Let's begin with the story.
I'm going to tell this with nary a wisp of how it all turned out in the end. I mean, you guys know this relationship didn't last (for good reasons). You've seen that my decision-making about this relationship up to this point has been iffy at best. But, every relationship has its moments. The highs.
So, we're going to look at a high (for a pleasant change of view) and not speculate about the reasons it all went south.
Desert Storm ended. J1 went back to Germany and was there for a while before that base closed. Maybe six months??? Maybe longer??? I don't remember now. What I do remember is the relief I felt when that conflict ended, and he made it through alive. He was given several weeks of leave. J1 came to NYC and spent several weeks with me, and then we went together to spend a week or so with his parents, which I was heartily looking forward to after so many months on the phone with his mom.
It was a really good time in my life. At that time, he and I were talking about him moving to NYC after his four years came up (we had no idea the base would close in Germany). So, J1 explored the city while I was at work. I'm not sure I can describe the feeling of what it was like to come home knowing he was safely ensconced in my apartment (after so many months of worry and uncertainty about his safety).
Life is made up of moments. Sometimes they are bizarre in their inanity. J1 was talking with his mom on the phone (which was attached to a wall in the kitchen) while I sat on the couch pretending to read, but discreetly watching. He was wearing jeans and long sleeved red shirt. Nothing fancy. I remember thinking to myself, "I want to remember this forever. This moment. How I feel. All of it." And I still do.
In that moment I was happy, hopeful, content. I don't seem to inhabit those moments for great lengths of time, so I clearly recall it. If I could sell it, I'm sure I'd be rich!
Other bloggers participating in the Soundtrack of My Life:
StMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Cherdo on the Flipside
Holli's Hoots and Hollers
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
Mean Who You Are
Wrote By Rote
The song for this battle is I Could Not Ask For More. Both of these artists charted with this song. It's up to you to decide who did it better!
First is Edwin McCain:
Now Sara Evans:
Please vote for the version of this song you prefer. If you want to get into the Ins and Outs of why you like one better than the other... I LOVE long comments!
For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:
- Far Away Series
- Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
- Tossing it Out
- DiscConnected (temporarily disconnected from BoTB)
- Mike's Ramblings
- Curious as a Cathy
- Book Lover
- The Sound of One Hand Typing
- dcrelief ~ Battle of the Bands
- Cherdo on the Flipside
- Angels Bark
- THE DOGLADY'S DEN
- Jingle Jangle Jungle
- Janie Junebug Righting and Editing
- NovelBrews
- J.A. Scott
- Quiet Laughter
- Holli's Hoots and Hollers
- beReInVintaged
I don't know that I have ever heard of this song before. That being said - I found Sara Evans a bit more pleasant to listen to. My vote goes to Sara.
ReplyDeleteGood battle!
Mary
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Thanks for voting Mary!
DeleteMy vote goes to Sara Evans, although I've never heard this song or any of the artists. That is not unusual for me.
ReplyDelete"Life is made up of moments." I like that.
Consider this a musical introduction:)
DeleteLife is made up of moments!
My vote goes to McCain. Less twangy.
ReplyDeleteWe all have moments we want to remember forever and music is one of the best ways to do that.
Got you down, Alex.
DeleteI know you don't listen to country (ever), but there was a Trisha Yearwood song that came out many years ago that spoke to that sentiment. It was called The Song Remembers When. I know you probably won't, but you can listen to it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AygRmWnow1w
Glad to know there were moments of happiness for you with J1 and that he survived Desert Storm!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard this song before. Edwin McCain seemed bland and just didn't grab me. Although I'm not overly fond of twangy country music, Sara Evans has a great voice and she conveyed more emotion. Please give my vote to her.
The thing that makes it hard to leave a relationship is the good moments. The truth is we had many good moments. We just had a lot of bad ones, too. If I knew then what I know now, it would've all gone differently. I think I'd have walked away sooner, giving him the option to decide (without my influence) if I was really the person he wanted.
DeleteThat saying about letting someone go has merit. If they don't come back, it wasn't meant to be. But if they do...
You manage to come up with songs I've never heard before. If this song hit the charts then I guess I wasn't paying attention and for the most part that is correct. I haven't kept up with chart songs since the 70's I guess.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice song. McCain's version was excellent. While I was listening I was aurally picturing a heavy metal version. This recording is good.
However, I think Sara Evans voice and styling worked better for me.
I vote for Sara Evans.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Well, Mr. Bird, same goes. More often than not, I've NEVER heard of your songs. Ha!
DeleteActually, that's one of the things I like most about BoTB. We all have such diverse taste in music. I find things periodically that I dearly love (and can't believe I've never heard before!).
