Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea. —Henry Fielding

05 April 2004

Songs for a New World

I met a man with not a dollar to his name, who had no traits of any value but his smile. I met a man who had no yearn or claim to fame, who was content to let life pass him for a while. And I was sure that all I ever wanted was a life like the movie stars led. And he kissed me right here and he said:

I'll give you stars and the moon and a soul to guide you and a promise I'll never go. I'll give you hope to bring out all the life inside you and a strength that will help you grow. I'll give you truth and a future that's twenty times better than any Hollywood plot.

And I thought, you know... I'd rather have a yacht.

I met a man who lived his life out on the road, who left a wife and kids in Portland on a whim. I met a man whose fire and passion always showed who asked if I could spare a week to ride with him. But I was sure that all I ever wanted was a life that was scripted and planned. And he said, But you don't understand.

I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway and the river beneath your feet. I'll give you days full of dreams if you travel my way and a summer you can't repeat. I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure, no strings, just one summer rain.

And I thought, you know... I'd rather have champagne.

I met a man who had a fortune in the bank who had retired at age thirty: set for life. I met a man and didn't know which stars to thank and then he asked one day if I would be his wife. And I looked up and all I could think of was the life I had dreamt I would live. And I said to him: what will you give?

I'll give you cars and a townhouse in Turtle bay and a fur and a diamond ring and we'll get married in Spain on my yacht today and honeymoon in Beijing and you'll meet stars at the parties I throw at my villas in Nice and Paris in June.

And I thought, OK.
And I took a breath.
And I got my yacht.
And the years went by.
And it never changed.
And it never grew.
And I never dreamed.
And I woke one day.
And I looked around.
And I thought, my god...

I'll never have the moon.

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