One of the stand out tracks to come from the #TEAMW21 Nashville tour was not by some up and coming whippersnapper but a true veteran of Country music Bill Anderson. We'd seen him happily play the fool with the lighter side of his catalogue as he entertained at the Grand Old Opry, but then he got serious and said he'd recorded a new EP of love songs "Forevermore" and that he was very proud of it.
Arranged by Thomm Jutz who #TEAMw21 had the pleasure of seeing some years ago and produced by Steve Dorff, this poignant tale works so well because Bill's voice perfectly encapsulates the sentiments of the song. It could easily have become sugar coated and twee, instead it is heartwarming and real as it addresses the reality of ageing and the possible future that lies ahead..
Beautifully arranged , the opening of strings and guitar perfectly set he scene for Bill's character to unburden how he is feeling
"He held her hand and whispered, I'm not a young man anymore
I can't do a lot of things I used to do before
Life is like a mountain, and I'm on the downhill side
He looked out to the sunset, inspired
Said it's been quite a ride"
The imagery of sunsets and mountaineering convey the end of journey in a most poetic way and it all leads to the most heartfelt of choruses
"If I ever lose my vision, I'll stare into the dark and see your face
And if I lose my hearing, I'll always hear your sweet voice call my name
I still love you just as much, as I did the day we met
And if I lose my memory - you'll be the last one I'll forget"
It all goes to show that the creative juices never stop flowing, and it is good to see that at 87, Bill Anderson still has quite a few dates pencilled in at the Grand Old Opry where if you are as lucky as us, yo umight just get to hear him perform this gem of a song.
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