In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stood behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve
She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried
We took her groceries to the check out stand
The food was totaled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation lagged
We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
We tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how
She said she's married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie
I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw
Doubt or gratitude
She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was Hell
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
We tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving, in our eloquence
Another "Auld Lang Syne"
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away
Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And, as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stood behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve
She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried
We took her groceries to the check out stand
The food was totaled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation lagged
We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
We tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how
She said she's married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie
I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw
Doubt or gratitude
She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was Hell
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
We tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving, in our eloquence
Another "Auld Lang Syne"
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away
Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And, as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain
Lyrics submitted by ladyamanda
Same Old Lang Syne Lyrics as written by Dan Fogelberg
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"we tried to reach beyond the emptiness, but neither one knew how." He's talking about what was left after they parted ways. The emptiness between them. They didn't know how to build the bridge again, basically. They didn't know how to reconnect...
That's what I think the song's about, is the awkwardness in trying to reconnect... "She went to hug me and she spilled her purse." "The conversation dragged." "Bought a six-pack at the liquor store and we drank it in her car."
I've always loved this song so incredibly much. It never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
On a trip with some friends, I ended up hanging out with an old lover, and we had a similar situation.
"She said she'd married her an architect, who kept her warm and safe and dry. She would have liked to say she loved the man, but she didn't like to lie." This is almost exactly the same as when I told him about the boyfriend I had at the time. I was like "yeah, we live together..." sigh
Ha, sorry, songmeanings and I always end up telling my own personal stories here. LOL.
I think the meaning of the song is quite clear. The writing in this song is amazing though.
This is actually a true story. As he is from my home town, there was a story about this with the girl this was written about. Check it out: pjstar.com/stories/122207/PHI_BF98B7KI.054.php
The PJStar.com link is no longer valid. However, the page was saved by archive.org:<br /> web.archive.org/web/20080104090524/http://www.pjstar.com/stories/122207/PHI_BF98B7KI.054.php<br /> <br /> It says that the girlfriend is Jill Anderson, from Woodruff High School. They met in the grocery store on Christmas Eve in 1975.<br /> <br /> Fogelberg took some poetic license: The song says her eyes are "...still as blue", although they're actually green. He admitted later that he actually knew her eyes were green, but "green" doesn't rhyme with "gratitude".<br /> <br /> The song says she "married her an architect", but it was actually a P.E. teacher. Again, "married he a P.E. teacher..." wouldn't have flowed nearly as well. He may have not even known the actual profession when he wrote the song.<br /> <br /> However the next line, "She would have liked to say she loved the man..." was true. They were divorced before the song was released.<br /> <br /> Jill heard the song on the radio before any other communication with Fogelberg, but she kept the fact that it actually happened quiet until he died.<br />
wow. just wow. so romantic, and yet so so sad ;(<br />
Current link:<br /> pjstar.com/x1101623574/Luciano-Its-a-memory-that-I-cherish
Whoops, this is the current link:<br /> pjstar.com/article/20071222/NEWS/312229933
Such a beautiful song and what a storyteller he was. Dan left this world much too soon. He was immensely talented and every single one of his songs is a gem. This still brings tears to my eyes.
RE: What does everyone make of the ending when "the snow turned into rain?" To me, the rain at the end of the song is a metaphor for tears. She leaves, he turns to make his way back home, and he starts to cry.
@ROLR <br /> Agreed. I have always maintained that the last line is Dan's way of saying he cried as she left. His tears are the raindrops. Awesome song
@ROLR I saw an interview with him somewhere where he said the snow truly did turn to rain as he was going home, but he also said it was a metaphor...but it didn't say for what. I believe it to be a metaphor for his sadness.
@ROLR A sad sad story turns even more sad. An incredibly blue day turns even more crappy.
@ROLR I've seen a letter to someone who wrote him about this, and he replied that the snow actually did turn to rain, as it was a warm front that was causing the precipitation.
i always hear song during xmas since it takes place during that time but its really a love song for any time of the year.
I once ran into an ex of mine and afterwards this song poped into my mind. sometimes the pain never goes away and sometimes you dont remember it till you see that person again.
I start to tear up just hearing that piano part at the beginning.
This song and Hari Chapin's "Taxi" are both very similar. You run into an old lover under different circumstances and think about the old times.
So sweet...awesome song!!!
"Auld lang syne" translates roughly to "Times long gone" in Scottish.
Actually, to be more specific, "Auld lang syne" is a Scots (not Scottish, as that usually implies Gaelic) phrase, meaning literally "old long since"
Anywho... this is defiantly an awesome love song.
What does everyone make of the ending when "the snow turned into rain?" My take is that the brief magic (snow is like magic) he recaptured with her disappears as she drives away. I remember being disappointed as a kid when it stopped snowing.
That's perhaps the most interesting line in the song. I had considered it to represent his feeling younger, having just relived his younger days in his mind. The rain could be symbolic of spring (the springtime of his life).
I agree that this line has the most meaning. To me, it represents that his elation from seeing his ex-lover (snow) has become harsh reality that they are still apart and probably always will be (rain).
yea i thought it was the most interesting line as well. & that thats the last line of the songg it makes us wonder.. i always thought it meant. Snow, being beautiful (possibly representing the relationship back then) turning into rain-tears and saddness (also going bac 2 the "emptiness" line lyke trying 2 reconnect and so on). but yea. i always thought snow=the beautiful relationship they used 2 hve. rain=tears/saddness..
I dated the "love of my life" five years after the breakup.....and I know exactly what he meant as he was driving away. We can build one helluva fairy tale image in our minds .....when apart. The chance meeting took him right back to reality....the feelings he felt when he was so willing to let her walk away. It almost broke my heart to know the illusion was now gone....too.
@redskinsnut <br /> I have always maintained that the last line is Dan's way of saying he cried as she left. His tears are the raindrops. Awesome song.
@redskinsnut <br /> I believe snow turning to rain is a metaphor for Dan's sadness. I believe Dan still loved this girl and he was watching her slip away again, just like when they were in school. He was sad.<br /> <br /> Someone should convince Jill Greulich to offer more insight into the conversation they had in her car. I know we have no right to ask, but the song is beautiful and sad and has touched so many people. Maybe that's the appeal, that the song can be interpreted in many ways and it's up to us?
agreed, fogelberg is easily one of the best singer/songwriters of all time.