I had written a love song a few years before--not for anyone in particular, but back in the day when I was a melancholy romantic and wrote love songs (not very good ones, but they suited me). Then I met HER. Then my heart went bump (day-do-ron-ron?).
Anyway, after we decided to get married, I realized that I'd already written a song for this precious woman--a song that was written even before we met. So, Happy Birthday, my Love. Here's your song:
For the next few days, I want to dedicate a these posts to my Blushing Bride. Let me start with Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous Sonnet (from the Portuguese) #XLIII:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
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