Post by Mary Ellen Byrne on Jan 18, 2011 20:24:31 GMT -5
I've always loved Andrew Lloyd-Weber's "Phantom of the Opera" and I especially loved the song "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again." which Christine sings outside the mausoleum where her father is buried.
Unfortunately when my own father died in 2005, I could not listen to the song for almost a year because I identified so strongly with it. I couldn't listen without bursting into tears.
I was afraid for a long time that this might be a permanent condition. That as long as my father and I were separated in two different worlds, I would never be able to listen to that song with falling into a deep depression.
Well, time marched on and I became more accustomed to the idea of my father not being here and for the past four years I have been able to listen to the song and appreciate it for the beautiful masterpiece that it is.
I heard the song again yesterday while I was at my computer and for reasons I do not yet know, I began to think of Viola and I began listening to the song from her point of view. She, like Christine, had her father torn from her side at a very young age.
I listened to the opening lines:
You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered
As I listened to the rest of the song, I started to realize every single line could have applied to her and suddenly I just felt that deep depression I used to feel back when I was still mourning my own father.
I thought 'Poor kid! I wonder what she would have felt about this song had it been around in the 40's?' Of course, "Phantom of the Opera" debuted in 1986 and Viola died in 2004 so it is possible she might have seen the play. (I hope she did. It's fantastic!
) If so, what did she think the first time she heard "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"? Had it been long enough since Connie's death that she appreciated it as the beautiful masterpiece it was or did she identify with it too strongly and did she had to fight to keep from bursting into tears in public?
Now everytime I hear the song I have these questions.
Unfortunately when my own father died in 2005, I could not listen to the song for almost a year because I identified so strongly with it. I couldn't listen without bursting into tears.
I was afraid for a long time that this might be a permanent condition. That as long as my father and I were separated in two different worlds, I would never be able to listen to that song with falling into a deep depression.Well, time marched on and I became more accustomed to the idea of my father not being here and for the past four years I have been able to listen to the song and appreciate it for the beautiful masterpiece that it is.
I heard the song again yesterday while I was at my computer and for reasons I do not yet know, I began to think of Viola and I began listening to the song from her point of view. She, like Christine, had her father torn from her side at a very young age.
I listened to the opening lines:
You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered
As I listened to the rest of the song, I started to realize every single line could have applied to her and suddenly I just felt that deep depression I used to feel back when I was still mourning my own father.
I thought 'Poor kid! I wonder what she would have felt about this song had it been around in the 40's?' Of course, "Phantom of the Opera" debuted in 1986 and Viola died in 2004 so it is possible she might have seen the play. (I hope she did. It's fantastic!
) If so, what did she think the first time she heard "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"? Had it been long enough since Connie's death that she appreciated it as the beautiful masterpiece it was or did she identify with it too strongly and did she had to fight to keep from bursting into tears in public?Now everytime I hear the song I have these questions.
