Monday, February 1, 2016

The Love Song That Wasn't — Lost & Found hop + #BoTB

"Every new beginning comes
from some other beginning's end."
~ Seneca

(Seneca, yes. Not Semisonic.)

Note to BoTB-ers: To skip the preamble and go straight to the Battle, scroll down to where the long Lost & Found banner is :)



When people of my generation think of love songs, they might think of Bryan Adams or Bangles or Peter Cetera or Air Supply or Richard Marx (if they're mainstream). The "pseudo-rocker" crowd might list Journey, Bon Jovi, Bonnie Tyler, Meatloaf, or Heart, while the "real" rockers might go for Def Leppard, INXS, U2, The Cure, Scorpions, Cheap Trick, REM. The really alternative ones might go for The Smiths or Billy Idol or Leonard Cohen or Fiction Factory or Cutting Crew or David Bowie or Echo & The Bunnyman or ... let's face it, we wouldn't have known them anyway.


A walk down memory lane...


Not sure I'd agree with "Best" as the right adjective here,
but... Still. Good memories.

The first love song I knew as such—the first song that carried meaning, that encompassed an actual relationship—doesn't even come close to any of the above listings. I doubt anyone might include it in the love-song category. (Unless you're a twisted, dark-minded oddity—in which case please let's be friends.)

On a quiet afternoon in December 1988—I was two months shy of turning 16—my first boyfriend brought me a teddy bear. It was an early (or belated, can't remember the exact date) Christmas gift. We'd been dating a couple of months. I remember what I was wearing: a pink denim overall. I remember what he was wearing: white pants with a near-invisible blue pinstripe. And he was carrying a sweater—it was December, and Cuernavaca can get chilly—of a multi-colored knit. We sat out in the terrace for a while, and when he left and I walked him to the gate, he said something along the lines of,

"You know Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here?"

I didn't even know what Pink Floyd was.

"You should listen to it," he said. "I dedicate it to you."

(I'm paraphrasing; translation and a quarter-century-old memory don't make for good verbatim recollection. Let me explain, just in case, that in Spanish, when you "dedicate" a song to someone, it means you want them to think of you when they listen to it. It means the song is saying something that you'd like to say to that person. Not sure if this is the way the word is used in English, too.)

This boy was, I believed at the deepest core of myself then, the love of my life. His presence lit up my world in ways previously unimagined, even impossible. The fact that he wanted to be with me filled me with a joy at boiling point that continuously threatened to spill and launch me into cartwheels or somersaults or, maybe, an aria.


If I only had the voice...

And so finding and listening to the message of this song—unknown, but with a highly promising title; I envisioned a lovely ballad of longing and chaste desire—became my obsession.

This is in the time before YouTube and Spotify and Google search. Before—gasp!—the internet. And, no, my parents didn't own a single Pink Floyd album. I doubt they even knew the band existed. (Well, my dad might've.)

Eventually, a friend found a tape of her brother's that had Wish You Were Here (just the song, mind you; it would be a few years before I got to listen to the whole album), and proceeded to "borrow" it for me

That staticky radio-station intro. The haunting twang of the first guitar. The smoothness of the second, answering one. The gorgeousness of the rhythm, the cadence. The first sound of Gilmour's voice:

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold, steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?




I have... no words. Going on three decades later, I still don't. I cannot explain what this song — these words — did to me. It was like a veil lifting. The lights dimming in the theater, the velvety rustle of the curtain gliding open, a spotlight illuminating a new world. A new universe. A new me, transformed (revealed?) by the music, the lyrics—and by the person who'd thought of me with it.

Perhaps I should've been offended. I know my friend was, on my behalf. This is not a song of I'll love you forever, or You're so wonderful, or Can't live without you. This is no song of tender gazes, of soft feelings. This is a dark song, of madness and absence and the power (and tragedy) of both. The lyrics are intensely personal—no facile applicable-to-anyone universality. They're not mellow or soothing; they're sharp, honed to cut to the marrow.

They're poetry.

