1. Nostalgia Why don't relationships last as long as we'd like?
Is a successful life one in which satisfaction outweighs disappointment?
Why do we so often regard the past as “the good times”?

2. From the album “Heads and Tales” Elektra 75023 ©1972
“Taxi” by Harry Chapin
From the album “Heads and Tales”
Elektra ©1972
It was raining hard in 'Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night.
A lady up ahead waved to flag me down,
She got in at the light.
Oh, where you going to, my lady blue,
It's a shame you ruined your gown in the rain.
She just looked out the window, and said
"Sixteen Parkside Lane.”
Something about her was familiar
I could swear I'd seen her face before,
But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken,"
And she didn't say anything more.
It took a while, but she looked in the mirror,
And she glanced at the license for my name.
A smile seemed to come to her slowly,
It was a sad smile, just the same.
And she said, "How are you Harry?"
I said, "How are you Sue?
Through the too many miles
and the too little smiles
I still remember you."
It was somewhere in a fairy tale,
I used to take her home in my car.
We learned about love in the back of the Dodge,
The lesson hadn't gone too far.
You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky.
Oh, I've got something inside me,
To drive a princess blind.
There's a wild man, wizard,
He's hiding in me, illuminating my mind.
Not what my life's about,
Cause I've been letting my outside tide me,
Over 'till my time, runs out.

3. Well another man might have been angry,
And another man might have been hurt,
But another man never would have let her go...
I stashed the bill in my shirt.
And she walked away in silence,
It's strange, how you never know,
But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for,
Such a long, long time ago.
You see, she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky.
And here, she's acting happy,
Inside her handsome home.
And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
Taking tips, and getting stoned,
I go flying so high, when I'm stoned.
Baby's so high that she's skying,
Yes she's flying, afraid to fall.
I'll tell you why baby's crying,
Cause she's dying, aren't we all.
There was not much more for us to talk about,
Whatever we had once was gone.
So I turned my cab into the driveway,
Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns.
And she said we must get together,
But I knew it'd never be arranged.
And she handed me twenty dollars,
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change."

4. Met my old lover in the grocery store,
The snow was falling Christmas Eve.
I stole behind her in the frozen foods,
And I touched her on the sleeve.
She didn't recognize the face at first,
But then her eyes flew open wide.
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse,
And we laughed until we cried.
We took her groceries to the checkout stand,
The food was totalled up and bagged.
We stood there lost in our embarrassment,
As the conversation dragged.
We went to have ourselves a drink or two,
But couldn't find an open bar.
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store,
And we drank it in her car.
We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.
She said she'd married her an architect,
Who kept her warm and safe and dry,
She would have liked to say she loved the man,
But she didn't like to lie.
“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg
From the album “The Innocent Age”
Epic KE ©1981
I said the years had been a friend to her,
And that her eyes were still as blue.
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw,
Doubt or gratitude.
She said she saw me in the record stores,
And that I must be doing well.
I said the audience was heavenly,
But the traveling was hell.
We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.
We drank a toast to time.
Reliving in our eloquence,
Another 'auld lang syne'......
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired,
And running out of things to say.
She gave a kiss to me as I got out,
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment I was back at school,
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home,
The snow turned into rain .

5. I woke up this morning
Now I understand
What it means to give your life
To just one man
Afraid of feeling nothing
No bees or butterflies
My head is full of voices
And my house is full of lies
This is home, home
And this is home, home
This is home
I found your standing there
When I was seventeen
Now I'm thirty-two
And I can't remember what I'd seen in you
I made a promise
Said it everyday
Now I'm reading romance novels
And I'm dreaming of yesterday
“Home” by Sheryl Crow
From the album “Sheryl Crow”
A&M ©1996
I'd like to see the Riviera
And slowdance underneath the stars
I'd like to watch the sun come up
In a stranger's arms
This is home, home
And this is home, home
This is home
I'm going crazy
A little everyday.
And everything I wanted
Is now driving me away
I woke this morning
To the sound of breaking hearts
Mine is full of questions
And it's tearing yours apart...

