Love is a long game.
I have come to believe that is true, whether it’s love of a friend, your partner, or yourself.
After reflecting one night on the enduring nature of my core relationships, and noting there have been bumps along the way, I had a line enter my mind; learning to love you again.
I sat with that for a few days and, just like the windows on Play School, I settled on the three key love relationships we tend to experience (or seek), and started teasing out a verse for each.
Of course, love can (and should) be directed more broadly, to strangers, to our community, etc, but I wanted this song to explore the hyper personal realm.
In the bridge, I reflect on John Lennon’s song, Whatever Gets You Through The Night, because although it is banal on the surface, I think it touches something profound.
Despite structured systems like religions and politics, or sport, or free-flowing spirituality, none of us really know what ultimate truth is and, therefore, we cannot say, this is the precise path you must follow to be living life correctly.
That said, we can be sensitive to the suffering of ourselves and others and, rightfully, move to minimise that in ways that won’t cause harm to others. In this way, however you achieve that to “get through the night”, if you are applying yourself earnestly to the task, you are probably living Lennon’s maxim.
At the same time, if you stuff up and make mistakes along the way, that’s okay, too. I’ve always loved Stephen Covey’s analogy that our lives navigate time like the big jets that fly around the world. He notes, they are off course most of the time but they also are constantly nudging themselves back towards their destination.
This is not a sermon. These notes and this song have a simple message. Be gentle on yourself and others. Try to give yourself time to recalibrate your bearings in relationships. Naturally, don’t get walked over and abused, but if your heart does want to reach the destination of happiness together (with friend, partner, or self), it’s worth attempting those little nudges over time.
Learning To Love You Again Lyrics
[Verse 1]
We were mates, growing up
I could not, see you enough
And most nights, when I was home
We were on, the telephone
But as the, years progressed
They brought change, and they brought stress
Friendship broke, it snapped one day
And we went, our separate ways
[Chorus]
But we didn’t give up
And it didn’t end
Didn’t need the king’s horses
Didn’t need the king’s men
I just needed time
To settle my mind
As I begin, my friend
Learning to love you again
[Verse 2]
Our wedding, was the best
Never been, so smartly dressed
A new house, and trips away
It was like, a holiday
Our children, came and then
All our love, we gave to them
Every smile, and every kiss
Something we, began to miss
[Chorus]
But we didn’t give up
And it didn’t end
Didn’t need the king’s horses
Didn’t need the king’s men
I just needed time
To settle my mind
As I begin, my friend
Learning to love you again
[Bridge]
I wish I knew, what I could say, was wrong or right
As we each find, a way to make, it through this life
In each moment, we cannot read, the warning signs
I’ve learned the clarity to trust, it comes with time
[Verse 3]
Life started, as it should
Learning what, is bad or good
There was school, and there was sport
Lessons learned, and lessons taught
But then there, was a shift
My world view, began to drift
I had doubts, that it was worth
Spending more, time here on earth
[Final chorus]
But I didn’t give up
And it didn’t end
Didn’t need the king’s horses
Didn’t need the king’s men
I just needed time
To settle my mind
As I begin, my friend
Learning to love you again
As I begin, my friend
Learning to love you again
Listen To Learning To Love You Again
Learning To Love You Again Raw Scratchings
Here are my notes as I wrote this song.