I love moments like that. I have a few that I can still remember with crystal clarity, that I can look back on and smile.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that there's no love for Edwin McCain here, but then again, like Alex I just don't care for that twangy country sound. Give me McCain.
I know that you saw the movie Heaven Can Wait (Warren Beatty version) thanks to TRTing. One of the things that makes me soooo sad about that movie is that I believe one thing: we are our memory and our experiences. So, the ending is bittersweet for me every time. I can't help but think, "How horrible to lose your memories. Those are what make you who are!"
DeleteThe love for Edwin McCain was merely slow to trickle in. I haven't counted votes, but I think this might be a close one. Then again, maybe I'm not paying very good attention. We'll see...
The most perfect moments in life are never planned or scripted. How wonderful that you took a moment to capture that feeling in your memory.
ReplyDeleteThey are also often very mundane. Maybe that's where we find contentment? I don't know.
DeleteLove the Sara Evans version. Fun fact: her brother used to work with me and he left to be her bassist. I got to meet her backstage several years ago.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that??? I love that for you!!!
DeleteThough I generally like women singers, this song is really done well by Edwin McCain. Maybe being more familiar with it has something to do with it. Please give my vote to McCain.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see there were a few great moments. Truly, I think we all have those, but the negative times always seem to come to mind foremost for some reason.
Well, my friend, that is a choice. Not an easy one, but a choice. It takes determination to focus on the positive stuff and let the other stuff go. I really want to be the sort of person that remembers the good stuff first and the other stuff later. I don't want to forget it (as that leads to repeating), but I don't want it to run front and center. It's a large part of why I'm doing these soundtrack posts. It's purging so I can truly release it.
DeleteRobin - i know moment like that. A momrnt that will always remain, touching heart and soul. May you hold your moment, peacefully, forever.
ReplyDeleteGreat song and cover choices! I didn't think, for me, that anyone could top Sara Evans, but... along came Edwin McCain! My vote goes to him. Have fun with your battle - I think it will be a tight one (smile).
Forgive all of my typos - only using one hand today,
Delete~ Dixie
Sorry to hear that you're going it one-handed. I hope you get the use of the other one soon. I can't imagine my typing given that situation. Ugghh.
DeleteRobin, I hold certain moments like treasures trapped in the sands of time. What a beautiful song! I don't remember this one, but am glad for the introduction. Sara Evans is lovely country artists. She has some good tunes out there, but she doesn't get my vote on this round. My ear prefers the smooth, rock vibes of Edwin McCain. Now, I want to listen to more of this music. Nice battle showdown! ;)
ReplyDeleteI really like this song, too. I think they both do it very well, so there is no *wrong* vote here. Got you down for Mr. McCain.
DeleteI liked Sara's voice better than Edwin's. Give my vote to her.
ReplyDeleteDone!
DeleteI; nope, it was Edwin recognized this song from the movie soundtrack for 'Message in a Bottle'. I had thought it was sung by Hootie & the Blowfish, (who BTW, I thought would have made a better contender against Sara Evans) but when I checked; Nope, it was Edwin McCain on the soundtrack also.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I like Sara's version better, twang and all.
Doesn't it shock you when your memory deceives you like that? I know it does me. Got you down for Sara.
DeleteI vote for Edwin McCain. I like his relaxed sound. It makes me feel loved.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It's good to feel loved. :)
Delete"I want to remember this forever. This moment." Bam. I have SO been there. If I say any more you'll think I highjacked your blog, but sister - yep...right there, in that sweet spot. I'd bottle it if I could and I wish someone would have told me that those moments might be rare.
ReplyDeleteBoth versions of this song are AWESOME, truly. But Edwin McCain's take on it just resonates with me. Maybe because I want a guy to sing it, ha ha.
Great song and battle!
Dear Cherdo, you can highjack the comments section of my blog anytime. I wish someone had told me those moments were so rare!!! Maybe we should make a national campaign of some sort out of this????
DeleteI decided a long time ago that the reason women liked soap operas and rom coms and things of that nature is that we want to believe there are super romantic guys out there. Just waiting to find us and love us. I'm not sure that's true. There are just guys out there (albeit, doing their best), but they probably aren't going to say what you want to hear when you want to hear it. Or do what you'd hope they do. They're just gonna try.
I am usually not one for country but I do like her voice more and I could understand the lyrics better so she gets my vote
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with that!
DeleteWow, both of these versions are really nice! I like them both but I think I enjoyed Edwin McCain's better. I was really impressed with his version. Please give my vote to Edwin.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice that you have such a vivid memory of that moment in time when you felt so happy and content. Those are important to revisit during those times when you're not particularly content because you know it is definitely possible...and you discover that the contentedness can come in the most simple of situations. That's a blessing! Thanks for sharing that moment with us.
