This One's For You.

AND I LOVE YOU SO

Sung by Perry Como

And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I've lived 'til now
I tell them I don't know

I guess they understand
How lonely life has been
But life began again
The day you took my hand

And yes I know, how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me 
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

And you love me too
Your thoughts are just for me
You set my spirit free
I'm happy that you do

The book of life is brief
And once a page is read
All but life is dead
That is my belief

And yes I know, how lonely life can be
The shadows follow me 
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me

My oldest sister and brother in law are in town for a series of medical missions to different parts of the country. They're with several groups of Fil-Am doctors from Chicago and Seatlle.

And when siblings get together, a natural topic of conversation are those days long gone and years of growing up.  Sis was hilarious when she related to us about young crushes and suitors; how one guy used to send her "song hits" with pages marked to indicate specific songs dedicated to her.

For those not in the know, "song hits" were small booklets, the size of today's TV Guide,  containing lyrics of popular songs.  These were sold in magazine stands, and were popular with teens.  Filipinos even in ancient times already loved to sing; a Filipino invented "karaoke," remember?

I remember some radio shows back then with "dedication portions."  Listeners would call in and ask the DJ to play a particular song and dedicate it to his/her boy/girlfriend or spouse. 

This strategy of dedicating a love song to a love interest to gain her/his attention dates back to the Pinoy old custom of "harana."  In a harana, a boy summons his courage, his own voice or friends to declare his love for a girl through songs.

So on one not so late evening, the lover would don his best attire (barong tagalog or kamiset' chino) and pluck his guitar and sing "Maalala Mo Kaya or Bakya Mo Neneng" in front of the girl's house.  I suppose the boy would choose a particular night when the "moon"  would be full and shining brightly, especially if he lived in a town with no electricity yet. 

The only harana I witnessed personally (most were seen in old Tagalog movies), was the one performed by my now uncle in law Tio Rocky when he was courting my Tia Sol.  Tio Rocky actually commissioned another uncle in law, Tio Peping, to sing for him. It was a scene straight out of a Rogelio De La Rosa-Carmen Rosales movie. And this one, I guess, was back in the early 60's and took place in Manila. 

Nowadays, lovers exchange and share play lists.  

Songs are powerful tools to express one's feelings and emotions.  But poetry is the precursor of songs. Lovers proclaim their deep seated love and passion through emotion-filled lines, octaves,haiku.

For the non-poets, it would be through popular songs.  "This one's for you," a man or a woman would say.