6. “Blood on the Bricks” by Iron City Houserockers
Written by Joe Grushecky
From the album “Blood on the Bricks”
MCA 5252 ©1981
Hanging on a thread, fighting for a chance, 
Oh, those things they said, were never meant to last.
On a stretch of town right off the strip, late one night
He wrote her name in blood on the bricks.
He was a poor young tough from an old coal town,
Who listened for the night, and lived for the sounds
She was a dark-haired Italian in tight blue jeans
Together they swore to live out all their dreams
As they laid there in each other's arms
Somewhere in the background they'd hear that song
The one they danced to the night they met.
The Drifters were singing "Up On The Roof", 
And they brought it all home in just two minutes of truth
Some things aren't that easy
Some things just aren't easy to forget
Like the blood on the bricks.
He came home from his job one night, he'd had a little too much to drink.
Got her out of bed and made her walk down to the wall down on East Carson Street.
He cut his vein with a knife and the blood flowed out like a river
He rubbed it on his hands and wrote on the wall
"JJ + Little Girl Baby Forever"

7. She left the next morning. She was tired of the games they'd play,
Didn't want to be there when he threw his life away.
Now the radio is his only savior on a lonely Sunday night
He walks the railroad tracks, just before daylight
And as he walked he had the radio on
All-night DJ played his favorite song
the one they danced to the night they met.
He always said he could deliver the proof
But he was never brave enough to face the truth
Some things aren't that easy
Some things just aren't that easy to forget
Like the blood on the bricks
He wrote their name
He wrote their name in blood on the bricks

8. “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley
Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer's out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I'm drivin' by your house
Though I know you're not at home
But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream
Now I don't understand what happened to our love
But babe, I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna show you what I'm made of
I can see you-
I see you walkin' real slow and you're smilin' at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
“The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley
Written by Don Henley and Mike Campbell
From the album “Building the Perfect Beast”
Geffen GHS ©1984

9. Out on the road today, I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice Inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back."
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong

10. “Mandolin Rain” by Bruce and John Hornsby
From the album “The Way It Is”
RCA PL89901 ©1986
The song came and went
Like the times that we spent
Hiding out from the rain under the carnival tent
I laughed and she'd smile
It would last for awhile
You don't know what you got till you lose it all again
Listen to the mandolin rain
Listen to the music on the lake
Listen to my heart break every time she runs away
Listen to the banjo wind
A sad song drifting low
Listen to the tears roll
Down my face as she turns to go
A cool evening dance
Listening to the bluegrass band takes the chill
From the air till they play the last song
I'll do my time
Keeping you off my mind but there's moments
That I find, I'm not feeling so strong

11. Running down by the lakeshore
She did love the sound of a summer storm
It played on the lake like a mandolin
Now it's washing her away again
Listen to the mandolin rain
Listen to the music on the lake
Listen to my heart break every time she runs away
Listen to the banjo wind
A sad song drifting low
Listen to the tears roll
Down my face as she turns to go
The boat's steaming in
I watch the sidewheel spin and I
Think about her when I hear that whistle blow
I can't change my mind
I knew all the time that she'd go
But that's a choice I made long ago

12. “Pictures of You” by The Cure Written by Robert Smith
I've been looking so long at these pictures of
you that I almost believe that they're real I've
been living so long with my pictures of you that
I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel
Remembering you standing quiet in the rain as
I ran to your heart to be near and we kissed as
the sky fell in holding you close how I always
held close in your fear remembering you
running soft through the night you were bigger
brighter and whiter than snow and
screamed at the make-believe screamed at the
sky and you finally found all your courage to
let it all go
Remembering you falling into my arms crying
for the death of you heart you were stone
white so delicate so lost in the cold you were
always so lost in the dark remembering you
how you used to be slow drowned you were
angels so much more than everything oh hold
for the last time then slip away quietly open
my eyes but I never see anything
“Pictures of You” by The Cure
Written by Robert Smith
From the album “Disintegration”
Elektra ©1989
If only I'd thought of the right words I could
have held onto your heart if only I'd thought of
the right words I wouldn't be breaking apart all
my pictures of you
Looking so long at these pictures of you but I
never hold onto your heart looking so long for
the words to be true but always just breaking
apart my pictures of you
There is nothing in the world that I ever
wanted more than to feel you deep in my heart
There was nothing in the world that I ever
wanted more than to never feel the breaking
apart of my pictures of you

