“I turned off the light switch and I,
I came down to meet you in the
half-light the moon left… “Bernie Taupin*
It can be difficult, with our glut of choices, to speak in terms of “favorite” things. When people ask, we are tempted betimes, to answer things that will explain us to that person more completely than time and more explicit verbiage might. I have adopted a policy of copping out: you ask my favorite, you get a list of five. There is room, in a list of five, for a breadth of answers, including the one that makes me look smart and cultured, the one that makes me laugh and cry, and the one that would elsewise be embarrassing if it weren’t insulated by being in the midst of other, worthier representatives.
And, oh, songs. How for me, to answer this. The funny part is how very easy indeed it is to do so. Because there are just some songs. For lack of other inspiration, I’m going to talk about them, one at a time…
Come Down In Time By Bernie Taupin and Elton John
I suppose that’s a harp in the beginning. And then there are the other strings. The melody is both spare and fully-realized. I like the understated way Elton sings this song. He can be prone to bombast, but there is no trace of it here; his voice is lucid and gentle, full of an understated passion and yearning.
This is a love song of simplicity and uncertainty. It is not strident or demanding. It has poise and poetry. It is quiet and communicates such longing, such anticipation. It is unresolved, it is a song in the midst of the fall.
Comments are closed