Do all of you know what a coda is?
It can mean a few things, but the universal meaning is an imprimitur, a final imprint or impression of an experience. It ties in with one of the songs on "Harmony".
I have listened to this album all the way thru maybe 18 or 20 times now and even tho it didn't sell that many copies, I think it is rising slowly to the top of Gord's best work. It happens that my favorite song on the album turns out to be "Sometimes I Wish". God, what a sad song. But very intelligently written. When Gord sings "it's too late now to believe in a vow", or "everywhere I roam, there's nobody home" or "I begin to wake up to, how wrong it was to cling to you..."
It seems these sentiments, more than any press release, say just how hard the door has been shut on Gord and Elizabeth's marriage. It was earlier last year when we first heard that they had seperated, but now it seems there is no return. There has been some divorce in my family, as in many others, but I can't remember hearing so solid a break without hope of recapitulation as I hear in this song. That is indeed, sad. I wonder if their official marital status is still separated or now divorced. It just seems strange for a 65 year old man to be starting from scratch again. I know Elizabeth is many years younger and that makes a difference to her, but, man, this seems to be a coda to their marriage. I don't think Gord would have dug this deep into himself and exposed these feelings if he didn't think the marriage was completely, irrevocably "gone". Why is it my favorite in light of the subject matter? I guess it's Gord being honest..also the phrasing he uses and the excellent electric guitar breaks....a heartbreaking song, but also among his best, I think.
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