What great rendition of this heart-breaking ballad. Usually performers present this song in a WAY too fast tempo or too hip/jazzy. I was privileged to see Michael Feinstein perform this song in person--I was in the fifth row--at the San Francisco Symphony Hall. His crystalline voice is perfect. I recall just spilling tears I had been holding in for years. You could hear a pin drop after the last piano note hung in the air. Close to the finest moment during live theater for me. Glad his rendition of this is not lost to history.
Michael has a club in SF at the Nikko Hotel - a smallish venue of maybe 150 seats. Seen him there three or four times over the past five years - its a great, intimate venue to see him up close. But you're right - after he gets through singing a ballad at the piano, its deadly quiet afterward. An extremely powerful moment.
1:20 I have always loved his music. This song is new to me and as always he brings a quality to the meaning as he does with everything he adds hid beautiful voice to this song.
I love this one. It makes a wonderful companion to Feinstein's lovely reading of Sondheim's "Old Friends," which he pairs with "Not While I'm Around." Just beautiful.
my lover of 18 years just passed and whenever I asked him his favorite song of all time he always replied this was his favorite, so I would always laugh, because i'm a metalhead, but I always pulled up the song and turned it up so he could enjoy it, I always listened to it but I never HEARD it,....most beautifull song ever, he was always humming it. his name was Marcus Stuart Tretsky. would give my life to have him sitting next to me right now...life is so short, pleas..oh and thak youe go and hug and kiss your loved ones, for they may not be here 5 min. from now....God bless you Marc, all our love forever..ZuZu [Zeus], Leo the lion....and your partner..lover..best friend.....companion, Steve Spyros Makris.. see you and Harley and Shadow at the Rainbow bridge.
Dearest Michael; I don't know how to thank you for a life-time of such joy, sadness, insight and laughter that you have shared with me. I've been under you spell for years and you've touched my heart so many times. We may never meet but I pray you know that someone "out there" like me... loves you and thanks you for you... being the wonder of you. Sincerely, Charles Davis
@rhoda l I hope he reads these little love notes, too. Only Jane Olivor and Michael have touched my soul in this special way that actually transcends time itself.
I’ve been a huge Michael Feinstein fan for about 20 years now. If you haven’t seen him in person, you gotta go out of your way to see him in person- you will not regret it. He has a connection with his audience that surpasses any other artist I’ve seen (I used to be in the music business)
@@johntorell5813 Thank you John. I'm in the LA area. If you ever hear of Michael F. being in this area, please let me know. I would dearly love to see him live.
2 days ago I first saw and heard of Michael Feinstein. I haven't had much to be happy or thankful for, for a very long time, until I heard Michael's PBS show. I am a music lover and always have been. Why I ask myself have I never had the wonderful pleasure of hearing this awesomely talented man named Michael Feinatein? Thank you Michael, you lifted me up. Thank you "new friend", I needed your music, it reminded me that music can get into your heart and give me hope in this strange life. Cathy D
I first encountered this song, performed so movingly by Michael Feinstein, in my youth. Forty years later it speaks to me in profound terms I could not then have anticipated. It is a grace to rediscover - and re-experience it - in this moving interpretation that transcends eras (and pandemics).. I am profoundly grateful for this and for Mr Feinstein’s many efforts to preserve earlier music (notably Gershwin’s) as well.
this is a good song, and covers that awful feeling when we lose a lover... and later on when we come to our senses, not in the sing... we are damn glad we got out of that love affair. But don't we love to hash the lost lover, that is healing and we need that!!! thanks for this great rendition of this song. May love NEVER die!
In this very trying time of social distance, this song by Michael came to mind. Right now, life is strange and relationships are all strained. Hold on to the ones you love! We will make it through this together and our relationships will be stronger than ever old friend. Michael, thank you for your music! I've loved you for a very long time. God bless you and keep you safe.
This must surely be dedicated to his great friend Rosemary Clooney. For those of us who love fine singers and great music, Michael is a real treat. Thanks.
Michael Finestein was put on earth to make sure that great (fine?) songs will always be remembered.He has a knack of never getting in the way of the message in a lyric,whilst always being himself..He is a sincere musicuan and singer who is able to FEEL what he performs.Thanks Micjael!.
Well said Charles. You have summed up so many peoples feelings with those very kind & sincere words.Not that it means anything but Im a strait ex soldier and I would guess at first glance people would think with all my tattoos and the look I sport due to service that it would put me more in the rock, or what ever bracket. How wrong could they be. Thanks for your words once again Charles. Michael's music and persona touches me too, he is truly a treasure and I could listen to his works for hours on end.
iN THIS PERFORMANCE, FEINSTEIN ESTABLISHES THAT HIS TALENT RANKS HIM AMONG THE BEST MALE VOCALISTS OF THE PAST FIFTY YEARS. THIS INCLUDES SINATRA, ELVIS, GROBAN AND MANY OTHERS. HE DELIVERS A RARE AND POWERFUL MESSAGE TO US ALL. THANK YOU, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN !
I have been sharing Michael's songs for over a year now with a very special lady who has become a very special friend. She regards me has only a friend but I find myself wishing for so much more. Perhaps one day I will have the courage to tell her my " sad story."but until such time I will continue to enjoy the company of my " old friend."
I first heard this in the late 1970s, sung by Gretchen Cryer, when I saw the off-Broadway production of "I'm Getting my Act Together and Taking it on the Road", a musical she co-wrote and starred in. She is the mother of Jon Cryer of the TV series Two and a Half Men. The lines "We'll meet the year we're 62, and travel the world as old friends do." have new meaning to me, now that I'm 62.
+Daniel Nolan I know how you feel. I'm also now 62. I saw "I'm Getting My Act Together..." with Betty Buckley singing this song in downtown Hollywood, CA. Betty Buckley (whom I love) did an awesome job, but I like Michael Feinstein's version the best. I sit next to Robert Wagner on the top floor at the bar. I believed then and now that he is responsible for Natalie's death, though I have always liked Robert Wagner.
+Scott Well, I'm 64 now. It's interesting that you still like Robert Wagner if you think he is responsible for Natalie Wood's death. Don't mean to get off on a tangent, but why do you hold him responsible, because he wasn't around when she fell off the boat?
Just saw a revival of the show this song came from ("I'm Getting My Act Together & Taking It On the Road"). It played as part of the Encores! Off-Center series at NYCity Center. Great show, and it still holds up after over 30 years.
Well I was ready to bag Amy Armstrong because I think Michaels version is great however never having heard of Amy I checked the clip out and really loved it. What feeling and what a great voice.She really sings with conviction. Thanks for posting your comments or I wouldn't have found her.
Steve Makris - what you wrote about this is beautiful.Reminds me of friend who played a song I had never heard by Sondheim (and I know most of his songs). It was "Anyone can Whistle" - not the most likely choice, but later I read it was Sondheim's favorite of the songs he wrote. I had to listen several times until I HEARD it.
Yes, thanks for posting - nice song. There are a few little errors in the lyrics shown above, but one stands out as being confusing to the meaning. Should be: "But we'll meet the year we're 62" not "...was 62" The narrator is looking ahead, not back; Feinstein has it right of course. I checked a couple lyrics sites; they are all wrong.
On second thoughts, you do have a point. It is a less common theme, although I do think it's pretty generic in some aspects. To be honest I semi-regret posting that original comment, I've had loads of angry replies! A few months ago my brother was playing and singing it constantly on the piano, it was driving me mad! Hours after hours of him hammering out this same bloody track, right next to my bedroom...I reckon that's what triggered my angry response, not the actual piece. I'm a nice guy!
@Skyhawkct ~ Mine are teary right now, since yet another love has ended for me. This was the last time for me; the older you get, the tougher it is to navigate the seas of love.
He is great. Can someone tell me if he sang the theme song for the movie "Best Friend" that Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds starred in? I love that song but do not know the name of the song and I would love to find the CD.
oh..... erm.....when is your song book being released? and when will the greats be recording it? another classic block head thats opened an account with youtube...........
...because in a good song, no chord or lyric has ever been used before? That book you mention would surely be one humongously massive volume (and this song would not be in it).
One cavil: Changing the original 'men,' which rhymes with 'again,' to 'friends' was a cowardly decision. Otherwise, this is a heartfelt, tender rendition.
I could not disagree with you more...and if your perception of his "lack of courage" as you describe it, is all that it takes to destroy the sense of this beautiful and poignant song, then your skin is too thin. At the time he recorded this many years ago, he was not yet "out"...and besides, WTH does it really matter eh? Does every song by a gay performer need to be a declaration of their orientation via adjusting lyrics to suit overly sensitive folks such as yourself. He is under no obligation to do so....enjoy this beautiful song, the touching lyrics and the message in it....or don't. If you find nothing of merit because he didn't say "men" instead of "friends" then you have missed the entire point of this song!!
Debbie Mosley Sorry Debbie, but I believe it's you who are missing the point of this song on a couple of levels. "Every time I lose another lover.." is the opening line of this song. By morphing "lovers" into "friends" the cohesiveness of the song is lost. It is an especially clumsy morphing. By changing "And he wonders at my taste in men." to "And she wonders at my taste in friends" loses the sense of lovers being lost. Friends are not necessarily lovers, which is what the song is all about. If you're going to alter a song to hide your sexual orientation to the extent where the song loses its point, best not to sing the song at all. You may disagree with me about this as well, but it's pretty obvious the old friend of the song is a gay man. As for Michael not being "out" when the song was recorded, I'm sure when he did come "out" the sound of jaws falling in disbelief was heard around the world. I have listened to much he's recorded since coming "out", and never once has he troubled to make a love song personal by changing the gender to fit his orientation, and for a man who puts so much intimate warmth and feeling into his songs, it's jarring to say the least.
bronxboy47 I've performed this song a number of times...and have "morphed" (as you call it) lyrics as well, depending on the audience I'm singing it to. It's called taking ARTISTIC LICENSE, one of the most basic tenets of performers...the freedom to create an artwork, musical work, or piece of writing based on the artist's interpretation. You're splitting hairs simply to justify your argument. As for the whole "out" issue, just because he hasn't altered any lyrics since he came out (that YOU know of, as I'll assume by your statement you've heard every iteration of this particular song as well as every performance and/or recording he's done with potentially "morphed" lyrics in order to make such an all encompassing claim) is of absolutely no consequence, the two are not mutually exclusive. You sound like a very angry, bitter gay person to have this level of vitriol about a SONG...you should meditate. But definitely not to this song, since it only serves to piss you off. It must be exhausting for you to dissect songs to this degree in order to evaluate their worth, rather than simply enjoying the beauty of the melody and lyrics. You should stop listening if you find them that "jarring" - it just can't be good for your health. As for me, a singer who understands artist's interpretation and what it means to convey the "essence" of a song during my performance, I'll continue to morph lyrics as I (and thousands of other performers as well) interpret them. And hope that my audience isn't "jarred" when I change a word or are so hyper-critical or so overly sensitive they can't appreciate the song as I gift it to them, sitting there scrutinizing and dismembering the words to see if it measures up to their exacting standards.
Debbie Mosley You came at me like a deeply offended banshee and accused me of not understanding the point of the song. I think I've demonstrated that I clearly understand the point of the song better than you, and that by changing "lover" to "friends" the point of the song is not merely muddled, but lost. When a person deliberately avoids addressing the gist of my argument, then we are obviously talking past each other, and further discussion becomes pointless. That's all I have to say on the matter, except to thank you for your unsolicited health advice.
bronxboy47 If you say so pumpkin....to it all. And you're welcome for the health advice, you should probably heed it, especially as these posts are a window into your mental state. Take care now...
![เปิดบ้าน นาราเครปกระเทย 1 ไร่ ขายขาดทุนหลัก10ล้าน เอามาใช้หนี้!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jz84VFWVP4/mqdefault.jpg)
What great rendition of this heart-breaking ballad. Usually performers present this song in a WAY too fast tempo or too hip/jazzy. I was privileged to see Michael Feinstein perform this song in person--I was in the fifth row--at the San Francisco Symphony Hall. His crystalline voice is perfect. I recall just spilling tears I had been holding in for years. You could hear a pin drop after the last piano note hung in the air. Close to the finest moment during live theater for me. Glad his rendition of this is not lost to history.
Heartbreaking is the perfect adjective. So much pain but so beautiful at the same time.
Michael has a club in SF at the Nikko Hotel - a smallish venue of maybe 150 seats. Seen him there three or four times over the past five years - its a great, intimate venue to see him up close. But you're right - after he gets through singing a ballad at the piano, its deadly quiet afterward. An extremely powerful moment.
This is one of the saddest songs I know. I turn 62 this year. I miss you Ricky.
I have seen him live in New York and he gets better. I met him several times. One of the sweetest people. Like my friend Johnny Mathis.
1:20 I have always loved his music. This song is new to me and as always he brings a quality to the meaning as he does with everything he adds hid beautiful voice to this song.
I love this one. It makes a wonderful companion to Feinstein's lovely reading of Sondheim's "Old Friends," which he pairs with "Not While I'm Around."
Just beautiful.
my lover of 18 years just passed and whenever I asked him his favorite song of all time he always replied this was his favorite, so I would always laugh, because i'm a metalhead, but I always pulled up the song and turned it up so he could enjoy it, I always listened to it but I never HEARD it,....most beautifull song ever, he was always humming it. his name was Marcus Stuart Tretsky. would give my life to have him sitting next to me right now...life is so short, pleas..oh and thak youe go and hug and kiss your loved ones, for they may not be here 5 min. from now....God bless you Marc, all our love forever..ZuZu [Zeus], Leo the lion....and your partner..lover..best friend.....companion, Steve Spyros Makris.. see you and Harley and Shadow at the Rainbow bridge.
I am so sorry for your loss, may Marcus rest in peace, may light perpetual shine upon him, and may you have peace.
Love this post.
Sending you all sorts of love and comfort ❤
i can't believe this is the only posting of this song...it's an anthem...a snap shot of life in the 80s/90s....
gets me everytime
Dearest Michael; I don't know how to thank you for a life-time of such joy, sadness, insight and laughter that you have shared with me. I've been under you spell for years and you've touched my heart so many times. We may never meet but I pray you know that someone "out there" like me... loves you and thanks you for you... being the wonder of you. Sincerely, Charles Davis
th-cam.com/video/jDkn-ownOws/w-d-xo.html
@rhoda l I hope he reads these little love notes, too. Only Jane Olivor and Michael have touched my soul in this special way that actually transcends time itself.
I’ve been a huge Michael Feinstein fan for about 20 years now. If you haven’t seen him in person, you gotta go out of your way to see him in person- you will not regret it. He has a connection with his audience that surpasses any other artist I’ve seen (I used to be in the music business)
@@johntorell5813 Thank you John. I'm in the LA area. If you ever hear of Michael F. being in this area, please let me know. I would dearly love to see him live.
Old songs are the best. Even singers then are better than today!!!
2 days ago I first saw and heard of Michael Feinstein.
I haven't had much to be happy or thankful for, for a very long time, until I heard Michael's PBS show. I am a music lover and always have been. Why I ask myself have I never had the wonderful pleasure of hearing this awesomely talented man named Michael Feinatein?
Thank you Michael, you lifted me up. Thank you "new friend", I needed your music, it reminded me that music can get into your heart and give me hope in this strange life.
Cathy D
I have just discovered you and must tell you that you are absolutely fine...in all ways....and you touch the heart like no other singer....
