Sometimes A Song Just Moves You

It can happen at any time, in any place, and through any medium. A song plays and you instantly fall in love with it. It has happened to me thousands of times over my life, and this is the story of how a simple little tune came to mean so much more.

I can't exactly remember who introduced me to the song, but I know that the first time I heard it was by watching the music video. It's a simple video really; Tom Higgenson sitting in a chair playing guitar and singing as images of a girl flash across the screen. My first thought was, this is catchy. My second was, dude has a big nose. Mean, I know, but I am being honest here... that thing is quite large. Upon listening to the whole song I couldn't help but love it. It was so simple, so sweet, and so awesome! I knew then and there I had to learn it.

A couple of days later I received my latest copy of Guitar World magazine and what song would I see was transcribed in it? That's right, THIS ONE! I was pumped and sat down to learn the song immediately. I skipped right over everything else in the magazine, which featured Eddie Van Halen on the cover, and when straight to the song. Learning the music was pretty easy, but the lyrics kept getting jumbled in my head. Soon enough I had it down, for the most part.

You are probably thinking to yourself, what's the big deal with learning a new song? You're right, what is the big deal? Well, the song took on even more significance a few months later after my son, Riley, was born. As I have mentioned before in this blog, after Riley was born I started playing a lot more. I loved playing for him and he seems to have enjoyed listening and moving to the music. This is one song that as he grew up I continued to play over and over for him, to the point where it became "his song" and some of the lyrics were altered with his name in place of other words.

As the years have passed, I continued playing this song for Riley and his little brother Owen. Riley is now three years old and the cool thing is, he sings the song with me. So Tom Higgenson, you don't know me but I want to thank you for writing such a beautiful song that has become such a big part of my life. In honor of that I have recorded my own version of the song with some minor changes, but keeping it true to the original. I hope you enjoy my take on the Plain White Ts hit song, Hey There Delilah.

Song: Hey There Delilah
Music & Words: Tom Higgenson
Album: Plain White T's All That We Needed
Year: 2005