13. THE FITTED SHIRT
WHEN I WAS STILL GROWING UP
AND DAD HEAD OFF TO WORK
HE PUT COAT AND TIE ON
OVER FITTED SHIRT
NOTHING ELSE WILL FIT RIGHT
OR SEEMS SO DIRECTLY APPLIED
THAN FITTED SHIRT HUNG ON ME
FITTED SHIRT ALRIGHT
I LONG FOR THE DAYS
THEY USED TO SAY
MA’AM AND YES SIR
FOR NOW I’M GOING TO FIND
BUTTONS FOR MY
DAD’S OLD USED SHIRT
FITTED SHIRT
“The Fitted Shirt” by Spoon
Written by Britt Daniel
From the album “Girls Can Tell”
Merge MRG195 ©2001
BEEN LOOKING SO LONG NOW
AND NO ONE’S SEEN AND NO ONE HEARD
BUT WHEN I GO OUT TONIGHT
I’M GOING TO PUT ON A FITTED SHIRT
ONE DAY IT’LL TAKE
AND THEY’LL START TO MAKE
SHIRTS THAT FIT RIGHT
TIL THEN I SUPPOSE
I STILL GOT DAD’S CLOTHES
AND THAT’S ALRIGHT
FITTED SHIRT

14. “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian
From the album “Between the Lines”
Columbia PC ©1975
I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
and high school girls with clear skinned smiles
who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth
And those of us with ravaged faces
lacking in the social graces
desperately remained at home
inventing lovers on the phone
who called to say – come dance with me
and murmured vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems at seventeen
A brown eyed girl in hand me downs
whose name I never could pronounce
said – Pity please the ones who serve
They only get what they deserve
The rich relationed hometown queen
marries into what she needs
with a guarantee of company
and haven for the elderly
Remember those who win the game
lose the love they sought to gain
in debentures of quality and dubious integrity
Their small-town eyes will gape at you
in dull surprise when payment due
exceeds accounts received at seventeen
To those of us who knew the pain
of valentines that never came
and those whose names were never called
when choosing sides for basketball
It was long ago and far away
The world was younger than today
when dreams were all they gave for free
to ugly duckling girls like me
We all play the game, and when we dare
we cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
that call and say – Come dance with me
and murmur vague obscenities
at ugly girls like me, at seventeen

15. “Alma Mater” by Alice Cooper Written by Neil Smith
Rain is falling
Down my cheek
Searching for the sea
Tomorrow, like the rain
I'll be back home again
I watch
The bus
As it pulls out of view
Someday like that bus
I will be leavin too
But you know
It breaks my heart
To leave you
Camelback
My high school
And now
Alone
Cryin in my beer
'Cause old friends said
Goodbye, I guess I'll be leavin too
Cortez
I'll miss you
“Alma Mater” by Alice Cooper
Written by Neil Smith
From the album “School's Out”
Warner Bros. BS-2623 ©1972
Yes I will
You know I will
Well so long
Everybody
I hope that I would see you again
Goodbye
I finally grew up
They finally let me out of school
Hey, remember the time - 'member the time
We took that snake
And put down little Betsy's dresss?
Now I don't think Miss Axelrod
Was much impressed
No I don't think Miss Axelrod
Well I don't think Miss Axelrod

16. Oh, goodbye
Everybody
I hope that I would see you again
So long
How do you like that
They finally let me out of school
Goodbye
Ah, I wanna get out of here
They let me out of school
How 'bout that, uh?
Hey, goodbye, guys
Maybe I'll see -
Maybe I'll see you around some time, uh?
'Ey, don't make a stranger of yourself, uh?
Remember the Coop, uh?
May -
I ho -
I hope - you don't forget me or nothin

17. “It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men
Written by Freddie Person and Christine Yarian
From the album “CooleyHighHrmony”
Motown MOTD-630 ©1991
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh
Outweigh the bad.
I thought we'd get to see forever
But forever's gone away
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
I don't know where this road
Is going to lead
All I know is where we've been
And what we've been through.
If we get to see tomorrow
I hope it's worth all the wait
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain

