Now that you're gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left of the dream I hold
Is a band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you are still here with me.
Freda Payne, "Band of Gold", 1970.
In 2004, it was voted 391 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatist Songs of All Time.
As corny as it sounds, I like this silly tune. I wouldn't have voted it as one of the 500 greatist songs of all time, but I like it for two reasons. The first is I am married but I don't wear a gold wedding band. When Flannery and I got married we picked out our wedding rings from the Wireless catalog, which is the catalog they send you when you contribute to public radio or T.V. Yes, we purchased the symbols of our everlasting love from the people who bring you "Are You Being Served?" and "The Praire Home Companion". They had Celtic rings that they offered at a nominal price and with my heritage, it seemed a natural choice. I remember vividly standing in her parents kitchen and showing them the picture in the catalog. Her Mother was nonplused, but hid it well as she covered her eyes and wept softly that her little girl was going to marry this no-account country boy.
Flannery opted for the gold ring. That seemed fitting in my book. She deserved much more than that, but as money was at a premium and this was what she wanted, who was I to deny her whatever her heart desires? I chose the silver ring. The pattern was similiar but appeared to be a bit more masculine. As clear as my hands in front of me, I recall her Dad saying "If this is about the money..." as the difference in price was about $60. I held up my hand and said no, this was not about the money. Money be damned! This was about the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with and I'd burn in Hell before I would disgrace the vows we were about to take with something so trivial as $60.
It was about me. I am not a gold wearing kind of a guy and never have been. There is nothing showy or flashy about me, other than my penchant for dropping my pants and mooning someone for a laugh. I am a plain and simple person and gold on me is unbecoming. It would be like a $3 whore wearing a $10,000 evening gown. It just isn't appropriate, besides it would have clashed with my silver councho belt and my silver boot jewelry, both of which I wore to the wedding.
The other reason I like this song is the fact that there is a newlywed woman in bed panting for her new husband to consumate the marriage, but I guess that is just the pervert in me.
Doc
3 dollar whores everywhere want to know where they can get a gown like that!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that Flannery's parents have come to realize the jewel that she found!
ReplyDeleteIn my book everyone is a gold person or a silver person but not both. And one is not better than the other. I am a silver guy - I won't wear anything gold. The silver matches my graying hair so nicely!
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in my post re: getting a gold class ring in high school, I don't like gold, either. My FIRST wedding band was an egyptian wedding ring from The Pyramid Collection. Pretty kewl, but one of the stones (bloo lapus) fell off and had to be reglood.
ReplyDeleteMy SECOND weddng band was actually three rings that crawled o'er each other-- one in white, yellow and pink gold. Then one of the bands broke, and in later years I switched to a ring in the shape of a skull.
Right now, other than black fingernail polish (it's my TOES that are bloo), I have bare hands. I DID buy a hemitite ring on the way up from FLA, but I'll be damned if I know where it went.
Shame, too, I LIKE rings, though I think men who wear too many of them look like greazy used car salesmen (especially if all rings are gold!)
Thanks...now I will be singing Freda all night.......
ReplyDeletepeace
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