History.

My favorite song is History by a British band called The Verve. I heard it on the internet, streaming through our 28kbps AOL dial-up connection, when I was 15 years old. At that time, I'd never had a boyfriend, I'd never been kissed, never held any one's hand, yet the song moved me so much that it actually changed me. Sitting in front of my parents old Gateway, headphones on, I sat still for a moment, taking it in, trying to understand each word and how it told its story. I think this song may have been my first experience with pain. Not the ouch kind, of course, but real, deep, unnerving pain.

At seventeen, I made my first pilgrimage to London. There, I bought the two History singles (among others). At this time, I had never bought anything over the internet, so what better way to buy imports than flying to the locale in which they're available? I thought it was quite logical. That and I could say, at 17, "Oh, that? I bought it in London."

The years went by and I got to know History; each chord, string, bar, gasp, plead, it was inside me. It still is.

I went to college and got kissed, held hands, had boyfriends. Sometimes it hurt, sometimes it didn't, but History was there for each of them. History was there for me. I became an English major and, through my classes, discovered the song is based on William Blake's London; somehow making it more important because now it was "literary" and couldn't ever be labelled a pop-hit. I think.

So, here I am, now. It's been over a year since I graduated college, I'm single again, and History is still here, a whole eight years later, and still my favorite song.

Band: The Verve, Song: History

I wander lonely streets
Behind where the old Thames does flow
And in every face I meet
Reminds me of what I have run from

In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you two will understand

I've got to tell you my tale
Of how I loved and how I failed
I hope you understand
These feelings should not be in the man

In every child, in every eye
In every sky, above my head
I hope that I know
So come with me in bed
Because it's you and me, we're history
There ain't nothing left to say
When I will get you alone

Maybe we could find a room
Where we could see what we should do
Maybe you know it's true
Living with me is like keeping a fool

In every man, in every hand
In every kiss, you understand
That living is for other men
I hope you know that I am me so come on
I'm thinking about history
And I'm living for history
And I think you know I'm bound for you
Cause I am

And one and one is two
But three is company
When you're thinking about the things you do
And you're thinking about the things you do

I want to tell you my tale
How I fell in love and jumped out on my bail
I hope you understand
There's more in a smile than in a hand

In every sky, in every kiss
There's something that you might have missed
And why am I going to
A place that now belongs to you

But you were weak and so am I
Let's pick it up, let's even try
To live today, so why not smile
Don't dream away your life cause it is mine
It is mine
Is that a crime?
Is that a crime?
This life is mine

The bed ain't made but it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope
But the bed ain't made, it's filled full of hope
I've got a skin full of dope