Recently, I had a chance encounter with a former lover. She recognized me first and tried to catch my eye across a crowded room. I sat stupidly wondering why this beautiful woman kept staring and grinning broadly at me until finally, finally, it dawned on me who she was.
It went like you might expect, we embraced joyfully, and then spent a few minutes catching up. She: married with two kids. Me: still roving like a pilgrim. We talked about the fun we’d had together, and laughed about the old times, and then shared sad news of relatives and friends lost since last we’d met. And our eyes stayed locked together, and we talked and talked some more. And after a while, we parted. And her eyes grew red and full as she turned to walk away, and I noticed her jaw trembling, and well, I didn’t feel so good myself.
There is something really poignant about encountering an old flame after a few years have passed. Something about seeing how you’ve both changed over the years, and thinking about your time together and the things that drove you apart, and all the bittersweet feelings, and most of all wondering about what might have been if your lives had gone in the same direction instead of diverging…
And I got to thinking about all the songs written on this very topic, and then I came here to the Dope, to share my experience and to ask y’all to share your favorite songs about encountering a past lover, or songs of wistful remembrance of lovers long gone.
I’ll start it off with a video clip:
Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon