First Boy I Loved
Farewell to First Love: Judy Collins' Evocative Journey of Growth and Goodbyes
Lyrics
First boy I loved
Expressing the sentiment of the singer's first love.
Time has come I will sing you
Acknowledging that it's time to sing a farewell song.
this sad goodbye song
Describing the upcoming song as a sad goodbye.
When I was seventeen, I used to know you
Reflecting on the time when the singer was seventeen and knew the person addressed.
Well, I haven't seen you, many is the short year
Not having seen the person for a considerable time.
And the last time I seen you
Recalling the last encounter with the person.
You said you'd joined the Church of Jesus
Mentioning the person's decision to join the Church of Jesus.
Well me, I remember your long red hair falling in our faces
Recalling the person's physical appearance, particularly their long red hair.
As you kissed me
Describing a past intimate moment when the person kissed the singer.
And I want you to know, I just had to go
Expressing the singer's need to move on at that time.
I want you to know, we just had to grow
Highlighting the necessity for personal growth.
And you're probably married now
Suggesting that the person is likely married now with a house and car.
House and car and all
Imagining the person's current life as a grown-up.
And you turned into a grownup male stranger
Noting the transformation of the person into a stranger in adulthood.
And if I was lying with you now
Expressing a hypothetical scenario of lying with the person.
I'd just have to fall
Indicating a potential emotional fall if in that situation.
We parted so hard
Recalling a challenging separation.
Me, rushing round Britain with a guitar
Describing the singer's busy life traveling with a guitar.
Making love to people
Acknowledging engaging in intimate relationships without genuine connection.
That I didn't even like to see
Expressing discomfort in those encounters.
Well, I would think of you
Admitting to thinking about the person during lonely moments.
Yes, I mean in the sick sad morning
Referencing a nostalgic longing in the morning.
And in the lonely midnight
Reflecting on thoughts of the person during midnight.
Try to hold your face before me
Desiring to hold the person's face in memory.
And I want you to know, I just had to go
Reiterating the necessity of the singer's departure.
And I want you to know, we just had to grow
Reiterating the importance of personal growth in the separation.
And you're probably married now, kids and all
Suggesting that the person is likely married with children.
And you turned into a grownup male stranger
Emphasizing the transformation of the person into a grown-up stranger.
And if I was lying with you now
Imagining another hypothetical scenario of being with the person.
I wouldn't be here at all
Implying that the singer wouldn't exist in that scenario.
I never slept with you
Asserting that the singer never had a physical relationship with the person.
But we must have made love a thousand times
Acknowledging the emotional connection despite the lack of a physical one.
For we were just young, didn't have no place to go
Recalling a time when they were young and had limited options.
Yet in the wide hills and by many a long water
Reflecting on shared experiences in nature.
You have gathered flowers, and did they not smell for me?
Questioning whether the person remembers those moments.
And I want you to know, we just had to grow
Reiterating the necessity of personal growth in the relationship.
And I want you to know, I just had to go
Reiterating the singer's need to move on.
So it's goodbye first love
Bidding farewell to the first love.
And I hope you are fine
Expressing a hope for the person's well-being.
I am a sweet man's woman
Describing the singer's current relationship status as a committed partner.
Maybe some day to have babies by
Expressing a possibility of having children in the future.
He's a true friend of mine
Acknowledging a genuine friendship with someone else.
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