Expert: Bong Santos - 12/28/2006

Question
There is a song that goes something like--met my old lover at the grocery store, the snow was falling new years eve--
----Just for a moment we were back at school and felt that old familiar----

Answer
Dear Adrienne,

The title of that song is SAME OLD LANG SYNE by American singer-songwriter DAN FOGELBERG. Born DANIEL GRAYLING FOGELBERG, his music has been inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, classical music, jazz and bluegrass. He had numerous Billboard Hot 100 hits in the 80's, the biggest being LONGER which peaked at #2 back in March 15, 1980 from his album PHOENIX. Based on his real-life accidental meeting  with a former girlfriend, it was from his 1981 album THE INNOCENT AGE. It peaked at #9 on December 21, 1981. Here's how it goes:

SAME OLD LANG SYNE / DAN FOGELBERG

Met my old lover in the grocery store,
The snow was falling Christmas Eve.
I stole behind her in the frozen foods,
And I touched her on the sleeve.

She didn't recognize the face at first,
But then her eyes flew open wide.
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse,
And we laughed until we cried.

We took her groceries to the checkout stand,
The food was totalled up and bagged.
We stood there lost in our embarrassment,
As the conversation dragged.

We went to have ourselves a drink or two,
But couldn't find an open bar.
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store,
And we drank it in her car.

We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.

She said she'd married her an architect,
Who kept her warm and safe and dry,
She would have liked to say she loved the man,
But she didn't like to lie.

I said the years had been a friend to her,
And that her eyes were still as blue.
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw,
Doubt or gratitude.

She said she saw me in the record stores,
And that I must be doing well.
I said the audience was heavenly,
But the traveling was hell.

We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.

We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to time.
Reliving in our eloquence,
Another 'auld lang syne'......

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired,
And running out of things to say.
She gave a kiss to me as I got out,
And I watched her drive away.

Just for a moment I was back at school,
and felt that old familiar pain ...
And as I turned to make my way back home...
The snow turned into rain .


Maraming salamat po and Happy New Year!!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines