December 12, 2008

Heartbreaking . . .

Kylie from Connecticut by Ben Folds
It's just a thought
But where did it come from?
What does she do with it
If it comes back?
A note from his assistant
There by the telephone
She sees it again
As she turns out the light

Kylie is calling from Connecticut
She says you've got the number
It said:
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's there on her mind
As she closes her eyes

She believes
There are things you should know about
When you've been married for
Thirty-five years
And her heart belongs to a man
That she hadn't seen since
A magical night when the children were small

Kylie is calling from Connecticut
She says you've got the number
It said:
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's back on her mind
As she closes her eyes

Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's probably nothing
Yeah, nothing at all
But
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's all coming back
As she's reading old letters
That she hid in the closest
With the pictures she'd cherished
That she kept to herself
For a good thirty years
As she closes her eyes


Link (Live performance)

There's just so much that can be pulled from the lyrics, as simple as they are. I can totally imagine this woman's life and circumstances that brought her to this place, laying in bed and silently worrying about "Kylie." A name from the past she had forgotten about for "a good thirty years" until this note came up. And that she would say nothing about it to her husband, a man she hadn't known since the children were young. But Kylie is that person that he always loved, never forgot and that it's still there, hidden amongst all the years that had passed.

Simple phrases bring about the most complex ideas. The melody is amazing and I cannot escape it. As time passes, it just seems to be building the images and lives of these people. It's almost an unofficial sequel to his songs The Last Polka and Missing the War from Ben Folds Five days, which deals with the failing marriage of these two people. As if they were neither strong enough to break away from each other and years later are miserable in their own rights, despite her love for him and has grown to depend on him. He's a comfort to her, despite her not knowing who he is anymore. He's there and that's all she really has now that the kids have left.

It's even grown since I began to write this post.

What do you guys think about it?

3 comments:

Skeeter said...

Well, I'll have to think on it for awhile. I'll get back to you in a bit ... when's Wednesday anyway :-)

Best wishes,

Skeeter

Katie said...

It's sad. That's my one thought. But you always like the sad stuff. But it's a great song, I'll give you that.

Skeeter said...

Happy New Year!

Best wishes,

skeeter