DEAR JOHN LETTERS

[jimmoore]

YOU WENT AWAY AND MY HEART WENT WITH YOU

Some time ago I wrote an article about the difference between songs that are written today and the songs of my day, especially the love songs. I wanted to show how music has changed from when I was a young man, that is, some fifty years or so, to what it says about the feelings of young people and how it is expressed in today’s world.

Making a comparison like this is appropriate at this time, and particularly so, I believe, with young couples forced into separation because of so many men—and women too—having to go to war.

While serving overseas in World War II I clearly recall what happened when a soldier got a “Dear John” letter (a notice of ending their relationship) from his wife or girl friend. That blow to a guy away from home, missing his sweetheart, and not knowing whether or not he was going to survive the war, was almost as heart rending as watching a wounded soldier being treated.

In my mind, war is not only hell on the battlefield, but hell also here at home; not only because of the anxiety, concern and uncertainty in the minds of the citizenry, but because of the many devastating separations and broken personal relationships that war causes. And I feel that those highly emotional moments are somehow not being expressed in today’s love songs.

In my first article about the music of today versus the music of yesterday, I wrote out the lyrics of two or three love songs that were popular in my day, and offered my opinion that very little songs being sung today have the spirit of love and passion that the songs of yesterday had, especially the love songs that became so popular and sung during the war.

So if I may, permit me to give you the lyrics ( I wish I could give you the melody too) of one song that became very popular during World War II and is one of my favorites of that era. It’s called, You’ll Never Know.

You’ll never know just how much I miss you
You’ll never know just how much I care
And if I tried, I just couldn’t hide my love for you
You ought to know, for haven’t I told you so
A million or more times
You went away and my heart went with you
I breathe your name in my every prayer
If there is some other way to tell you I love you
I swear I don’t know how
You’ll never know if you don’t know now.

In today’s war environment, if there is song being sung that expresses the love, the passion, and the sadness of separation as well as this one, I have yet to hear it.