But not of the Thou my belovedst rose of beauty sonnet variety. Perhaps I should've been disappointed. Instead, I felt honored: I'd been given a wormhole to a depth of awareness I might not have known I needed. Listening to Wish You Were Here felt like taking a drink of water when you're not thirsty and discovering, as the water touches your lips, that in fact you're parched.

Wish You Were Here might not be a love song—but its gift was much, much purer, and lasting, than any Love of my life, Tra La La song could have given. What it meant was this: we, this boy and I, were special. As individuals, and together. We shared something that went far beyond skin-deep: we shared a love for the search of the profound. We weren't ordinary. And it was the promise that, throughout our time together, we would forever hold each other, and ourselves, to that higher standard.

We stayed together, this boy and I, on and off for some seven years (mostly on the last five), and then—like Pink Floyd and Roger Waters—we discovered we had different paths to explore. But that first relationship shaped us. For me, it translated into this: good music—the kind that connects with the less lighted, sparsely inhabited core essence of being human—became the cornerstone that seals the love deal.

Today I'm in a beautiful relationship with a man worth his weight in diamonds. A man whose love song list includes Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, David Bowie's Heroes, and Ravel's Bolero. And our story began over a conversation about—yep, Pink Floyd. (And Maná, but... well, he's since made amends.)

If good music is what seals the love deal, then laughter is what keeps it alive. This my dushi has taught me.
(We happen to have a lot of it. We even manage to laugh about the Maná thing.)


Wish You Were Here has been covered much less than you'd expect for such a landmark classic. Perhaps it's precisely because the original is so powerful, so... inimitable. Like first love, one might argue. (Perhaps that's a good thing.)

And, also like first love, it's unrepeatable: it was performed live in 1975 and never again until the water-parting reunion at Live 8 in 2005. Ten years after WYWH came out, Waters left the band. For two decades the original, with Waters' unique style on the bass guitar, lived only in the memory of vinyl and acetate.

For today's Battle of the Bands, I give you the ultimate Floyd fan battle: Gilmour vs. Waters.






Who does WYWH better, Gilmour or Waters? And what do you think of WYWH as a love song? Care to share the top five (or three, or ten) songs that speak to you of love? What do you think makes a really great love song? Do you agree with Cat Stevens that the first cut is the deepest? How did your own first love shape you?

Thanks so much for coming by, for taking part in the Battle and/or in the Lost & Found hop. You can find other epic Battles being fought at these blogs:


Several, like me, have paired their BoTB post with Lost & Found posts; here's the full list of the hop participants. Some extraordinary—inspiring, funny, sad, eloquent—posts of love lost (or found), and well worth the read. Have fun exploring, y'all!




84 comments :

  1. Well played, Guilie. That was a beautifully told story masterfully leading into a great battle. I relate to this idea of a song heard for the over all effect and not the literalness of the lyrical content. There are so many songs that I attach to points in my life, some for the lyrics and others for just the hearing of a song I enjoyed hearing. I like the idea of the "dedicated song".

    Waters and Clapton do an outstanding job with the song, but they are mere amateurs against David Gilmour and his band. I have the DVD of the concert shown in the above video and it's one of the best concert videos I've seen.

    Definitely David Gilmour wins this for me.

    Thanks for hosting Lost & Found with us. I'd call it a success based on your post alone.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Lee, thank you so much! Can't tell you how wonderful it's been to be part of the Lost & Found with you—thanks for making me a part of it!

      First vote for ol' Dave ;)

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  2. Now we can all go home Guilie! Great post. Great mixing of the two! David Gilmour is the go for this one. Thanks for co-hosting the hippety hop!

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    1. Aw, Denise—thank you! And thank you for joining us on the Lost & Found! Loved co-hosting with you :)

      Another vote for Gilmour!

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  3. Great story! Those first loves can shape us in powerful ways. Wish You Were Here is a great song. Your brief mention of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters also made me sentimental, since that was the first song my husband and I danced to at our wedding. Music is a wonderful thing indeed.

