Mr. Jerry Hubbard, When You Were Hot, You Were Hot.
If you know anyone from the upper mid-west or live there yourself, you are fully aware that today is damn cold. The temperature, as I write this, is 4 degrees with a windchill of -14. I walked several blocks to get to my final destination for the night, and immediately crawled under three blankets, and began drinking hot coffee. My plan is to internally whine the rest of the day away.
I’m pretty sure that I am so cold that I officially forgot how to use a chair.
No really.
OK, not really, but I have forgotten many things in my life, and I’m not sure that I can blame age. I see it in the younger ones around me as well as my peers. It’s not just misplaced keys or birthdays, but things that were once very tangible and important. Maybe our minds are too filled up with technology or perhaps our brains are like buckets, and we need to empty them once in a while in order to make room for more information.
So there I was, under my three blankets drinking my coffee, and searching YouTube. It’s a thing I do. Don’t deny it, you do it too. I usually get caught on a roller coaster of YouTube music. My friend Karen likes old commercials from the 1960’s and 70’s. It really doesn’t matter what you search, YouTube will usually take you on some sort of magical journey.
It all started with Tom Jones, I do love Tom. However, after some twists and turns, I found myself face to face with a song that I had completely forgotten about. A song that I had loved in my youth. A song that stopped me cold and gave me a tear.
Jerry Hubbard wrote this song over 45 years ago. He also goes by the name Jerry Reed. Yes, Amos Moses, that Jerry Reed. He was an accomplished guitar player and charmingly funny entertainer, but this song found a place in my heart as a young woman. I am saddened that I let it slip out my mind’s bucket, but thankful it’s back swimming around the canister once more. Johnny Cash had a substantial hit with it, but I think the song writer gets the prize this time.
You can’t see it with your eyes, hold it in your hands
But like the wind it covers our land
Strong enough to rule the heart of any man
This thing called love
It can lift you up never let you down
Take your world and turn it around
Ever since time nothing’s ever been found
That’s stronger than love
A Thing Called Love.