"A Love Song..."

Aretha Sing One For Me
George Jackson No. 38 Billboard Charts - 1972

Me and my baby
We had a big fight
And we ended our romance the same night
In a angry mood
She walked out the door
And he said he saw her going to an Aretha Franklin show

Hey, Aretha, play one for me
One that will let her know I'm as miserable as a man could be
Will you sing a song, that will touch her heart
And make her sorry that we are apart

I don't know if taking requests is part of your show
If you do me this one favor I'll be grateful to you forever more
Many romances have been saved through your sound
Your records have touched so many lovers, so many times

Miss Aretha, sing one for me
One that will let her know I'm as miserable as a man can be
Will you sing a song, that will touch her heart
And make her sorry we are apart

Play the song I could never love in anyone loved like I love you
Respect since you been gone call me tonight
Baby baby baby
A Bridge Over Troubled Water too
And
I can't see myself leaving you

Hey, Aretha, play one for me
One that will let her know I'm as miserable as a man could be
Will you sing a song, that will stay with her heart
And make her sorry we are apart

Miss Aretha, sing one for me
One that will let her know I'm as miserable as a man can be

This song moves me in strange ways... I never knew the name of it until today, nor did I know that it was actually a love song. I discovered it quite by accident some years ago when I heard a "de-vocalized" instrumental version on a blog post. I immediately fell in love with the haunting melody and the poignant chords that seemed to resonate in my soul. Somehow, I knew that this song was about what I now know its lyrics speak to - Love lost...

I used to listen to this when I was thinking of Stephen Christopher Harris. In fact I listened to nothing but the instrumental version of this song for the entire 800+ miles I drove from Detroit to Charlotte that fall when I foolishly believed in him and his promises of love.

I found myself thinking of him today and of those days when I gave up everything for love. It made me want to know what this song was really about... This song whose melody I've listened to for years and which had always been a reminder of him. It saddened me to learn that I was right about the song all along, but in a strange way, I always found solace in listening to it. Now that I can hear it as it really is, in a way I hope it helps me to close one more door and to walk through others that have now opened.

Finally, learning it's real title and listening to it gave me pause to ponder the recent sad news that Aretha Franklin has been ill and is reportedly battling pancreatic cancer... That she might have a hopeful prognosis is my prayer and that perhaps we can all continue to say, "Miss Aretha, sing one for me..."

"Fear Eats the Soul"