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    1. Glad you liked it, L.G.! And thank you for the visit. Music truly is powerful :)

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  4. Music in the 80's created some of the most impressive love ballads! love this <3

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it, Tammy. Thanks for dropping by!

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  5. I love your battle. Eric Clapton was one of my first loves as far as guitar players but Gilmour wasn't far behind. In my mind I can't choose it is a tie for me. Split my vote. Gilmour's vocals are better than Waters. But Water has that emotional quality to his and strengthens his weakness by adding backup vocalist. Gilmour Vs Clapton on guitar. We make it a competition but in this case it isn't a who's better type of thing. It is I enjoyed both equally. However, I think the parts together are better. Even with that there would still be missing parts.

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    1. Spot-on, Mike... Gilmour is the better singer, but the emotion Waters puts into his voice can't be beat. I'll register 0.5 of your vote for each :)

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  6. The first cut may not be the deepest, but certainly goes deep. How ubercool to have a PF number dedicated to you!

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    1. It does, Nilanjana, doesn't it? Thanks for coming by!

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  7. Hi,
    The Gilmour/Waters version gets my vote. I was a Pink Floyd fan when it was not popular to be one in my town if you were an African American. I stood out in our neighborhood. My family always thought there was something wrong with me. But I still love their music. They also played after the Berlin Wall came down in 1990.

    I am a Cat Stevens' fan also. I think that the first cut goes the deepest and it takes time for it to heal.

    Shalom,
    Patricia

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    1. Another PF fan! Yes, their music is fantastic. I remember the Waters concert at the Berlin wall, Pat (it was just him, not PF)—so emotional, so powerful.

      Sadly, there's no Gilmour/Waters version up for voting... The choice was between Gilmour and Waters ;) But thank you for wanting to play along, and I hope you'll be back for another Battle soon :)

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  8. What a bittersweet story. Yes, your relationship certainly shaped your future. Thank you for writing so eloquently about pouring your young love out on the page for us. I think you may surprised to see the similarities between your blog post and the very short story I shared on my blog today. I'm sure this song always triggers these memories. Music is the sound track of our lives. Very special. Thank you.

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    1. I'm glad you liked it, J Q—and thanks so much for the visit. "The soundtrack of our lives"... indeed. Oh, and I loved your story!

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  9. Music really is the language of love. And, yes, laughter is what keeps the sparks alive, that and a good sense of humor in most situations!

    Mary at Play off the Page

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  10. Thank you for co-hosting and for telling this beautiful tale. You really did tell it well. I felt like I was a part of it. Wow, how do I choose? Can I just stick with the original? No, I guess not. Gilmour gets my vote.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Elsie — and sorry for putting you in an impossible-decision spot :D Another vote for Gilmour!

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  11. When it comes to music, I was lucky to have an older sister who knew her way around the record store. I got introduced to Pink Floyd, The Police, David Bowie, and Ozzie years before my friends. I never would have pegged Wish You Were Here as a love song, but it sure takes me back to my teens.

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    1. How cool, Tamara! I was an only child, but I did have the second-hand experience of learning from my friends' older siblings (as this story shows, haha). Thanks so much for coming by!

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  12. I was going to say, "That's not a love song." LOL! It's funny how different music moves us at different times of our lives, eh?

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  13. No, not a song I would call a love song either, but hey, it meant something to you both.
    Cool your husband thinks Nothing Else Matters is a love song. I think Killswitch Engage's Rose of Sharyn is a love song.
    Have to go with the Gilmour version. He's Pink Floyd to me.

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    1. "You never left me
      The rising sun will always speak your name"...

      Yep, definitely a love song, Alex. Regardless of genre ;) Thanks so, so much for co-hosting the Lost & Found; it's been an honor to be a part of this with you. And, yes, Gilmour is also Pink Floyd to me.

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  14. This was a hard choice but I did like the Waters Clapton version better.
    Such a lovely tale of love found. Memories of music and the way hearing a particular song raises those memories is interesting. This is something I shall consider. Thank you for sharing both your love of music and its influence and your love story.

