Between the Lines

Wide Wednesday: Between the Lines

"There's never much to say between
The moments of our games and repartee
There's never much to read between
The lines of what we need and what we'll take
There's never much to talk about or say aloud
But say it anyway
Of holidays and yesterdays
And broken dreams that somehow slipped away


In books and magazines of how to be
And what to see while you are being
Before and after photographs
Teach how to pass from reaching to believing
We live beyond our means on other peoples' dreams
And that's succeeding
Between the lines of photographs, I've seen the past
It isn't pleasing


So strike another match
We'll have another cup of wine
And dance until the evening's dead
Of too much song and time
There's never much to talk about
Or read between the lines
Of what we dream about when we're apart
And no one's looking on to say "you're mine"


It was a good year then. It was a good year then
We all remember the time you threw the looking glass
And seemed a fool, or very clever
Don't spoil it all. I can't recall
A time when you were stuck without an answer
We'll live a quiet peaceful time between the lines
And go together


And I'm striking up the band
To play our last hurrah
We'll dance until we've killed another evening off
Don't think of anyone but me
I'll have no lovers on the side
Tonight is all we ever dreamed about
For once, let's get it right
We'll go down flying in the end
Throw another bottle in between the lines
We'll go down like a ship of state
Let's be gracious now
Between the lines"


Janis Ian - Between the Lines

Part of the joy of going out with someone is finding out for the first time about the books, films and music that they have come to love over the years and in the process which have come to help define who they are.  It was Cathy that introduced me to Janis Ian's wonderful album "Between the Lines".  I was peripherally aware of Janis Ian, and the song "At Seventeen" but for some reason I had not really taken proper notice of just what a brilliant singer songwriter she was.  But what a find it was, when I finally got there, the album is crammed with poetic gems that I still love to revisit even now.

I have given you a link to a You Tube video of Janis Ian performing the song live back in 1976, in all its faded B&W glory.

This is a slightly left field take on the challenge "lines" set by our host Bob's Blips this week, but I've been stuck in an office all day, and the very overcast sky and poor light are not great for outdoor photography this evening.