Golly, isn’t it something when a song starts playing, and whoosh! You’re like a time traveler, zooming back to when life was as sweet as Mom’s apple pie. Just like that tune “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters, it reminds me of starting new adventures, like the time Wally and I decided to build that fort in the backyard. Or “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, gosh, it’s like when you have to say goodbye to a best pal, but you know deep down, you’ll always be friends. And hey, remember “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg? It’s like those endless summer days, playing catch until the streetlights come on. Then there’s “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes, making me think of how I felt when my pet frog, Hoppy, went missing.
Every song’s like a chapter of my own storybook, filled with the neatest and most heart-tugging tales. So, let’s take a walk down this musical memory lane with me, Beaver Cleaver, and see what these songs stir up in the ol’ memory pot!
We’ve Only Just Begun by The Carpenters
We’ve only just begun to live
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we’re on our way
(We’ve only begun)
Before the risin’ sun, we fly
So many roads to choose
We’ll start out walkin’ and learn to run
(And yes, we’ve just begun)
Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watchin the signs along the way
Talkin’ it over, just the two of us
Workin’ together day to day
Together
And when the evening comes, we smile
So much of life ahead
We’ll find a place where there’s room to grow
And yes, we’ve just begun
Golly, you know, when you start talkin’ about all them promises and risin’ suns, it kinda reminds me of that time when Wally and I tried to build a rocket in the backyard. See, we wanted to fly to the moon and all that, just like those astronauts on TV. So, we gathered up some old cardboard boxes, some tin foil, and a bunch of rubber bands, and we thought we were ready for blast-off!
But, oh brother, it didn’t quite go as planned. We had so many roads to choose from, you know, like which way should we point the rocket, and how do we make it actually fly? We started out walkin’ and ended up crawlin’ ’cause that rocket wasn’t goin’ anywhere, jeepers!
Then, Wally and I, we started talkin’ it over, just the two of us. We realized we might need some help from Dad, but we were afraid he’d be mad at us for makin’ a mess in the yard. So, instead, we decided to work together and figure it out ourselves. We didn’t wanna get in trouble, ya see?
Now, when the evening came, and we finally had to admit that our rocket wasn’t gonna reach the moon, we smiled, just like it says in that song. So much of life ahead, and we knew we’d find a place to grow, even if it wasn’t on the moon. And yes, we’ve just begun, figurin’ out how to be astronauts another day.
So, you see, sometimes you start out with big dreams, but you end up learnin’ that it’s okay to take a different path and find new horizons, even if they’re not exactly what you first thought. Gee whiz, it’s all part of growin’ up, I guess!
I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I’ll go, but I know
I’ll think of you every step of the way
And I Will always love you
I will always love you
You
My darling, you
Mm, mm
Bittersweet memories
That is all I’m taking with me
So goodbye, please, don’t cry
We both know I’m not what you, you need
And I Will always love you
I will always love you
You
Well, you see, when it comes to staying or going, it’s kinda like this one time I was playing out in the backyard, and I found this super-duper rare, one-of-a-kind four-leaf clover, right? Golly, it was the bee’s knees! So, I thought, if I should stay with the clover, it’d be like keeping a treasure forever and ever, and I’d be the luckiest kid in town, you know? But then, Wally came over and said we should go to the ice cream shop to get some neato banana splits, and I thought, “Aw, man, that sounds swell too!”
So, I guess what I’m tryin’ to say is, sometimes you gotta go with your gut and follow your heart, like that time I found that clover, but also, you don’t wanna miss out on all the fun stuff, like banana splits with your big brother and friends. And hey, I dunno if it’s what you need, but it sure can be a tough decision, y’know?
Longer by Dan Fogelberg
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there`ve been stars up in the heavens
I’ve been in love with you
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you
I’ll bring fire in the winters
You’ll send showers in the springs
We`ll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I’ll be in love with you
I’ll be in love with you
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there`ve been stars up in the heavens
I’ve been in love with you
I am in love with you
Golly, you know, longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean… higher than any bird ever flew… that’s a bit like when I was tryin’ to fly that kite in the backyard, you know, higher than any bird! Well, anyways, so I was out there, and I thought it would be neat-o to see how high it could go, but, uh-oh, it got caught in old Mr. Johnson’s tree, and I couldn’t reach it!
