2024, History, Movies, Music, Uncategorized

Our Song

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I am not too sure why I started thinking about Dr. Zhivago last week, but I did, and that led to memories of our Italian landlords in Winnipeg.

Angela and Emilio lived in a modest home not too far from the University, and when the house next to them came up for sale, they snatched it up. It was a very tiny, two bedroom home with a large enclosed porch and a nice sized garden in the back. There was an alley that ran in the back, and an unattached garage.

Emilio and Angela were from Calabria and immigrated to Canada in the mid 1960’s. Emilio was a ceramic tile layer and flooring guy. He had invented and perfected a way of laying tile that made him the fastest in the city. He wouldn’t let anyone watch him work because he didn’t want anyone else to learn his method. Angela was a homemaker. They bought the house next door out of an Italian desire to be able to control who lived near them. We were their first renters.

Angela told me that Emilio immigrated first, before they married, and she followed several months later. They married in Winnipeg. She told me her first impression of Winnipeg flying over the city was that the rows and rows of houses looked like rows of grave stones in a cemetery. She said that Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago was “their song” since it spoke of lovers finding a place where they could be together. I thought that quite sweet. They managed to make a good life for themselves.

What are your favorite romantic movies? Did you ever have a song that you considered yours?

32 thoughts on “Our Song”

  2. Like John, I think the ending is unestimably sad; I’ve re-written it in my head many times (I was a massive Omar Sharif fan when I was a teenager so I’ve seen Zhivago many times.)

    Many of my favorite movies do have a romance element to them, but that isn’t why they are my favorites. Just last week my BFF and I were shaking our heads at the huge number of Hallmark Christmas movies that are out there right now. Awful in my opinion.

    Here is a song that really resonates but not for the reasons most folks associate with “their song”. It came out during the breakup of my marriage.

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    1. I know the movie Laura is one of your favorites and I’ve not seen it so I don’t know if it would qualify as a romance but the theme song (I think it’s the theme song) from the movie is a really beautiful piece of romantic music. There are two versions of it on my permanent playlist. It’s not Robin’s and my special song however and I don’t expect she would single it out.
      I was going to attach the movie soundtrack version but in my opinion it’s way too overproduced. Here’s a simpler one:

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      1. You are correct. Laura is one of my favorite movies. I probably have it on once every couple of weeks although it’s usually late at night and I don’t usually make it past the halfway point before dozing off. But I know the first five minutes worth of dialogue by heart. It’s not a very fun party trick so don’t ask me. Anyway, I love it not so much because of the romance between Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews but because Dana Andrews can wear a hat like nobody else. Sigh.

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    1. Just watched “Love Actually” last night. Always laugh at Bill Nighy playing Billy Mack and singing “Christmas is All Around.” It’s a pretty good romantic movie too, as is “DZ.”

      I gotta go with “Casablanca” as my ATF romantic movie. Other contenders: “Titanic,” “Annie Hall,” “The African Queen.”

      Lots of songs I love and/or fondly remember because their connected to a special occasion, but no one song that’s “Our Song.” Most of you can guess from the usual suspects I mention whenever we discuss music. 😉

      Chris in Owatonna

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  6. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    I don’t think I ever had an “our song,” or if I/we did I have forgotten it. Maybe “Old Love” by Neal and Leandra? Years ago, Dale and Jim Ed had discussions on the air about how many years in a relationship qualified as old love and a play of the song.

    Romantic movies are good when they are good, but often they are just sooo sappy and I cannot watch them. A few I like are “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Tootsie” and “When Harry Met Sally”.

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  10. The movie that comes to mind most sharply is romantic in the classic sense but also elicited an emotional response from both Robin and I is “Yesterdays”.
    We’ve each watched it more than once, together and separately.

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  11. I will stay with Casablanca as my favorite romantic movie but Princess Bride is a solid number two.
    “Too blave.” True Love. You think this happens every day?!

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  13. No “our song” here. As far as romantic movies:
    Princess Bride
    Casablanca
    Love Actually
    Sleepless in Seattle
    When Harry Met Sally
    Laura
    Four Weddings and a Funeral
    An Affair to Remember (not the remakes)

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  15. I like some of the ones mentioned above but haven’t seen them all. I’d add Moonstruck, A Star is Born, and Brokeback Mountain. I don’t mind sad endings, especially not as it relates to romance, that’s how most of then end.

    I’ve never had a song that I thought of as “our” song, whoever the partner at the moment was, but there are certain songs that instantly call to mind a number of them.
    I Want to Hold Your Hand and Love Me Do, instantly bring to mind my favorite dance partner in Moscow (no romance involved, we just both loved dancing together). A lot of Johnny Mathis dongs bring to mind early wasband years, progressing through Joni Mitchell, CNSY, and Cat Stevens.

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  16. When Husband and I danced at our Social, a Manitoba party for people who are engaged, we danced to a recording of “Like Someone In Love” played by John Coltrane and his quartet.

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