tony bennett & bill evans - "some other time" (from the tony bennett / bill evans album, available for purchase here.)

my two favorite songs from the score of on the town, "some other time" and "lonely town," were removed from the film version, much to the disappointment of frank sinatra who signed on to the project for the opportunity to sing "lonely town." they're both sad songs and perhaps that makes sense, for both the film version and for me : b/c how could you expect your cast to be all-singing and all-dancing if you broke their hearts? and b/c sad songs say so much about me.

on the town, for those unaware, is the story of three sailors on shore leave in new york. they meet some girls; they leave some girls. only in hollywood could there be a story about parting w/o significant sadness at said parting, right?

ah, if you expected me to tell you different, i'm sorry for you my friend--as sorry as i am for myself.

i value "some other time" b/c it valiantly strives to put a happy face on a sad occasion. i value it, also, b/c i believe in it.

my life is a succession of people saying goodbye, as a morrissey b-side once declared--but, happily--and perhaps this explains the mild variation in our two dispositions---people also have a way of saying hello again. indeed, the pattern of my life has been such that i can't bring myself to say goodbye. i've met friends from my small, small town at random on the streets of new york; i have a friend whom i was in love w/ four years ago who seems to pop up after an absence of that much time every time she breaks up w/ a guy (though i'm one to talk, since i only email her when i'm feeling distressed, which reminds me ... ); most amusingly, after a long absence, a gentleman, though i hesitate to use such a term, who used to hit on my friend's now-wife / then-girlfriend relentlessly when we all worked together in retail as teens popped up at my current job, almost ten years later.

in other words, i refuse to say goodbye--although it may be some time before we meet again. i see some of you still visit now and then; i'd like to think that means something, even if you haven't spoken up before. but, yes. check this space every now and again : for all you know, i may have returned; for all you know, i may be speaking directly to you (yes, you). & even if i don't hear from you, i hope you'll be listening.