Album: Read My Mind (1994)

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• She can account for all of the men in her past
  Where they are now, who they married, how many kids they have
  She knew their backgrounds, family and friends
  A few she even talks to now and then
  
  But there is one
  She can't put her finger on
  There is one who never leaves her thoughts
  And she thinks
  His name was John
  
  A chance meeting, a party a few years back
  Broad shoulders and blue eyes, his hair was so black
  He was a friend of a friend you could say
  She let his smile just sweep her away
  
  And in her heart though she knew that it was wrong
  But too much wine and she left his bed at dawn
  And she thinks
  His name was John
  
  Now each day is one day that's left in her life
  She won't know love, have a marriage or sing lullabies
  She lays all alone and cries herself to sleep
  'Cause she let a stranger kill her hopes and her dreams
  
  And all her friends say, "What a pity, what a loss"
  And in the end when she was barely hanging on
  All she could say is she thinks
  His name was John
  
  She thinks
  His name was John Writer/s: Sandy Knox, Steve Rosen
  Publisher: Bluewater Music Corp.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

• Mersagg from Fort WorthI was just out of college when this was released. When it 1st came on the radio, I stopped my car and cried. Every time I heard it it was so heart wrenching because at the time, this disease was still a death sentence. And although it’s a different prognosis today, the human vulnerability to diseases that have not only social stigma but further complicate life with harsh realities of nature, norms, spirituality, balancing freedom with risk and multi level complex consequences that are out of our control at times or seem to be and regardless of how logical, compassionate, practical, careful, realistic, idealistic, spiritual, scientific or any other bystanders viewpoint or opinion, the reality of a situation for one individual who doesn’t have to luxury, time or opportunity to sit back and steer the course of life or ponder past mistakes by society or oneself, it’s an emotional experience that can be applicable through history. The meaning and purpose is from the point of someone who is facing this reality. Dismissing as spending no longer a problem is to overlook the whole songs relevance and depth. There will always be new diseases and the general risk if being a vulnerable species yet the natural instincts we have to want live, affection, desire, or simply companionship for a temporary time with any random reason… it opens up the whole idea of living life and to what extent we try and prevent things by avoiding any risk at all but by doing so don’t live at all. And while we try’s and teach people that we must take risks because without it we would never grow, learn or reach our full outenrial. And while we touch on those time when we fail and we must get back up again and try, it’s rarely cheerleading session to think about the harsher realities hat happen. There is no lesson to learn because we can’t successfully mitigate or advise because it’s part of what risk is. And we can’t beat ourselves up nor can anyone explain how to prevent it because it wil always be.
• Arianna from AtlantaI wasn't even alive when this and I but I would and still do listen to this song all of the time and when my dad explained what it was about it broke my heart
• Lori B from GeorgiaAs a nurse of many years who was a very young woman myself back then (20-21) when the song was released, I remember how scary HIV/AIDS was during that time period. I am glad this song is still around, because as a nurse, I have worked during the years before we had and have the treatments for HIV, AIDS, Hep C and even most recently the COVID-19 Pandemic. I'm telling you straight from someone on the inside who has seen and cared for individuals with these different illnesses, never take for granted the blessings we now have with these treatments and advancements. People truly need to know the truth and that these developments didn't just suddenly fall from the sky. Back then, a diagnosis of HIV and later Hep C was an automatic death sentence - carrying way over well beyond the year 2000. If a person was diagnosed with HIV, they were immediately sent for psychological help with a licensed psychologist and/or psychiatrist because many would go straight home and commit suicide, and that's the sad truth. People today - especially our younger generations - need to know this history and appreciate life each day to the fullest.
• James from New JerseyTouching song, but the implications are very much outdated. "What a pity, what a loss." These days, people with HIV live long and healthy lives with proper treatment and live full lives. "She won't know love, or marriage, or sing lullabies." Nope. Wrong. People with HIV are having it easier these days with that. Babies can successfully be born to mothers with HIV without the baby getting infected. The CDC and NIH also now know and have stated that when an HIV+ is on treatment well, they cannot transmit it to their partner.
  
  Not to spoil anything. It's a wonderful and touching song. But it's only right to take into account proper context. When this song was written in 1994, it wasn't as treatable and was much scarier than it is today. Although I do see the song today as a good tribute to those in the past who have lost their lives today (and the few today that still do).

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