Kathy Mattea - Where've You Been?

Via Don Surber, we find the UK's oldest married couple, together now for 77 years:



This reminded me of Kathy Mattea's song about another long-married couple.  This song always struck me as flirting with the "maudlin" side of sentimental, but there are some good reasons to consider it for Mr. and Mrs. Tarrant's story:

• The song won Mattea a Grammy in 1990, so it seems that there's a critical acceptance for songs flirting with "maudlin".
• Her voice is simply haunting, and it's worth the journey (or at least the detour) just for that.
• The song was written by her husband, so the sentiment seems entirely genuine.

Once of the great story topics down through the ages is the Great Love.  Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Orpheus and Eurydice, Helen and Paris.  To this we can add the Tarrants, with their story sung by one of the great voices of our time.



Where've You Been? (Songwriters: Don Henry, Jon Vezner)

Claire had all but given up
When she and Edwin fell in love
She touched his face and shook her head
In disbelief she sighed and said
In many dreams I've held you near
Now at last you're really here

Where have you been?
I've looked for you for ever and a day
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away

He asked her for her hand for life
Then she became a salesman's wife
He was home each night by 8
But one stormy evening he was late
Her frightened tears fell to the floor
Until his key turned in the door

They'd never spent a night apart
For 60 yrs she heard him snore
Now they're in a hospital
In seperate beds on different floors

Claire soon lost her memory, forgot the names of family
She never spoke a word again
Then one day they wheeled him in
He held her hand and stroked her hair
In a fragile voice she said

Where have you been
Ive searched for you forever and a day
Where have you been
I'm just not myself when your away
I'm just not myself when your away

Image of Mattea is from here.