#forever in blue jeans

Forever in Blue Jeans
Performed by Neil Diamond
Written by Neil Diamond and Richard Bennet

His yesterday, hers today.

She would have been 69.  Fuck cancer.

Mom was a lot like me in the sense that we could not pick a favorite musical act.  But there was always one… Hers was Neil.  

My strongest memory of her and Neil was the night she and one of my cousins went to see him back in… ‘85? I want to say.  Might have been ‘84.  In any event, when I saw here the next day, and she told me all about the show, she mentioned that he played this song three different times, including the encore.

It’s hard, really, to take a prolific singer/songwriter like Neil and narrow down a favorite song.  For me, it’s simply “there’s some I like better than others, but there’s no clear favorite.”  I imagine Mom felt the same, but this one held a special place in her heart, and so, by extension, mine.

The Jewish Elvis wrote simple music.  Acoustic guitar, drums and piano is all he ever needed.  Sure, he’s stretched that out a bit in his later years.  He’s got a whole big entourage on stage, there’s a big show when he plays and sings, and he’s a great entertainer.

Forever in Blue Jeans is from his early days.  Bennet wrote and provides a simple but catchy guitar riff that Neil offers his trademark mumbles and hums over.  The lyrics tell of a man that just wants the love of his life.  Money would be great, “honey is sweet,” but as long as he has his love, he’d rather be forever in a pair of jeans.

You know, I’ve noticed I’ve gotten rather lovey-dovey lately.  That’s not the intention with this one.  This one is for the greatest lady I’ve ever known.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Lyrics:

Money talks
But it don’t sing and dance
And it don’t walk
And long as I can have you
Here with me, I’d much rather be
Forever in blue jeans

Honey’s sweet
But it ain’t nothin’ next to baby’s treat
And if you pardon me
I’d like to say
We’ll do okay
Forever in blue jeans

Maybe tonight
Maybe tonight, by the fire
All alone you and I
Nothing around
But the sound of my heart
And your sighs

Money talks
But it can’t sing and dance
And it can’t walk
And long as I can have you
Here with me, I’d much rather be
Forever in blue jeans, babe

And honey’s sweet
But it ain’t nothin’ next to baby’s treat
And if you pardon me I’d like to say
We’ll do okay
Forever in blue jeans

Maybe tonight
Maybe tonight, by the fire
All alone you and I
Nothing around
But the sound of my heart
And your sighs

Money talks
But it can’t sing and dance
And it can’t walk
And long as I can have you
Here with me
I’d much rather be
Forever in blue jeans

And if you pardon me
I’d like to say
We’ll do okay
Forever in blue jeans, babe
And long as I can have you
Here with me I’d much rather be
Forever in blue jeans, babe