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    1. YAY! Waters gets his first vote! I was beginning to think he'd go down with an absolute zero :)

      Thank *you*, Yolanda—for coming by, for the vote, and especially for all the effort you put in making the Lost & Found hop a success :) It's been a pleasure to co-host it with you.

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  15. SO much love for this post & music choice, Guilie! That Floyd song IS flipping awesome. This showcases the power of well chosen songs to transport us to the people and places that matter, regardless of the time and distance between them.

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    1. Thank you, Sam! So happy you liked it. The power of music is endless and mysterious indeed :)

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  16. What a masterful mix of both the bloghops, Guilie! Wish you were here is one of my all-time favorite songs and I love all the version - but I remember the vinyl version I heard for the first time, perfectly described by you! It touched my heart and gave me goosebumps. It is still one of my go-to feel-good take-me-down-memory-lane and it doesn't-matter-if-I-cry songs. Permanent residence in my heart - full volume. Ah. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Loving being part of the Lost and Found bloghop! Hugs! and thanks for hosting it!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed this, Vidya—the post *and* the hop! So many wonderful stories, so many different takes... Let's do it again! ;) Thanks for the visit, darling Vidya.

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  17. Oh! I forgot to say that my vote is for Gilmour! Yes, he's sung me the song right into my ear a zillion times!

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  18. I'll be there for you by Bon Jovi was the first song ever dedicated to me..it was during the time when Backstreet boys were at their peak so I was happy that I got Bon Jovi to start off that songs dedicated to me list..But isn't it wonderful how one song means so much, how it leaves a mark in our lives..Thanks for sharing your story:)

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    1. I remember Bon Jovi's I'll Be There For You—it was really all the rage (with the Backstreet haters, haha), and it's a gorgeous song. Thank *you*, Naba, for the visit!

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  19. You know 'they' say we don't have any idea what love is all about when we're in our teens, but I find it very interesting that those first loves shape our lives and our future more mature loves in our life. 'They' call it puppy love, but then what do 'they' really know.

    With respect to the song. It certainly is a different kind of love song, but like the loves of our lives who is to dictate what rally speaks to our heart.

    For BOTB I've go to go with David Gilmore. Roger Waters vocals are just not up to par with David and by teaming up with Clapton the song had a bigger Clapton sound that Pink Floyd. That kind of destroyed the whole vibe for me.

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    1. You're so right, FAE... what speaks to the heart is the ultimate personal. Got you down for Gilmour :)

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  20. Guilie, lovely battle, nice story! I like very little of Pink Floyd's music, so this song isn't familiar to me, but I thought your contenders did a better job than the original. David Gilmore sounded the best to me today, so kindly give David my vote. :D

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Cathy. Another vote for David!

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  21. Guilie, I loved your love piece. Memories of my own come forward. Though I wasn't a Pink Floyd fan, I do like both versions of this song... one of the few of Floyd's I know. It's really tough to choose.

    Listening to both a second time, I'm voting for Roger Waters with Eric Clapton.

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    1. So happy you liked this, Dixie—and thanks so much for coming by :)

      Another vote for Waters!

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  22. I know that, when I listened to the Waters version, I missed the twelve-string guitar. Which is my way of saying I'm voting for Gilmour.

    Beautiful story, by the way...

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    1. Thank you, John. And I hear you on the twelve-string's absence. Another vote for Gilmour :)

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  23. My husband and I would swap mixed tapes with songs that we'd have dedicated. It was his choice of AC/DC that warmed my heart and made me decide he wasn't just your average guy in the pack.

    The picture of you and your husband is perfect. Love it.

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    1. That's it, isn't it? "Not your average guy in the pack"... I guess that's what happened to me, too :) Looking for that out-of-the-ordinary quality (in people, in music, in literature, in... well, everything) is really what's shaped my life. Thanks so much for the visit, Elizabeth, and for co-hosting the hop with us. It's been great fun!

