Talking about the masterpiece, For All We Know.
Good evening. I'm a Zen hippie who has recently been called "50" (Go-maru) at work. Not "around fifty," but "Go-maru." I have finally lived for half a century (^^)
Today, I'm not going to talk about a record that just arrived, but for a change, I'd like to write about a song I love.
About the exceptionally wonderful standard song, "For All We Know" (Sam M. Lewis / J. Fred Coots, 1934).
First of all, the reason I discovered and fell in love with this song was because I was moved by Billie Holiday's passionate singing on her masterpiece album, Lady in Satin.
When reading liner notes by old critics or introductory books, Billie Holiday's later years are often described as having her voice ruined by alcohol and her spirit frayed like rags due to drugs.
However, as I listen to it now, although Billie's voice on this album is indeed raspy, she sounds like she is truly enjoying singing, and she is vibrant, putting her soul into every single song (I can say this with certainty!). People who keep complaining about vocal range and such—give it a rest; listen to music with your heart, right? (>ω<)
Among them, the singing on this "For..." is wonderful, and every time I listen, I can feel a warmth that untangles my hardened heart. Whenever I feel down, I have listened to the A-side containing this song over and over to comfort and calm myself. It's not quite like Haruki Murakami, but I might say that this song offers not healing, but forgiveness.
Also, when you look at the lyrics, as shown below, it is a very profound song, which is another point to love about it.
English:
For all we know
We may never meet again
Before you go
Make this moment sweet again
We won’t say goodnight
until the last minute
I’ll hold out my hand
and my heart will be in it
For all we know
This may only be a dream
We come and go
like a ripple on a stream
So love me tonight
Tomorrow was made for some
Tomorrow may never come
For all we know
Below is my own self-indulgent liberal translation:
We know it somewhere deep down.
That we might never meet again.
So, at least until the moment of parting,
I want to cherish this moment.
I don't even want to hear the words "goodnight."
My heart, which desperately seeks you, gets tangled up in the hand I reach out.
We know it somewhere deep down.
This is a fleeting dream.
So love me even more strongly tonight.
So that this memory doesn't vanish like foam on a stream.
Tomorrow is made for someone else,
And tomorrow may never come.
We know that.
...It makes my skin crawl to think of how heartbreakingly these lovers are living on the edge (#^^#).
Is it a dangerous love where both have families or other partners, a love that has gone off the path, like two people falling off a cliff together?
It's just like the lovers on the cliff in Gustav Klimt's work.
Now, this song stimulates my collecting habit because there are many other great vocal and instrumental performances besides Billie's.
To introduce them briefly,
As for vocals, although it's rhythm and blues, the duet by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack is an incredibly wonderful achievement; it's as if the world of the lyrics has descended onto this earth.
Others like the cool Nina Simone, the essential Nat King Cole, and the passionate Chie Ayado are also quite good.
By the way, be careful, as the Carpenters' song of the same name is a different one.
Among instrumental versions, the Brad Mehldau Trio's VOLUME 3 features a piano performance that is heartbreaking like adult love, and Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden's "Jasmine" is a wonderful, mature piano performance that is neat and restrained!
These are all great performances I want everyone to listen to and know about.
Please try to find them!
See you again!