He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
But what a fool believes ... he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems ... to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him ...
Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return
さきほどテレビを見ていたら、キムタクのカローラ・フィールダーのＣＭでこの曲が使われていた。知らない人も多いだろう。検索すれば、歌詞や和訳が紹介されている。５年ほど前に調べたときよりも和訳は充実してきて、曲の意味も明確になってきた。
この曲は名曲だ。このバージョンが2009年にyou tubeにアップされてから、すぐにお気に入り登録して、気分転換に聴く曲にしている。何回聴いても聴き飽きない
この曲はyou tubenに多くのバージョンがあるが、1979年のこのバージョンが一番最適だ。曲の速度が適度にゆったりしている。マイケル・マクドナルドも後年になると、ボーカルの核心であるファルセットが満足にできなくなっている。1979年の来日時はこのメンバーでのライブを聞いて感激しているので、この79年時点のテイクが私にはなじんでくる。
ギターのジェフ・スカンク・バクスターが足を投げ出して座って演奏しているのも独特のスタイルだった。彼には、ジャズからカントリーまでどんなギタースタイルもこなせる才能がある。
このバージョンの中程でバクスターがにやりと思い出し笑いをする場面が印象的で、のちにペンタゴンでミサイルの軍事研究に従事するような彼の変人ぶりがよく表れている。
トミー・ジョンストンが率いる本来のドゥービーズからマイケル・マクドナルド加入後は、別のバンドになったのは周知の通り。しかし、楽曲としての構成力、バッキング・ボーカルなどマイケル以前のドゥービーズの底力があったからこそ、ＡＯＲとしても名テイクになっている。
マイケルとバクスターが在籍していたスティーリー・ダンも評価が高かったので、20年ほど前にＣＤを聞いてみたが、私にはまったく評価できないサウンドにがっかりした記憶がある。
ＣＭ曲として、ドゥービーズではロングトレインラニングも使われる。Timothy B. SchmitのSo Much In LoveもＣＭの定番で、ポコの時代のティモシー・シュミットが懐かしい。
The lyrics have a very straight forward meaning;
A man approaches his old lover. He is still "in love" and is sentimental and nostalgic over their relationship. He wants to re-create this old relationship which he is romanticizing in his mind...but it never truly was what he thought, and in fact is more fantasy than reality.
"Tryin hard to recreate what had yet to be created once in her life."
In his world (mind), they were madly in love and it somehow fell apart. He wants this back, but it was never the reality of the situation ( " She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale, never coming near what he wanted to say, only to realize it never really was" )
He was dedicated, in love, and committed. She never had to "think twice" about how much he cared for her and wanted to be with her. ("she had a place in his life, he never made her think twice"), but as well as he treated her, she just could not let herself be in the relationship. She apologizes for treating him poorly, but he "rises" to this apology; he wants to accept that she is sorry and will change, but "Anyone else would surely know, he's watching her go."
He wants to see her apologies as a positive thing; she realizes she is wrong, but in fact, she is ending things.
Yet, what " A fool believes, he see"....he thinks they are meant for each other and all he can see is the love...he can not see how poorly he has been treated and still hopes that it will all come back again.... "No wise man has the power, to reason away".... when you are that blind, no amount of wisdom will help you see the truth...the fool will only see what he believes, regardless of all the evidence to the contrary, and now, even after she has left him, he still sees what he believes. Besides, what "seems to be, is better than nothing".....even a crazy love that makes him unhappy is better than nothing at all.
A man approaches his old lover. He is still "in love" and is sentimental and nostalgic over their relationship. He wants to re-create this old relationship which he is romanticizing in his mind...but it never truly was what he thought, and in fact is more fantasy than reality.
"Tryin hard to recreate what had yet to be created once in her life."
In his world (mind), they were madly in love and it somehow fell apart. He wants this back, but it was never the reality of the situation ( " She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale, never coming near what he wanted to say, only to realize it never really was" )
He was dedicated, in love, and committed. She never had to "think twice" about how much he cared for her and wanted to be with her. ("she had a place in his life, he never made her think twice"), but as well as he treated her, she just could not let herself be in the relationship. She apologizes for treating him poorly, but he "rises" to this apology; he wants to accept that she is sorry and will change, but "Anyone else would surely know, he's watching her go."
He wants to see her apologies as a positive thing; she realizes she is wrong, but in fact, she is ending things.
Yet, what " A fool believes, he see"....he thinks they are meant for each other and all he can see is the love...he can not see how poorly he has been treated and still hopes that it will all come back again.... "No wise man has the power, to reason away".... when you are that blind, no amount of wisdom will help you see the truth...the fool will only see what he believes, regardless of all the evidence to the contrary, and now, even after she has left him, he still sees what he believes. Besides, what "seems to be, is better than nothing".....even a crazy love that makes him unhappy is better than nothing at all.