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  24. This was such an awesome story. Music has always been an integral part of my life and I love to hear about how it affects others. Thanks for sharing this!

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    1. Thank you, Megan, for coming by! So glad you liked this :)

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  25. I'm an old fartessa, so the songs my husband and I considered to be "our" love songs are considered corny and sentimental by today's standards. That being said, I happen to have a very eclectic taste when it comes to music, and LOVE Pink Floyd. I don't think of their stuff as "love music" but it definitely resonates with me. As for the BOTB choice you gave us, oy. I like both of them, but I'll go with number two.

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    1. "Old fartessa"—love it, Susan :D It's always a pleasure to meet a fellow PF fan... Nope, not love music at all, in any traditional sense. Which is probably why they're so special to me ;)

      Another vote for Waters!

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  26. Beautiful story Guilie! Sometimes it's not the lyrics that speak to us but the music itself. Sounds like that might be the case in your love story. I love how music bonded you two and how this Pink Floyd classic played an important role in that love.
    Fun medley of 80s love songs!
    As for your battle: GREAT battle! Two greats duke it out. I have to go with David Gilmour on this one. Love his voice. Please give him my vote.

    Thanks for hosting the Lost & Found bloghop! Can't wait to read all those great stories...

    XOXO
    Michele at Angels Bark

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    1. Thank you, Michele! So glad you enjoyed this—and another vote for Gilmour!

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  27. I'd say it's a post-love song, similar to John Waite's "Missing You", Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way", etc.

    The battle is a tough one. I prefer Waters' edgier, more jaded vocals to Gilmour's softer sound. Waters had one of the best guitarists ever with him. But I don't know if it mattered on this song. Gilmour had the upright bass. Waters had the backing vocals. I don't think it's a song that should have backing vocals, though. Voting Gilmour.

    (I like the pic of the happy couple.)

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    1. Too right, Mr. Ellipsis... the backing vocals sounded weird to me, too. Another vote for Gilmour!

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  28. Like Eliptical Man says: I like the photo of you and your other laughing. I'm a softer tune man, myself, so I pick Gimour.

    Lovely story of your connection with the song. First loves never quite go away, do they? Thanks for visiting my blog and staying to chat. :-)

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    1. "First loves never quite go away"... No, Roland, I guess they don't... And maybe that's not a bad thing :) Thanks so much for the visit, and the vote: another one for Gilmour!

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  29. I have to give it to Gilmour because it just sounds authentic to me plus I didn't care for the background vocals in the 2nd version.

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    1. You're not alone, Birgit... Gilmour is hitting this one out of the ballpark :) Thanks for coming by!

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  30. It is a love song if thought so, so be it! It is always a better alternative than loud ones. Gilmour seems a better choice!

    Hank

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    1. "It is a love song if thought so"—I love this, Hank. Thank you! (And I got your vote for Gilmour down :) )

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  31. Nice song, and great battle today. Though the 'we're two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year' is kind of depressing when you think of it, I can see someone dedicating this song. And yes, in English we do dedicate songs to people. When I was growing up listening to the radio, evenings were dedication nights. People would call up and request a song and the DJ would allow the person to dedicate the song to someone. As for the actual battle, I love the first version with Gilmour much better. I like the inclusion of the cello too.

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    1. I thought this "dedication" thing was also used in English, but sometimes my languages betray me... The more I thought about it, the more it started sounding weird, haha. "We're two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl year after year... What have we found? The same old fears." Yes, depressing — if taken in the lovey-dovey way. But in the wider terms of the human condition, I find it so illuminating :)

      Thanks for the visit, Jeffrey. Another vote for Gilmour!

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  32. That's a pretty great dedication. No, it's not the traditional love stuff. I LIKE IT.

    My first boyfriend, J1, and I were together seven years, too. I feel like I need to do a better job of highlighting his really great qualities in my Soundtrack posts. I think it' ll get easier for the latter years. Like you, we were mostly off the first two and mostly on the last five. I've come to see that it could've worked out had I allowed it. I just could never quite trust him after he let me down so consistently in the first two years. Of course, I couldn't quite let go because when he was there, he was wonderful.

