Listen to a clip of "Good Seeing You Again" here
One of the actors in my recent JANE EYRE production, Nat Cassidy, (he played St. John Rivers, the hot but Christo-fascist minister who almost takes Jane away to India) is not only a great actor*, he's a great songwriter too. And my very most favorite song of his is "Good Seeing You Again." It is by far the best song ever written by a person I actually know. And if my ex-boyfriend (when we were 16, four years before Nat was born that young bastard) singer-songwriter Dan Montgomery reads this - sorry Dan.
Nat's a huge fan of the Beatles - I mean he knows everything about them and I used to think I was the queen of Beatles trivia but now Nat is the queen.
I'm sure he doesn't mind being called "queen" since Nat is a man who loves women, so being referred to with a female term can only be a compliment. Right Nat?
You can tell the Beatles' influence on Good Seeing because of:
1. the rhythm piano that pops up after the first verse.
2. the fun backing vocals that pop up after the second verse.
3. the lyrics, which start out wonderfully ambivalent, but which, by the end of the song morph into a confession ("I've been wandering round the same old places hoping you'd pass me by") and a heartfelt, totally vulnerable plea for reconcilliation ("And I'm hoping baby you will take me back and that we can start again.")
Actually the lyrics are better than virtually any lyrics written by Paul McCartney - and I love Paul McCartney and always defend him against the John-Lennon-is-God brigade.
Good Seeing kicks into a climax right at the lyrics: "I've been wondering where you've been wandering..." It's just the greatest thing.
But enough dancing about architecture - there is a link at the top of this post, just click it and listen to an excerpt of the song. Then buy the song - at 69 cents you can't afford not to.
Here are the lyrics, posted by permission, thanks Nat:
I'm sorry if it seemed imperfect
I hope you know to me it's worth it
I'm sorry if you can't get over what I mighta done.
I'm sorry for the angry letters.
At least they made me feel much better.
And maybe we can chalk it all up to being said in fun.
Cause it was good seeing you again.
And I hope this time we can be friends.
And I'm sorry for all the times I done yah wrong
And I hope we can start again.
I think the torch has finally gone out
And now your picture don't hold much clout
Cause there's no sense in sitting home
wondering what you coulda changed
I mean you really fucked me up good
And made me feel what no man ever should
But baby I'd still take you back
yes that means I'm just deranged.
And it was good seeing you again
And I hope this time we can be friends.
And I'm sorry bout the time I almost killed your dog
And I hope we can start again.
(musical interlude)
Cause I've been wondering where you've been wandering
And I've been wondering what you've been wondering
Cause I've been walking round the same old places
Hoping you'd pass me by
Cause life's been nothing since the day you took off
And the grief just ain't something that can be shook off
And I've been hoping that maybe you would just give it a try.
And it was good seeing you again
And I hope this time we can be friends.
And I'm hoping baby you will take me back
And that we can start again.
Baby.
Baby.
*if you are an important producer, by all means cast him immediately. Cassidy's Hamlet feeds off his own anger; he's a calculating, would-be angel of death, gathering evidence and biding his time.