I was a medic in Ansbach, Germany on the last night of a 48-hour shift. I was in the basement of the dispensary playing my guitar on a break. I heard someone coming down the stairs but didn’t look up—just kept playing and singing. Then I saw blue swede boots cross in front of me and when the song was finished, I heard a voice felt deep inside and that balanced me in a way as never before.

I looked up and saw the most beautiful young woman sitting across the room. I was a mess after being up for 40 hours—no shower, unable to talk—but I knew at that moment 40 years ago that she was something magical to me. She was staying in the Helicopter barracks and was sent to the dispensary because of a bomb threat. That was the only 48-shift I ever worked in Germany and she just happened to hear me when my friend, Joe Celeste, opened the door to the basement. She asked him, “Who is that?” and he said, “just a mouse gnawing on the baseboard.”

So that’s how we met. I wrote this song, along with Swallowed by the Sun, for our 40th anniversary. It covers a lot of ground—our wedding with friends, the honeymoon in Florence, and the discovery and learning that take place in a 40-year relationship. I have to say, it’s been an awesome trip so far!

I feel truly blessed to have lived with such a wonderful friend, partner and lover all these years. There are so many keys to find and explore in relationships, so many emotions, and so many ways to make it work! We didn’t know each other long, but there was a trust and good energy connection that day we met in the basement of a Army dispensary in Germany. The years have passed in so many remarkable ways, and we both have learned, loved and grown closer with each passing year.

Lyrics