    I really hope that some day I find a love that makes me feel rooted and happy like you have.

    As for this battle, Gilmour all the way!

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    1. I knew you'd like this, Robin ;)

      I saw this meme on Facebook recently: "Remember when you confused a life lesson for a soul mate?" Brilliant, right? I think these "lost" loves are really that, life lessons. I can tell you with absolute certainty that if I hadn't "lost" that first love, if I hadn't been through the other (mostly rocky) relationships I had, I wouldn't have had the emotional awareness to give a place in my life to this wonderful man I'm with now.

      Aaaaaaand... another vote for Gilmour!

      Thanks for the awesome visit, Robin. Love will come :)

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  33. What an awesome story. It's amazing the things that stick in our heads when we look back at monument memories. =D

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  34. Your love song is so much cooler than my first song that had a person... Mine probably would have been The Rose... Good old Bette Midler and my 8th grade crush...

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    1. OMG—The Rose!!!! I absolutely LOVE that song! That friend of mine, the one who got me the tape with WYWH on it, and I used to sing The Rose at the top of our lungs whenever we borrowed her parents' car and went for a drive. "Some say love... it is a river that drowns the tender reed..." Oh. I got chills :)

      Thanks so much for the visit!

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  35. I think it is a love song; one of deep intimacy, that speaks of the awe and wonder of finding something, being uncertain of what exactly it is that makes the person love. Like, seeing a beautiful sunset, or a child and mother together, or anything that speaks to your soul, and you wish to share it with one person in particular. Not just romantic love.

    I loved your story of love, and how you understood what he was dedicating to you like no one else could understand. Sad that you two eventually parted ways, but it doesn't sound like you regretted the parting, or the time spent together. Some journey's just end. Seems like you had good memories together.

    Aside from the original recording, I enjoyed the Pulse version nearly as much. Sometimes its just hard to top an original. Gilmour's voice is expressive, deeply emotional, and Waters just doesn't have that "intimacy". I continued to listen to Gilmore even after Pink dissolved.

    Thanks for sharing this story Guilie, and for hosting this blogfest ;)

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    1. Donna, EXACTLY! It really is a song "of deep intimacy"... and yes, the dedication wasn't about "saying" something but about sharing something—something powerful that spoke to his soul, and he wanted to share it with me. That's what made it so special. Thank you for helping me articulate that!

      You're right; no regrets there. "Some journeys just end"—yes. We're still friends, which I consider a blessing, but our paths diverged, and I'm grateful for that, too... I've had such amazing experiences in my life that would never have happened if I'd stayed with him. Some of my friends did marry their high school sweethearts, and although a few are still together, most have divorced... I think that's what would've happened to us. We just simply weren't made to stay in the fishbowl :)

      I *love* the Pulse version of this... That's the concert that I saw them in, back in—'93 I think? I can't tell you how much I cried when they played WYWH... and how much I still do, every time I hear that version :)

      I'm going to count your pro-Gilmour comment as a vote, Donna... He's got this one won with or without it, but your support matters to me :)

      Thanks for the visit, and for being part of the Lost & Found hop!

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  36. "The band is just fantastic -
    That is really what I think.
    Oh, by the way,
    Which one's Pink?"


    Hi, GUILIE!
    I'm a longtime, big fan of early PINK FLOYD (up through the album 'Wish You Were Here' - not much after that).

    Like others have said - and you've acknowledged - 'WISH YOU WERE HERE' (aside from the title) isn't really, technically, a "Love" song. But it was to yer guy and to you, and I am all for original outside-the-box thinking. (What fan of early Pink Floyd wouldn't be?)

    Great writing in this blog bit, Guilie! Really, really good!

    When I was a teenager, I used to listen to Pink Floyd albums (especially "Ummagumma" and "Meddle") through my headphones, in my darkened bedroom, and afterwards I would draw the images that came to my mind in my sketchbooks.

