My Husband
Music: You're Sixteen
Artist: Ringo Starr
Shared by: Ruth for her Husband
“... our love began at 16 and ended at 64 which feels very fitting for my man who was a mathematician.”
We met when we were young. I was 16 and he was 20.
Music was the backdrop to life back then. I had a tiny red Sony radio which made me feel very trendy as I could take it to bed and listen to music late at night. Pirate radio stations were massively popular. Liking the right thing gave you street credibility. Buying singles and LPs defined our music tastes, gave us artwork on the covers, lyrics, B sides, or other tracks to discover.
I’ve been looking back at what was in the charts all those years ago. Don McLean (American Pie) and Harry Nilsson (Without You). Lines from both resonate when you grieve the loss of a lifelong partner. Don McLean’s – “A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile”, captures those feelings when music can instantly transport you back in time. Harry Nilsson’s – “I can't live if living is without you”, is truly how it feels to be on your own after a lifetime of living with your special someone.
In those heady early days of being together, Ringo Starr’s ‘You’re Sixteen’ became our song. We were young and in love, he thought I was beautiful, he was the guy for me, and we were everything to each other. We’d never been Beatles fans but joked about their words in ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’. We felt invincible and couldn’t ever imagine being in our 60s although we were sure we’d always need each other. The words of the song became more meaningful in later years, although shortly after I became 64 he very sadly died.
So musically for me our love began at 16 and ended at 64 which feels very fitting for my man who was a mathematician. I prefer to think in terms of infinity and the lazy eight symbol.
My husband
Much loved
A good man
∞