18. “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen From the album “Born in the U.S.A.”
Columbia QC ©1984
I had a friend was a big baseball player
back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside sat down had a few drinks
but all he kept talking about was
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days
Well there's a girl that lives up the block
back in school she could turn all the boy's heads
Sometimes on a Friday I'll stop by
and have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby well they split up
I guess it's two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times,
she says when she feels like crying
she starts laughing thinking about

19. Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
and I'm going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it
but I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but
boring stories of glory days
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days

20. “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder From the album “Songs in the Key of Life”
Tamla T ©1976
Looking back on when I
Was a little nappy headed boy
Then my only worry
Was for Christmas what would be my toy
Even though we sometimes
Would not get a thing
We were happy with the
Joy the day would bring
Sneaking out the back door
To hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine
Greeted at the back door
With boy thought I told you not to go outside,
Tryin’ your best to bring the
Water to your eyes
Thinkin’ it might stop her
From whoopin’ your behind
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go
Cause I love them so

21. Brother says he’s tellin’
’bout you playin’ doctor with that girl
Just don’t tell I’ll give you
Anything you want in this whole wide world
Mama gives you money for Sunday school
You trade yours for candy after church is through
Smokin’ cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall (you nasty boy)
Teacher sends you to the principal’s office down the wall
You grow up and learn that kinda thing ain’t right
But while you were doin’it-it sure felt outta sight
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go

22. I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime
Played it till my fingers bled
was the summer of '69
Me and some guys from school
Had a band and we tried real hard
Jimmy quit and Julie got married
I shoulda known we'd never get far
Oh when I look back now
The summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Yeah - I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life
Ain't no use in complainin'
When you got a job to do
Spent my evenin's down at the drive-in
And that's when I met you yeah!
Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me that you'd wait forever
Oh and when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Back in the summer of '69
ohhh yeah the summer of 69
“Summer of '69” by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance
From the album “Reckless”
A&M SP-5013 ©1984
Man we were killin' time
We were young and reckless
We needed to unwind
I guess nothin' can last
forever - forever, no
And now the times are changin'
Look at everything that's come and gone
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
I think about you wonder what went wrong
Standin' on your mama's porch
You told me it would last forever
Oh when you held my hand
I knew that it was now or never
Those were the best days of my life
Back in the summer of '69
it was the summer
the summer of 69
ohhhh yeah
me and my band back in '69

23. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel
A bottle of white, a bottle of red Perhaps a bottle of rose instead We'll get a table near the street In our old familiar place You and I--face to face
A bottle of red, a bottle of white It all depends on your appetite I'll meet you any time you want In our Italian Restaurant.
Things are okay with me these days Got a good job, got a good office Got a new wife, got a new life And the family's fine We lost touch long ago You lost weight I did not know You could ever look so good after So much time.
I remember those days hanging out At the village green Engineer boots, leather jackets And tight blue jeans Drop a dime in the box play the Song about New Orleans Cold beer, hot lights My sweet romantic teenage nights
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
by Billy Joel
From the album “The Stranger”
Columbia ©1979
Brenda and Eddie were the popular steadies And the king and the queen of the prom Riding around with the car top down and the radio on Nobody looked any finer Or was more of a hit at the Parkway Diner We never knew we could want more than that out of life Surely Brenda and Eddie would always know how to survive.
Brenda and Eddie were still going steady in the summer of '75 When they decided the marriage would be at the end of July Everyone said they were crazy "Brenda you know you're much too lazy Eddie could never afford to live that kind of life." But there we were wavin' Brenda and Eddie goodbye.
They got an apartment with deep pile carpet And a couple of paintings from Sears A big waterbed that they bought with the bread They had saved for a couple of years They started to fight when the money got tight And they just didn't count on the tears.

24. They lived for a while in a very nice style But it's always the same in the end They got a divorce as a matter of course And they parted the closest of friends Then the king and the queen went back to the green But you can never go back there again.
Brenda and Eddie had had it already By the summer of '75 From the high to the low To the end of the show For the rest of their lives They couldn't go back to the greasers The best they could do was pick up the pieces We always knew they would both find a way to get by That's all I heard about Brenda and Eddie Can't tell you more than I told you already And here we are wavin' Brenda and Eddie goodbye.
A bottle of red, and bottle of white Whatever kind of mood you're in tonight I'll meet you anytime you want In our Italian Restaurant.