    In this contest... well... it's really no contest, is it? DAVID GILMOUR all the way.

    And by the way, at one time, I thought DAVID GILMOUR's first solo album was the most underrated Rock album ever recorded. Today, I'd say that honor probably belongs to David & David's one and only album, "BOOMTOWN". But that first Gilmour solo LP was pretty damned great. High intensity on a back burner!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. STEPHEN!!!!!!!

      See? I knew we had a connection, you and I... YOU LOVE PINK FLOYD. And that redeems you from everything (the U2 hatred, the Bowie meh-ness, etc.) in my book. I knew it. I KNEW IT.

      Have A Cigar is one of my all-time favorites ("And did we tell you the name of the game, boy? We call it riding the gravy traiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin"... And now I'll have that stuck in my head all day). I love the sarcasm, the bitterness, the jadedness. I also love the album Animals for that (well, and for its sheer creepiness... Pigs On The Wing? That's the stuff of nightmares, man).

      Too right, Stephen. It's Monday, I'm about to post the results, so I don't mind saying that I'm with you: Gilmour wins this for me, too. And yes, his solo albums are brilliant!

      Thanks so much for the visit. This comment is one I'll cherish to the end of time :)

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    2. GUILIE ~
      When 'Animals' came out, I played it to death. Really liked it. Not as much as 'Dark Side...' or 'Wish...', but it became my 3rd most played PF album over time.

      But somehow, as I got older, it didn't really stay with me. Or I guess I should say it didn't really have staying power for me, as the earlier ones did.

      I think I'm going to have to listen to 'WISH YOU WERE HERE' after this CD I'm currently playing finishes.

      Do you follow my 'The Soundtrack Of My Life' blog bits? I can't remember if you've commented on any of them. But at any rate, eventually, a song from 'Dark Side...' is going to make it into one of those posts. (And, no, it won't be 'Money'. In fact, it's the wordless one.)

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  37. Such a touching memory. Thanks so much for sharing. WYWH seems like a much better song than the tra-la-la trash that people sometimes try to sell as "love".

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    1. I'd have to agree, Misha ;) Thanks so much for the visit! (And looking forward to being part of the Damyanti Team with you!)

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  38. I'm so eclectic that I like pretty much all of those bands you listed. In fact, not five minutes ago I just listened to the darkness that is Leonard Cohen with a nice cup of tea!

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    1. I adore Leonard Cohen. Always happy to meet a fellow eclectic ;) Thanks for the visit!

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  39. Hi Guilie - a fun post with lots of good listening ... and ?best - not so sure either! Interesting how we change and something affects us early on in life - with new love being that starting point ... I too love Cohen .. but there are some fun reminders here - ah life when younger. Love the photo of the two of you .. cheers Hilary

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    1. Thank you, Hilary! Indeed, "life when younger" ;) Thank you so much for coming by!

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  40. Wow, this is a great story! I wish I had some boy dedicate something that produce such a profound response. And really great segue into your battle :)

    Tough choice.. uhmm... I think I'm going to vote for Gilmour!

    Also, by the way, the picture of you and your other is SO cute! I love laughing pictures of couples :)

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    1. Thank you, Madilyn! He really is a great guy, this dushi of mine :) I'm so glad you liked my story! Got you down for Gilmour ;)

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  41. What a fabulous post. It is a pleasure to meet you. That photo of you and your significant other is priceless. Laughter keeps us living. I would not want to live without it. I am a Pink Floyd fan for life. Their music is just about perfect listening to me. It is lovely to meet you. Thanks for visiting me.

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    1. Ah, a fellow PF lover... You and me will go places, Robyn ;) Also very happy to meet you, and looking forward to browsing through your blog!

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  42. "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl"....This, to me, conveys togetherness more than anything else. ☺ Love your story and the song choice, Guilie. How great that your first affair of the heart lasted so long! It must have been a difficult break up, but you and your current partner look perfect together and so very happy.

    I know it's too late to vote, but David Gilmour does it best. Cheers!

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