Ah yes...when you hear that delicate piano intro of this song you know you are not only in for a sonic treat but for an epic journey. Some people firmly believe that Jesus will return to us at some point in the future. I say He has already come...in the form of Dan Fogelberg. This song is his sermon for life.
The song starts off with Mr. Fogelberg running into somebody he used to have a sexual relationship with in his local supermarket on Christmas Eve. In today's age of Super Stop and Shops and Walbaums, this is pretty impressive by itself. Even better, is that they run into each other in the "frozen foods" section of the store. Looks like a major rockstar like Dan Fogelberg buys frozen processed foods like the rest of us.
I won't go through all the lyrics but I like the line in how they hugged and she dropped her purse on the ground and they "laughed until they cried". I can never think of anybody laughing until they cried unless it involved something humorous...not something as mundane as that.
Now comes the weird part of the song...they decide to catch up over a drink at a bar but the bars are closed. So instead they decide to grab some beers at a liquor store and get a little tipsy in his old girlfriend's car. Don't you think that if you're in a town where the bars are closed on Christmas Eve, that the liquor stores are closed? The only place where you can get beer 24 hours a day is a 7-11 but the below line loses its magnitude:
"We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the 7-11
And we drank it in her car"
So now they're in the car getting a bit of a buzz and he finds out she married an architect but doesn't know if she loves him anymore. Dan senses the opportunity here and complements her on her blue eyes but can't tell if he crossed the line or flattered her. Meanwhile Dan is grinding away on the road saying the "audience was heavenly" (meaning groupies and hookers) but the travelling was taking its toll.
Finally, the story ends as she drops him off and drives away but not before giving Dan a kiss. If I was in Dan's shoes, I would have made a major move on her. Just think, he's a famous musician and she's a lonely housewife. They've already banged each other before too. Dan even mentions that he feels like he's back in school again feeling some heartache. Dan is the biggest fool I know.
Anyway, some unanswered questions here:
1.) It was very dangerous for Dan's ex-girlfriend to drive away after drinking 3 beers. Hopefully the local cops don't pick her up.
2.) The ex-girlfriend's husband (the architect) would most likely be pissed to know his wife took forever to go out and get some groceries and then ended up drinking beers with an ex lover.
3.) Either Dan gained weight or has aged badly as she doesn't immediately recognize him at first. Yet she later says she's seen his pictures on his albums in the record store. Dan must use airbrushed pictures or a photoshop to help him look better.
Anyway, I am taking all of this way too literally but this song has everything I love in a guilty pleasure song. A goofy story, a nice string arrangement, some awesome vocal harmonies, and odd rhymes ("bagged" and "dragged"). I have to admit that I hate the saxophone part at the end.
So in closing, because I can write so much about one song, this is my favorite Christmas song.
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