I first encountered this song, performed so movingly by Michael Feinstein, in my youth. Forty years later it speaks to me in profound terms I could not then have anticipated. It is a grace to rediscover - and re-experience it - in this moving interpretation that transcends eras (and pandemics).. I am profoundly grateful for this and for Mr Feinstein’s many efforts to preserve earlier music (notably Gershwin’s) as well.
Superb performance by Michael Feinstein, his voice plus the lyrics pinned me down to my sleep, it's perfectly cool.
this is a good song, and covers that awful feeling when we lose a lover... and later on when we come to our senses, not in the sing... we are damn glad we got out of that love affair.
But don't we love to hash the lost lover, that is healing and we need that!!! thanks for this great rendition of this song. May love NEVER die!
In this very trying time of social distance, this song by Michael came to mind. Right now, life is strange and relationships are all strained. Hold on to the ones you love! We will make it through this together and our relationships will be stronger than ever old friend. Michael, thank you for your music! I've loved you for a very long time. God bless you and keep you safe.
This must surely be dedicated to his great friend Rosemary Clooney. For those of us who love fine singers and great music, Michael is a real treat. Thanks.
Michael Finestein was put on earth to make sure that great (fine?) songs will always be remembered.He has a knack of never getting in the way of the message in a lyric,whilst always being himself..He is a sincere musicuan and singer who is able to FEEL what he performs.Thanks Micjael!.
Well said Charles. You have summed up so many peoples feelings with those very kind & sincere words.Not that it means anything but Im a strait ex soldier and I would guess at first glance people would think with all my tattoos and the look I sport due to service that it would put me more in the rock, or what ever bracket. How wrong could they be. Thanks for your words once again Charles. Michael's music and persona touches me too, he is truly a treasure and I could listen to his works for hours on end.
What a talent!! Beautiful voice & pianist!
iN THIS PERFORMANCE, FEINSTEIN ESTABLISHES THAT HIS TALENT RANKS HIM AMONG THE BEST MALE VOCALISTS OF THE PAST FIFTY YEARS.
THIS INCLUDES SINATRA, ELVIS, GROBAN AND MANY OTHERS. HE DELIVERS A RARE AND POWERFUL MESSAGE TO US ALL. THANK YOU, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN !
I have been sharing Michael's songs for over a year now with a very special lady who has become a very special friend. She regards me has only a friend but I find myself wishing for so much more. Perhaps one day I will have the courage to tell her my " sad story."but until such time I will continue to enjoy the company of my " old friend."
I love this song so much!!.....so much feeling!!
I first heard this in the late 1970s, sung by Gretchen Cryer, when I saw the off-Broadway production of "I'm Getting my Act Together and Taking it on the Road", a musical she co-wrote and starred in. She is the mother of Jon Cryer of the TV series Two and a Half Men. The lines "We'll meet the year we're 62, and travel the world as old friends do." have new meaning to me, now that I'm 62.
thanks, i've been trying to work out who sung the original. It's been bugging me all night.
+Daniel Nolan I know how you feel. I'm also now 62. I saw "I'm Getting My Act Together..." with Betty Buckley singing this song in downtown Hollywood, CA. Betty Buckley (whom I love) did an awesome job, but I like Michael Feinstein's version the best. I sit next to Robert Wagner on the top floor at the bar. I believed then and now that he is responsible for Natalie's death, though I have always liked Robert Wagner.
+Scott Well, I'm 64 now. It's interesting that you still like Robert Wagner if you think he is responsible for Natalie Wood's death. Don't mean to get off on a tangent, but why do you hold him responsible, because he wasn't around when she fell off the boat?
Well, I'm nearly 69 now, and still friends with my oldest friends.
I agree, My Favorite Year may be his best of all, I hope someone posts it.
Increadible song. One of my all time favorites. I heard him do this in concert...and I swear there were many teary eyes.
