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He still remembers the first time he saw her. His head was spinning from all the sounds and lights around him. She struck him like lightning. Beaming and brighter than anything and he swore time stopped. Her blonde hair blowing in the wind, the lights dancing off of her.
If you’re travelling down to the north country fair,
The winds hit heavy on the borderline.
Remember me to one who lives there,
She once was a true love of mine.
He remembers the worst winter Georgia had in years, their first together. She couldn’t wait to see if the river behind the farm had froze, tugging him along through the fields, her breath gracing the air when she laughed. She looked so small wearing the biggest coat he’d ever seen. She asked him how he wasn’t cold and he shrugged and just looked at her. She had no idea, she was the sun. Cold air whipped around them, her hair swirling around as he pulled her closer. He thinks of that first night.
If you’re going down to a snowflake storm,
The rivers freeze and the summers end.
Will you see if she has a coat so warm,
To keep her from the howlin’ winds.
He pictures that damn hair of hers and it keeps him up at night. Always drove him wild, the way it smelled, sweet like honey with a hint of something else that he never figured out. Liked the way it felt between his fingers, like silk, strong but soft. Kinda like her. He can see clear as day the way those blonde curls rolled around her shoulders and fell in front of her breast. Just long enough to cover her. Didn’t stop her from blushing that first time though.
Will you see for me that her hair hangs long,
Rolls and falls all down her breast.
Will you see for me that her hair’s hanging long,
That’s the way I remember it.
What really keeps him up at night, what he won’t ever forget, is how it went bad. Because it always goes bad and he knew it would. Pushing his luck, he was, with her. Her so good and light and kind and him.. everything else. Can still see her standing there saying things like love and right and don’t do this, and the look in her eyes when he said this isn’t real, can’t be real. He does the only thing he’s ever known how to do and he leaves. He never once stops thinking about her. And he hates himself.
I’m wonderin’ if she remembers me at all,
Many times I often pray.
In the darkness of my night,
In the brightness of my day.
She always talked about Nashville. Her someday place. He knows deep down that’s why he stayed here, out of all the places he’s been to and left from since her. Just in case. He supposes he has her to thank after all. He never cared about singing before and never would have thought twice about being in a band. Merle’s got rhythm when he’s sober, though, and he’ll do just about anything if it brings girls around. Zach and Martinez are good guys and they mostly keep to themselves. They just let him sing and don’t ask too many questions.
If you’re travelling down to the north country fair,
The winds hit heavy on the borderline.
Remember me to one who lives there,
She once was a true love of mine.
He looks for her sometimes. All the time. He can’t help it. Just praying he’ll catch a glimpse of that hair or those eyes somewhere out in the dark. The only thing he ever wanted and didn’t know he could have. Didn’t know he already had. The only thing he’d kill to get back. It helps, though, the singing. Or at least it can’t hurt more than losing her. Screaming until his throat burns and he can’t smell her. Yelling until he’s dizzy and he can’t see her. Howling until maybe she hears him and she knows.
She once was a true love of mine.
She once was a true love of mine.
She once was a true love of mine.
She once was a true love of mine.