Tuesday Tunes: Peter Cetera’s “The Next Time I Fall”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

From ’70s singer-songwriters to…some classic ’80s tunes! Or, our hospital songs, as I like to call them!! And perhaps no one personifies the ’80s or our many hospital years better than Mr. Peter Cetera himself!

Peter Cetera’s “The Next Time I Fall”
From Solitude/Solitaire

I mean, his voice is velvety-smooth and, really, there’s just something so epic about love songs from the ’80s, don’t you think? It’s like the songs take you on a grand adventure, through twists and turns of emotions. It can be overwhelming and exhausting, but I’m thinking those two things are sort of what make the best songs in the end.

Love like a road that never ends
How it leads me back again
To heartache
I’ll never understand
Darling, I put my heart up on a shelf
‘Till the moment was right and I told myself

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve definitely fallen for some downright duds in my day. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t even register on the Dud Meter — that’s how horrible they were. I suppose all those Jerky McJerksters have made me a bit jaded over the years. If you think about it, you can only put your heart out there so many times and have it completely stomped on before you start thinking, “OK, that’s enough! What is wrong with people??” And by “people,” I obviously mean men! Like Cetera sings, I…just…don’t…understand.

Next time I fall in love
I’ll know better what to do
Next time I fall in love
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
The next time I fall in love
The next time I fall in love
It will be with you

But you know what’s pretty great? Maybe all these dud dudes are actually teaching me something. Something very, very valuable, in fact. I mean, they have to serve some sort of purpose, right? If not, that would just be incredibly depressing, you know? Let’s not even begin to go down that road because it’s Halloween and the candy is far too accessible!

Anyway, maybe these bozos are just teaching me about all the things I don’t want and showing me just what I won’t — and shouldn’t!! — tolerate in a romantic relationships. Perhaps it’ll be kind of like process of elimination. You know, getting all the stuff I don’t want out of the way so I can find and make room for what I actually want. And then someday, in the far-off distance, I’ll meet Mr. Melissa Blake, and I’ll know exactly what to do.

The way I see it, it could all be a fun game. Maybe a little like Bingo, where I’m checking off different traits and characteristics until, BINGO, I find him! Or maybe it’ll be when I least expect it. Oh, the possibilities do seem endless, don’t they? Needless to say, it’ll be fun to see where it all leads. May you enjoy your journey as well, friends… xoxo