Just saw a revival of the show this song came from ("I'm Getting My Act Together & Taking It On the Road"). It played as part of the Encores! Off-Center series at NYCity Center. Great show, and it still holds up after over 30 years.
this made me cry
This is the bomb. What a wonderful song! And performance.
Wonderful song , see a lot of it in one my friend's life ...
One of my favorites. Nobody does like you. You're theBEST!
So great
poignant......heartfelt x
how lovely. how absolutely lovely.
Omg yesss
Fantastic song which I have only just discovered. Great story and tremendous voice.
You. touch our hearts
From the first I heard Michael... I lov ed his work
Beautiful song, beautiful performance... Thanks for posting. I, too, hope someone posts My Favorite Year,
This is such an amazing song. So sentimental. Just honest lyrics.
Love this.
This performance is miraculous.
This made me love him.
Lovely!! So Real~
Wonderful !! Thanks!!
My New Years Eve song. Happy 2024!
Thank you for posting. One of my favorites, by one of my favorite people.
love this man--here he is at his best
Well I was ready to bag Amy Armstrong because I think Michaels version is great however never having heard of Amy I checked the clip out and really loved it. What feeling and what a great voice.She really sings with conviction. Thanks for posting your comments or I wouldn't have found her.
The things I will miss the most when i'm gone is song's like this.
Ann Hampton Callaway's recording on "Sibling Revelry" is also great - rivals this IMHO
Really wonderful.. thanks for posting !
This is one of my fav's since, um, 1988?
Steve Makris - what you wrote about this is beautiful.Reminds me of friend who played a song I had never heard by Sondheim (and I know most of his songs). It was "Anyone can Whistle" - not the most likely choice, but later I read it was Sondheim's favorite of the songs he wrote. I had to listen several times until I HEARD it.
Yes, thanks for posting - nice song.
There are a few little errors in the lyrics shown above, but one stands out as being confusing to the meaning. Should be: "But we'll meet the year we're 62" not "...was 62" The narrator is looking ahead, not back; Feinstein has it right of course.
I checked a couple lyrics sites; they are all wrong.
HUH? OH NO Michael this isn't about me and you man. I love you Mike. Robert c. VanHorn Philadelphia PA
Love him
Yes, Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford wrote this song. I found a reference to it on Wiki, It's a great great song!
On second thoughts, you do have a point. It is a less common theme, although I do think it's pretty generic in some aspects. To be honest I semi-regret posting that original comment, I've had loads of angry replies!
A few months ago my brother was playing and singing it constantly on the piano, it was driving me mad! Hours after hours of him hammering out this same bloody track, right next to my bedroom...I reckon that's what triggered my angry response, not the actual piece. I'm a nice guy!
@Skyhawkct ~ Mine are teary right now, since yet another love has ended for me. This was the last time for me; the older you get, the tougher it is to navigate the seas of love.
He is great. Can someone tell me if he sang the theme song for the movie "Best Friend" that Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds starred in? I love that song but do not know the name of the song and I would love to find the CD.
Old friend
Yeahhhh!!!!!!!!!
This is a page out of my life, and a lot of others I guess.
I only know the Live at the Algoquin version. Is there another? How did he change the lyrics? I can't really tell a difference.
Would love to hear Gretchen Cryer's version of the song.
nothing lasts
Where is isn't it romantic by mike. Hes great!!!
"Love is rare, life is strange. Nothing lasts, people change." Hasn't this been in another song?
+Mary A No.
+Mary A Perhaps the same idea has been expressed in other songs, but I don't remember those particular lyrics.
not sondheim - but same heart wrenching lyrics !
oh..... erm.....when is your song book being released? and when will the greats be recording it?
another classic block head thats opened an account with youtube...........
Old friend Renato Russo
...because in a good song, no chord or lyric has ever been used before?
That book you mention would surely be one humongously massive volume (and this song would not be in it).
LOL. You got an email at 2:20.
Another version:
th-cam.com/video/jDkn-ownOws/w-d-xo.html
This, I believe, is a Sondheim song.
