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A playful, deeply affectionate anniversary message Dad wrote for Mom, weaving together Oak Ridge Boys song titles into their love story.
Way back in the spring of 1990, while Duane, Joe, Steve and Richard (THE OAK RIDGE BOYS) and their roadies were packing up after a concert in Regina, a young courting couple, Jerry and Shirley were heading home from the show, still lip-syncing “Giddy Up - Oom Poppa Oom Poppa Mow Mow”.
The quartet’s flawless harmony, and deep rumbling bass vocals were still echoing in our ears as we drove west, and I remember looking over at Shirley and telling her that I was tired of “TRYING TO LOVE TWO WOMEN”, and “DOWN DEEP INSIDE” I knew she was “SOMETHING WORTH HOLDING ON TO”, and I’ve decided that “YOU’RE THE ONE” for me “EVERYDAY”, because I’d never had “A FEELING LIKE THAT” before, and if you would “LET ME BE THE ONE”, I’d really like to “MAKE MY LIFE WITH YOU”, and I’d be “CRAZY NOT TO” listen “WHEN LOVE CALLS YOU”.
I figured she’d tell me to “DREAM ON” or “KEEP WALKING” or “DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN THE WELL”, but after I begged her to “TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS”, she tentatively said YES, but said “I GET TO” prove if I’m sincere, and I’d have to “COME ON IN” to the Bible Store she was managing, and buy something. She said, “THEN YOU’LL SEE” what her final answer would be. I thought “THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY” to win her love, but I told her I’ll come to her Bible Store “ANY OLD TIME YOU CHOOSE”, because I’m “READY TO TAKE MY CHANCES” with you, “BUT I DO” need you to dismantle those “BRIDGES AND WALLS” and “LAY DOWN YOUR SWORD AND SHIELD” first.
“THROUGH MY EYES” I knew she was WAY out of my league, but I was hoping that “THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT ME THAT SHE LOVES”, and I knew that if I screwed this up, “I’D STILL BE WAITING” years from now for something this good to come along again.
“SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT” as we got “CLOSER TO HOME”, near the outskirts on Moose Jaw, we shook on it, and I told her that “I’LL BE TRUE TO YOU”, and how “BEAUTIFUL YOU” and your cute little “FRECKLES” looked under the street lights. I said “YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO HOME” yet, as I slipped the ring on her finger, and told her that, “IF YOU CAN’T FIND LOVE” anywhere else, I’m pretty sure that “I CAN LOVE YOU” forever, because you’re the “ONLY ONE I LOVE”. She said that she “LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK”, and it was then that I knew “ANOTHER DREAM JUST CAME TRUE” for me.
“COMPARED TO YOU”, why would a guy want an “ELVIRA”, an “OPHELIA”, an “EMMYLOU”, a “JULIET”, or a “BOBBIE SUE” that are all “AMERICAN MADE”, when you could have a Shirley that’s Canadian made, and believe me, “SHE’S NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE”.
“UNTIL YOU” came along, I felt that there was “NO WAY OUT”. Even though, “EVERY NOW AND THEN”, you seem a little “FANCY FREE” for my liking, “WHEN I’M WITH YOU”, I look at you and think that you are “SO FINE”. In fact, sometimes “I WISH YOU COULD HAVE TURNED MY HEAD AND LEFT MY HEART ALONE”, but then I would have missed out on all “THIS CRAZY LOVE”.
We both know that you’d probably be “CRYIN’ AGAIN” and having “TOO MANY HEARTACHES” if you were still “CALLIN’ BATON ROUGE” to talk to those old boyfriends of yours “UP ON CRIPPLE CREEK”, or down “DEEP IN LOUISIANA”, but instead, you decided to “WRITE YOUR NAME ACROSS MY HEART” and “SAIL AWAY” with me, “NO MATTER HOW HIGH” our bills got. Thanks for “WHAT YOU DO TO ME” and all the “LITTLE THINGS” you do that make this “HEART OF MINE” happy, and that “I CAN COUNT ON YOU” to be “ALL I NEED”.
(…….and there must have been “SOMETHING IN THE WATER” in Moose Jaw, because a couple of years later, after some “OLD TIME LOVIN”, and following “DOCTOR’S ORDERS”, we had the opportunity to “THANK GOD FOR KIDS”, and start building “AN OLD TIME FAMILY BLUEGRASS BAND”)
Happy Anniversary Shirley !!!