I hesitated to share this story because I find it so funny that I don’t know if I can do it justice in writing. But I will try.
While Amanda and I were waiting in line to enter the venue to see Rachael Price and Vilray, the man behind us (who was waiting alone) struck up a conversation. He asked us if we had seen Rachael perform before. Amanda said she had and that it was my first time. He told us how he was just dazzled by her– he’d seen her perform before. He asked if we knew the Trolley Song. We confirmed that we did.
Both of us knew this song intimately. I was in the show, Meet Me in St. Louis, in high school and Amanda treasures the movie starring Judy Garland. In fact, weeks before, when I was looking for public transportation routes in Philadelphia, there was an option to take a trolley to where I wanted to go. Amanda asked if I knew the song and I responded by singing it to her. It was stuck in our head for days.
Anyway, this man was so overcome by his experience that he felt the need to tell us about the song anyway. He said it was usually a — I wish I could remember the word he used to describe the song. something like chintzy. Like it was a cheap annoying jingle you heard on the radio — anyway, he didn’t appreciate the song until he heard Rachael sing it. Suddenly the story came to life in his imagination.
He told us that this girl rides a trolley– like the subway, in our time (he explained), and sees this man and she just falls in love with him at first sight. He tells us about how she flirts with him and gets his attention and they end up holding hands and falling in love.
Then he stops himself. He’s left something important out.
Now I want you to know, he tells us and pauses for emphasis, he had feelings for her… as well.
Oh good. Cause if he didn’t, that would have been weird.
Though I don’t usually appreciate having things explained to me that I already know, this man’s enthusiasm and story interpretation has entertained us for weeks.
We found a recording of Rachael singing the Trolley Song on Youtube and couldn’t figure out why it was so much better than Judy, but I’m glad this man enjoyed it.