Am I Making All the Right Moves?

There's a song, by Josh Ritter, by the name of "Right Moves" that gets me everytime. It's a pop song. It's incredibly hooky. It never fails to get me moving...it never fails to make me sing. It never fails to make my eyes to swell up at one certain part. I don't know what exactly it is, but it pulls all these different parts of my life together and...it does what music is supposed to do, or always does, which is why music is the best...ever.

Here's the lyrics:

All of a sudden now you're back again
I thought you were happy with whoever or did you dream about me now and then
Did you look up at the stars and feel something for the constellations
All those lovers circling round their loves
Slings and arrows, dogs and lions, rivers separating touch from touch
The comedy of distance, the tragedy of separation

Am I making all the right moves
Am I singing you the right blues
Is there a chance that I could call you
Just to see how you are doing?

I said how is it that you come back to me?
You don't need the stories of my scars or in the stars to tell you nothing's free
I traded all the innocence I ever had for hesitation
I said won't you tell me where you been?
You put a finger to my lips and then you kissed me once and once again
The crickets all leapt up and met the moon with a standing ovation

Am I making all the right moves
Am I singing you the right blues
Is there a chance that I could call you
Just to see how you are doing?

I heard the night birds picking up the song
You threw your hair back and sang along
And I realized that I might lose you you might lose me
Drift apart in the night and never know why and not know how
I said what if we are like the Northern sky?
What if there are things that come between us that we can't take back and we can't make right?
You said I don't know darlin' but I'm here with you
And we're coming to the chorus now!

Am I making all the right moves
Am I singing you the right blues
Is there a chance that I could call you
Just to see how you are doing?

Now, the lyrics top to bottom are good, in fact, I love the whole premise. The wonder of why and how a love of his decided to come back to him. You can feel the wonder, and the despair that came before. That's a feeling I've (been lucky enough to) have a few times in my life, and he hits the nail on the head.

Secondly, in that second verse, he gives full example as to how mysterious women are...he asked why she came back, she doesn't say anything, but kisses him, which is probably all the answer he needs, and most likely will ever get. And that kiss gives way to that fantastic line of the crickets jumping up and meeting the moon for a standing ovation...it's as romantic as a scene can get! It's also that unreal feeling you get when a beautiful and wonderful woman kisses you.

Third verse, the eye-sweller! So, she's throwing her hair back and singing, and then the fear comes...he doesn't want to lose her again. He starts rambling...the delivery in the song is all crushed together...too many words in too short of time. He's PANICKING! And she says, "I don't know, darlin', but I'm here with you ...AND WE'RE COMING TO THE CHORUS NOW!

It's the best intro to a phenomenally hooky chorus...maybe ever, at least lyrically. Strangely, part of me says it's lyrically a cop-out...like he had no line to follow the last. But it puts a smile on my face, because...it's just a pop song. And it's an invitation to sing with her! How more in the moment is singing without a care? It doesn't matter what happens down the road...I'm here with you NOW! Live here, live now, damn the consequences. Which is what love's all about, because if we actually dealt with love logically, we'd rarely allow ourselves to make the fall.

Ok, so now that chorus. The guy's just trying to be cool, make the right moves, etc. Instead of just being himself, which is what she truly loves...who he really is, or else she wouldn't have come back to him. And even if they don't "live happily ever after", can he still call sometimes? Just to see how she's doing? He cares deeply for her, whether they're lovers or not. He just wants to be in touch, and be there for her. True love.

The chorus, for some reason, also made me think (maybe because Grace loves the song too and we sing it together) of me, later in life, as an old man, and calling Grace (and/or Maria) just to see how they're doing. Had I made mistakes as a father? Whether we grew apart for some unforeseen reason. Whatever the case maybe...can I still call you, just to see how you are doing? It's a desperate question...it's begging for forgiveness and a request to keep ties...whether it's a guy and his lover or a father and an estranged daughter...it's just a bittersweet thought.

I hope you check the song out sometime...funnily enough, it's a Rocker and I can't keep from dancing too...ain't that a treat?!