Cecily Smith

The war was over, I was living with my folks
I yelled upstairs, "Hey ma, I'm off to grab some smokes!"
And my father called, "Why you need to smoke so late?"
I'd lied, I had a date

Free of my folks enslavement
Skipping along the pavement
To see a brunette
Who I've never met
But I never would forget
How she looked in that dress
How she stuck out her hand and said, "My name is Cecily Smith
And I hope you like music
'Cause I've got two tickets for La Traviata"
That's when I said, "I hate opera!"

She laughed and said "Well lucky for you
That you're with Cecily Smith
Who cares what you are listening to
It's who you're listening with"

We take our seats, her hands are folded in her lap
If not a kiss, then I at least will get a nap
So I close my eyes as the orchestra begins
Then I hear violins

And the hair on my neck was rising
A feeling new and surprising
But it wasn't the sound, that made my heart pound, no!
It was because I found that her hand is in mine
And that's where it will stay until they play the final chord
She says, "Were you bored?"
And I said, "I guess it wasn't quite so bad
It was the best time that I've ever had!"

She laughed and said, "Well lucky for you
I got seats for Beethoven's Fifth
Who cares what you are listening to
It's who you're listening with"

A perfect wife
A perfect life

Time exploded, like a bullet from a gun
A week, a year, and then a marriage and a son
And a rental where I can still hear her laugh
When I play the phonograph

And I let the music guide me
As Cecily sits beside me
A girl of 19, with a nervous marine
Feel her head begin to lean
As the melody soars

And though it was real, it doesn't feel like it could be
That night when you said to me
"I've got two tickets for La Traviata"

It's sad but true
How much I miss you, I miss you Cecily Smith
Life is not the things that we do
It's who we're doing them with