I don’t want anything to change

For a few days now I’ve had in my mind the lyric to a touching song sung by Bonnie Raitt, and now this week comes news that throws it all into perspective.

The song was written by Maia Sharp, Liz Rose and Stephanie Chapman, and I can see Bonnie being attracted to it because it expresses something I think you feel as you get older: no more upheavals, let’s just keep things as they are. No matter how unsatisfactory it all may be, at least we know where we are, and we also know by now that the alternative could be a lot worse.

In that sense, we’re all conservatives. The core of the lyric going like this:

I can feel you fading
But until you're gone
I'm taking all the time I can borrow
The getting over is waiting
But I won't move on
And I'm gonna wanna feel the same tomorrow

I know the truth is right outside
But for the moment it's best denied
I don't want anything to change

She’s singing about a love affair, which is what struck a chord. Yes, it’s going to end, we both know that, but I’m going to forget that fact for now and just be in the here and now. Denial is a powerful force.

Then this week those lines acquired a new poignancy for anyone listening to that song from now on. Bonnie’s big brother Steve died, after spending a long time fighting cancer. The story is here. The comments are particularly touching, showing for once someone who was not only reported to have touched a lot of people.

Here’s a video of Bonnie singing the song with Norah Jones: