Lover, You Should've

I'd forgotten how much I loved this song.  Obviously, I have always admired Jeff Buckley's great and rare talent, but he was never one of those ones who spoke to me above all others.  He's not on my Big List.

However, this song is.  It was a case of the right song coming to me at the right time.  Years ago, in the midst of a break-up - actually, a fairly un-traumatic one in the scheme of things - I found myself listening to this one song on a loop.  The man in question had, fittingly, introduced me to Jeff Buckley and kind of reminded me of him.  On his recommendation, I bought Grace, having previously only heard the Hallelujah cover (because Leonard Cohen is, obviously, on the Big List).

Most of the album I could take or leave, to be honest, but this one song is right up there for me.  It came on my iPod shuffle this morning and I was instantly transported - not only to a very specific time and place, but also to the compulsion to listen to this gorgeous, confusing and complicated song again and again and again.

His singing on this one track just shatters my heart into tiny pieces, even more so now that I am older.  When he laments that he's "too young to hold on - but too old to just break free and run", he would only have been 26.

"It's never over, my kingdom for a kiss upon the shoulder.
 It's never over, all my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her.
 It's never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter.
 It's never over, she's the tear that hangs inside my soul forever..."

Now, please excuse me while I go and die.