This song was written during my “attempts” at online dating. Sigh. I hate online dating. And yet, how are you supposed to meet people these days? I also hate going out clubbing, so…the lesser of two evils it is.
While working on a show in Montreal, I met this woman online. She was funny and witty, and we just clicked. I found her intriguing. And then…she disappeared. Ghosted.
It’s fair to say I was fed up with online dating—endless texting that seems to take forever to lead to an actual meeting. I understand the need for “vetting,” but I miss the old days when you’d meet someone, hit it off, and simply go from there. Now, it feels like window shopping with no intention to buy. It’s almost like a game.
Anyway, back to the song. I had this riff kicking around in my head for a while, and I was starting to form an idea about writing a song inspired by dating. I wasn’t sure of the exact angle yet but thought taking a break from all the heavy material I’d been writing might be a nice change of pace.
Plot twist: the woman I hit it off with reappeared! Turns out, she had literally been hit by a car while walking. She had broken her hip. WTF?! I can’t remember all the specifics, but there was some issue with her phone—it was lost or broken—so she couldn’t contact me. Not that I was her top priority during all this, I’m sure. Long story short, she eventually found a way to get ahold of me.
She was in the hospital and would be there for some time. Because this was during the pandemic, I couldn’t visit her. Quebec had some of the most draconian rules in place at the time. So, we ended up texting and chatting on the phone for weeks, unable to meet in person. The anticipation to finally meet grew for both of us. We were so good together over the phone and in messages, but we couldn’t wait to see if it translated in real life.
The day finally came when they moved her from the hospital to a long-term care facility with an available bed. (For context: she now had steel rods drilled into both hips, connected by a bar she jokingly called her “towel rack.”) At the facility, she was allowed outside in a wheelchair, and I was allowed to meet her outdoors.
One day, while working near her facility, I had a break after lunch and decided to seize the moment. We were both crazy nervous. After weeks of anticipation, we’d built each other up in our heads—how could the real thing compare?
As it turned out, we were instantly good together. For a while, we’d meet in the parking lot at her facility. Eventually, I was allowed to take her for a drive. Our first “date” was going through a drive-thru and eating in the car. It was such a simple date, but it still makes me smile to think of her.
In the long run, we weren’t a perfect match, but I wrote a couple of songs about her, and I’ll always think of her fondly. Sometimes, when I hear those songs, I still think of her.
In the end, this song is about dating—the anticipation of finally meeting someone in person—and hope. I guess it’s really about hope.