She Said Hello
From the Album McDonald’s Farm
I could see her walking in the rain
It had to be her, she looked just the same
The years had passed her by with kindness and respect
In the years she’d spent with me, she only knew neglect
I was close behind her, she entered the cafe
I stood there frozen, wondering what to say
When at last I entered, I saw her sitting there
With a smile so kind and warm she didn’t seem to have a care
Chorus
She said hello, how have you been
It’s so good to see you, let’s talk for a while
But I don’t have long
She said hello, I heard goodbye
All I saw was a stranger who was once part of me
It hurt so much when she said hello
I sat beside her not knowing what to say
She took control, and I well recalled the day
When the world to her was fearful, she would shelter in my arms
And I thought she’d not survive a day without keeping her from harm
Now as she talked it wasn’t hard to see
Her world had opened, on the day I set her free
As I sat beside her, a man once strong and sure
A victim of the confidence of the woman I still adore
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
For a few years in the 1980s, I owned a squash club, and a woman came to work for me. It was her first job since she got married twenty years earlier. Despite being very capable, I had rarely met anyone with such little self-confidence. Her husband was a good and very capable man, but it seemed that she had become too reliant on him. Within a year of her going back to work, she became a different person. Sadly, the more her confidence grew, the more they drifted apart, and they ended up separating. I never saw either of them again, but I assume like in the song, they would have met at least once by chance. I know her husband would have wanted what was best for her, but I suspect he would have missed the days when he was the centre of her world.
Nemo’s Books
