MM: Even Now

Went to drop off the Caboose at his lacrosse practice a little while ago and this song played on my iPod.    I would have to say that out of all the secular songs I've liked over the years, this one is in the top ten, if not the top five.

One of my all-time favorite piano playing experiences happened when I was in ninth grade. My friend W  and I were accompanying a 8th-9th grade mixed choir together--well, taking turns playing. We supported and helped each other out at the piano turning pages and stuff. I had been assigned one song at the beginning of the year but chickened out about playing it at the Christmas concert and the choir teacher's wife ended up playing it then... I decided that wasn't going to happen again. I was going to play that song at the spring concert if it killed me...

It was the first time in my life that I'd ever played the piano in front of such a huge crowd--and it was the first time on a grand piano, too. To make it worse, at the end, there was a part for me to play (solo?) without the choir singing. It was challenging and.... dramatic. Everyone would notice if I made a mistake. I practiced and practiced and practiced. I practiced it so much I had it memorized. I even had my dad give me a father's blessing the evening of the performance--which was held in the Rexburg Tabernacle of all places and was completely filled. Saying I was nervous was definitely an understatement, especially when I recognized faces in the crowd who I would guess were wishing for me to fall on my face....

The time came for me to accompany the choir. I took a deep breath, remembered the blessing my dad gave me, said a prayer, and started in on the intro....

Ahhh.... Perfection. Goosebumps! I DID IT!!!!

I was looking through my 9th grade yearbook and found Mr. Bidwell's comment: Thank you so much for your support and good work. You'll never forget Even Now. *chuckle* He's right. I've never forgotten that song. In fact, it's remained one of my favorites to this day and I still have it memorized nearly 30 *gulp* years later.

Of course Barry Manilow sings it so much better--but I'm still rather proud of my "solo" there at the end--at least how I played it. *wink*

Even now
When there's someone else who cares
When there's someone home who's waiting just for me
Even now I think about you as I'm climbing up the stairs
And I wonder what to do so *he won't see
That even now
When I know it wasn't right
And I found a better life than what we had
Even now I wake up crying in the middle of the night
And I can't believe it still could hurt so bad

Chorus:

Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are
I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shining through
I swear I think of you
And how I wish you knew
Even now

Even now
When I never hear your name
And the world has changed so much since you've been gone
Even now I still remember and the feelings still the same
And the pain inside of me goes on and on
Even now

Even now when I have come so far
I wonder where you are
I wonder why it's still so hard without you
Even now when I come shining through
I swear I think of you
And *how I wish you knew
Some how
Even now

*lyrics changed from original