So, what did I do, you ask? I had to climb that tree like a regular old squirrel, just like the time when Wally and I were collecting chestnuts last fall, remember that? Anyway, I finally got the kite down, but then it got all tangled up in the bushes, just like that time when I tried to help Mom with the garden, and I accidentally dug up her favorite flowers! I felt like a real nincompoop, but don’t worry, I put everything back just like it was before, honest to goodness!
And you know, about the stars up in the heavens… well, one time, Wally and I decided to go camping in the backyard, and we were star-gazing, trying to count ’em all! But then, jeepers, we heard a rustling in the bushes, and we thought it was a bear or somethin’, so we both jumped up and ran inside faster than you can say “holy mackerel!” Turns out it was just ol’ Skippy, our neighbor’s cat, and he was just lookin’ for some scraps. But we didn’t find that out ’til later.
Now, when it comes to bein’ in love, uh, well, I think I might’ve seen something about that in a movie once. There was this guy and gal, and they were holding hands and sharing a milkshake at the soda shop, and they looked pretty darn happy. Maybe that’s what it’s like, you know, like sharing a milkshake and talking about the stars and stuff.
How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes
How do I get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be?
Oh, I, I need you in my arms, need you to hold
You’re my world, my heart, my soul and if you ever leave
Baby, you would take away everything good in my life
And tell me now
How do I live without you? I want to know
How do I breathe without you if you ever go?
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh, how do I live?
Without you, there’d be no sun in my sky
There would be no love in my life
There’d be no world left for me
And I, baby, I don’t know what I would do
I’d be lost if I lost you, if you ever leave
Baby, you would take away everything real in my life
And tell me now
How do I live without you? I want to know
How do I breathe without you if you ever go?
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh, how do I live?
Please, tell me, baby
How do I go on if you ever leave?
Baby, you would take away everything, I need you with me
Baby, don’t you know that you’re everything good in my life?
And tell me now
How do I live without you? I want to know
How do I breathe without you if you ever go
How do I ever, ever survive?
How do I, how do I, oh, how do I live?
How do I live without you?
How do I live without you, baby?
How do I live?
Gee whiz, you know, that’s a real tough question you got there. How do you live without someone? Well, I reckon it’s kinda like when you can’t find your favorite comic book, and you start lookin’ everywhere for it, and you feel all sad and lost, like the world’s comin’ to an end, and you just gotta find that comic, right?
So, let me tell ya, it’s kinda like that when you can’t be with someone you really care about. You start lookin’ for ways to fill that empty space, like maybe you start collectin’ stamps or takin’ up knitting, just to keep yourself busy, you know? And you might even try eatin’ a whole lot of ice cream, ’cause that’s what they do in the movies when they’re feelin’ blue.
Golly, sometimes you gotta remember that it’s okay to miss someone and feel sad, ’cause that means they mean a lot to ya. And if they ever go away, well, you’ll find a way to keep goin’. Maybe you’ll make a scrapbook full of memories or build a treehouse in their honor. You betcha, there are plenty of ways to survive without ’em.
But you know what, sometimes folks come back into your life, just like that missing comic book turnin’ up under your bed when you least expect it. So, hang on and keep your chin up, ’cause life’s full of surprises, and who knows, you might not have to live without ’em for too long!
Well, that’s the end of our little song-filled journey, just like the close of a perfect day at the fishing hole. Each song, be it “We’ve Only Just Begun” or “How Do I Live,” is like a snapshot of different times in our lives, like flipping through an old photo album. They remind us of the high-flying adventures, like trying to reach the sky with a homemade kite, and the times we had to say tough goodbyes, like when my pal moved away.
Songs like “I Will Always Love You” and “Longer” are like the glue that keeps those memories stuck in our heads, ready to pop out and bring a smile or a tear. So next time you hear one of these tunes, let it take you back to your own special moments. Remember, life’s a bit like a record player – full of grooves and tunes, each one playing its part in our grand ol’ adventure.
And that’s what Beaver Cleaver thinks about these here love ballads!