Love this song from the seventies’ cabarets but you have neutered it which, I suppose helped your career.
I don't like this version...the best I've heard is by Amy Armstrong. That woman is gifted
One cavil: Changing the original 'men,' which rhymes with 'again,' to 'friends' was a cowardly decision. Otherwise, this is a heartfelt, tender rendition.
Write something Mozart.
"...and wonders at my taste in ''friends"? Really Michael? Your lack of courage destroys the sense of the song.
I could not disagree with you more...and if your perception of his "lack of courage" as you describe it, is all that it takes to destroy the sense of this beautiful and poignant song, then your skin is too thin. At the time he recorded this many years ago, he was not yet "out"...and besides, WTH does it really matter eh? Does every song by a gay performer need to be a declaration of their orientation via adjusting lyrics to suit overly sensitive folks such as yourself. He is under no obligation to do so....enjoy this beautiful song, the touching lyrics and the message in it....or don't. If you find nothing of merit because he didn't say "men" instead of "friends" then you have missed the entire point of this song!!
Debbie Mosley Sorry Debbie, but I believe it's you who are missing the point of this song on a couple of levels. "Every time I lose another lover.." is the opening line of this song. By morphing "lovers" into "friends" the cohesiveness of the song is lost. It is an especially clumsy morphing. By changing "And he wonders at my taste in men." to "And she wonders at my taste in friends" loses the sense of lovers being lost. Friends are not necessarily lovers, which is what the song is all about. If you're going to alter a song to hide your sexual orientation to the extent where the song loses its point, best not to sing the song at all.
You may disagree with me about this as well, but it's pretty obvious the old friend of the song is a gay man.
As for Michael not being "out" when the song was recorded, I'm sure when he did come "out" the sound of jaws falling in disbelief was heard around the world. I have listened to much he's recorded since coming "out", and never once has he troubled to make a love song personal by changing the gender to fit his orientation, and for a man who puts so much intimate warmth and feeling into his songs, it's jarring to say the least.
bronxboy47 I've performed this song a number of times...and have "morphed" (as you call it) lyrics as well, depending on the audience I'm singing it to. It's called taking ARTISTIC LICENSE, one of the most basic tenets of performers...the freedom to create an artwork, musical work, or piece of writing based on the artist's interpretation. You're splitting hairs simply to justify your argument.
As for the whole "out" issue, just because he hasn't altered any lyrics since he came out (that YOU know of, as I'll assume by your statement you've heard every iteration of this particular song as well as every performance and/or recording he's done with potentially "morphed" lyrics in order to make such an all encompassing claim) is of absolutely no consequence, the two are not mutually exclusive. You sound like a very angry, bitter gay person to have this level of vitriol about a SONG...you should meditate. But definitely not to this song, since it only serves to piss you off. It must be exhausting for you to dissect songs to this degree in order to evaluate their worth, rather than simply enjoying the beauty of the melody and lyrics. You should stop listening if you find them that "jarring" - it just can't be good for your health.
As for me, a singer who understands artist's interpretation and what it means to convey the "essence" of a song during my performance, I'll continue to morph lyrics as I (and thousands of other performers as well) interpret them. And hope that my audience isn't "jarred" when I change a word or are so hyper-critical or so overly sensitive they can't appreciate the song as I gift it to them, sitting there scrutinizing and dismembering the words to see if it measures up to their exacting standards.
Debbie Mosley You came at me like a deeply offended banshee and accused me of not understanding the point of the song. I think I've demonstrated that I clearly understand the point of the song better than you, and that by changing "lover" to "friends" the point of the song is not merely muddled, but lost. When a person deliberately avoids addressing the gist of my argument, then we are obviously talking past each other, and further discussion becomes pointless. That's all I have to say on the matter, except to thank you for your unsolicited health advice.
bronxboy47 If you say so pumpkin....to it all. And you're welcome for the health advice, you should probably heed it, especially as these posts are a window into your mental state. Take care now...