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 lied

I had a date



Free of my folks' enslavement

Skipping along the pavement

To see a brunette

Who I 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 were 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 was in mine



And that's where it will stay until they play the final chord

She says "Were you bored?"

And I say, "I guess it wasn't quite so bad

It was the best time that I'd ever had."



She laughed and said

"Well lucky for you, I got seats to 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 still can hear her laugh

When I play the phonograph!



And I let the music guide me

And Cecily sits beside me

A girl of nineteen

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