by Fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT-5NY83OYI
Slow down, we've got time left to be lazy,
All the kids have bloomed from babies,
Into flowers in our eyes.
We've got fifty good years, left to spend out in the garden,
I don't care to beg your pardon,
We should live, until we die.
We were barely eighteen, when we crossed collective hearts.
It was cold but it got warm, when you barely crossed my eye.
Then you turned, put out your hand, and you asked me to dance,
I knew nothing of romance, but it was love at second sight.
I swear when I grow up, I won't just buy you rose,
I will buy the flower shop and you will never be lonely.
Even if the sun stopped waking up over the fields,
I will not leave, I will not leave 'til it's our time.
So just take my hand and know that I,
Will never leave your side.
It was the winter of '86, all the fields had frozen over,
So we moved to Arizona, to save our only son,
And now he's turned into a man, though he thinks just like is mother,
He believes we're all just lovers, he sees hope in everyone.
And even though she moved away, we always get calls from our daughter,
She has eyes just like her fathers, they are blue when skies are grey,
And just like him she never stops, never takes the day for granted
Works for everything thats handed to her, never once complained.
You think that I nearly lost you,
When the doctors tried to take you away.
Like the night you took my hand, beside the fire.
Thirty years ago to this day.
You swore you'd be here 'til we decide that it's our time,
But it's not time, you never quit in all your life.
So just take my hand and know that I
Will never leave your side.
You're the love of my life and know that I
Will never leave your side.
You come home from work, and you kiss me on the eye.
You curse the dark you say that I should never feed them what is ours.
And so we move out to the garden, look at everything we've grown,
Now the kids are coming home, so I'll set the table, you can make the fire.
________________________________________________________________________
"The Gambler" is off of Fun's first album, "Aim and Ignite." Nate Reuss (the singer and lyricist) has such an incredible talent with lyrics that it was hard for me to pick just one of his songs. However, this song is always so touching to me. First off it is sung about his family, from his mother's perspective. Writing from his own mom's perspective gives the song a whole new light and makes it even more touching than if it were from his own. Through her eyes, Nate is describing how she met her husband and the life they pursed with their two children (their son being Nate).
One of my favorite lines is "but it was love at second sight." I think this really emphasizes how real the relationship is. We always hear "love at first sight" but how often is that true? Without even knowing the person, it must just be lust or desire. The fact that Nate emphasizes love at second sight makes the listener understand that it's not a fairy-tale story but a very real one.
The next part I really like is when Nate is describing himself and his sister. I like the word play he does here. When he talks about himself, he links himself to his mother and when he talks about his sister, he links her to his father. This kind of capitalizes on the whole "daddy's girl" and "mama's boy" stereotype and ultimately provides a sweeter story told. On a side note, I also like how he spends two more lines of lyrics talking about his sister rather than himself, just a nice brotherly thing to do.
Nate has a few songs about his father having cancer and he talks about that in this song as well. All of Nate's songs have to do with himself or his family but they're told creatively like this one. He never says the word "cancer" in any of his music but in interviews he has told people the truth. It makes the line "when the doctors tried to take you away" even more heartbreaking when you realize the struggle and impact that this severe illness must have had on the entire family. The song then goes into the children coming home and the family getting together, which provides a positive light. It's clear that Nate's father (though not entirely healed) had survived and still lives a fulfilling life.
My absolute FAVORITE part of this song, however, is the ending. The song ends almost abruptly, both musically and vocally. This is because his mother's life isn't over. Nate told the story of his mother's life up to present day and he ends the song there, on a positive note. The last notes of the song (a major third, which is a very happy sounding interval) leave us to believe that everything in their life is good, despite the troubles and that they do love each other and live happily.
All in all this song is a very realistic and happy approach to love. I realize a lot of the stuff we talk about is the opposite, and Nate has plenty of heartbreaking songs as well, but I really enjoy listening to this sweet tale of his parents. Like I said, Reuss has an incredible way with words in all of his music (the music is also very unique and *fun* to listen to) and is a terrific storyteller.
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