Michele at Angels Bark
Yes, if it happened before, it can happen again!
DeleteI thought I was going to go with Edwin McCain, because that's the one I know, bu then I heard Sarah Evans...her voice is so pure and lovely, she's getting my vote.
ReplyDeleteSometimes surprises are good!
DeleteFlat out, Sara caught my attention, the other one didn't.
ReplyDeleteAnd, oops, there it is.
DeleteEvery relationship does have it's good moments. I'm glad you have one that you still remember so vividly. I have a lot of great memories, and I've definitely let them trump the not so good ones that are still developing. Life's too short to focus on the crappy and hurtful. That being said, even though I have that attitude, self-preservation comes first and I had to leave and could never go back, which is very surreal and unbelievable to me still today, and it makes me sad in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteJust because you have a good memory doesn't mean you want to revisit the relationship. It's sort of like the forgiving/forgetting thing. One is healthy, while the other is not.
DeleteGIRL WONDER ~
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this song nor either of the singers. And when the first version began, my initial thought was: Oh, this going to be one of those modern, soapy, slickfests - all sweet and syrupy. Gah!
But, no, actually it's a really nice little song. I enjoyed it 99% better'n I tawt I might. And I didn't think the second one was very "twangy" at all. But then when you know and like "real" Old School Country music like I do, this modern stuffs ain't really twangy. I mean, "twangy" is Dwight Yoakam... and yep, I likes me some Yoakam (he's no jokeam).
For me, this comes down mostly to male or female vocalist. And since I generally prefer male singers (unless it's Karen Carpenter), I'm gonna WIN with EDWIN!
>>... discreetly watching. He was wearing jeans and long sleeved red shirt. Nothing fancy. I remember thinking to myself, "I want to remember this forever. This moment. How I feel. All of it." And I still do.
Wow! That SO MUCH reminded me of the pivotal scene in the Woody Allen movie 'STARDUST MEMORIES'. A lot of people dislike that movie, even Woody Allen fans. But not only do I LOVE that movie, it's also my all-time favorite W.A. movie (the only one I own on DVD).
[I just listened to the Edwin McCain recording again and - Hokey-Smoke! - this is a REALLY GOOD song! I would never vote a "McCain" for president, but I definitely vote for this one in BOTB!]
[Link:] The biggest "memory" in 'STARDUST MEMORIES'
Dang! I LOVE this movie. I'll never understand why so many people hated it. Yeah, it's weird, but it's so Woody!
I hope Doc Cherdo will see this comment, because she really seemed to connect with this idea you presented and which is also the heart of 'Stardust Memories'.
An A-list BOTB installment, Girl Wonder! One of yer best.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I haven't seen that film, but you are 100% right. That moment he's remembering is precisely like the one I'm talking about. It seems almost silly (because nothing is actually happening), but it's the feeling you have when you're in it that you can't forget. And don't want to. Why would you want to forget something that made you so happy??? Great clip!!!
DeleteI'm glad you liked this BoTB, particularly since you went into it with very low expectations. Isn't it nice to get a nice surprise????
Yes, life sure is made up of moments, Robin. My vote goes to Sara Evans.
ReplyDeleteI think that maybe we stray in not inhabiting our moments very well. Or completely. Or something like that. Maybe we just take them for granted. We really shouldn't do that.
DeleteEdwin McCain did a beautiful job with the song.
ReplyDeleteYes. Got you down!
DeleteIt sounds like that was a too good to last moment for you, Robin. You must have had that type of feeling, though you may not have realized it at the time. I've had some of those moments too with no rhyme or reason. You chose a great song to go along with that emotion, and Edwin McCain gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteJulie
This is only of the moments that was like this for me in that relationship. It's always strange when something is happening to you, but you also live outside yourself appreciating the moment. That is what doesn't happen for me all that often.
DeleteThat said, you're probably right. The relationship had been so on and off (not my choice) that there always was the feeling that it could end at any time. Maybe that made me hyper-aware of those moments.
I am surprised by this, but even though I'm a fan of Edwin McCain, Sara Evans's version moved me more. So give my vote to her.
ReplyDeleteHave I told you I really enjoy reading your Soundtrack posts? I keep wanting to participate in that (and so many more blogging projects), but just never seem to have the time. I'm hoping to one day get it all together!
Kim (ReInVintaged)
Several people have been surprised by their vote on this one. I like it!
DeleteKim, you can join this hop whenever you feel ready and able. This ole blog is like Motel 6. We'll keep the light on for you!
I've had those moments too, where you just want to take a second and remember everything about it, not because the moment is particularly interesting, but because of how you feel during that time. It's wonderful to have those moments to draw on, no matter how things changed later.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's all about how you feel in that moment!
Delete