How Can I Tell You
I’m not sure I ever knew Coleen and this song in the same breath. We listened to a lot of music together. For me, music should be playing in the background for most activities and in the foreground for all the others. But it should always be playing. Coleen and I had music playing most of the time whether we were cooking, dining, having cocktails or cleaning the house. Music was a big part of our lives together. We didn’t always like the same music but for the most part, we had a lot in common. We did rock, blues, jazz and classical and every once in a while, she would even let me slip in some Neil Young. If I was good.In 1971, Cat Stevens released “Teaser and the Firecat” and the last song on side one of that album was called “How Can I Tell You.” It is a beautiful lament to lost love and a missing person. I was in my last year of high school when I first heard it and although I thought it was a nice song, it never had much impact on me. I always thought the song was about losing someone you loved. I never thought it was about death. But now when I hear it, I can’t imagine it being about anything but that. I don’t recall specifically hearing this song with Coleen but I’m sure we did. If not, we’re hearing it now and I’m the one singing.
I admit that I am plagiarizing myself here because I posted this song back in September just before Coleen died. But I played it again tonight when I was writing my last article and it is just so powerful and so sad. I just had to do it again.
I can’t think of right words to say.
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