Hello from the fifth row

No matter your age, you should sometimes let some of your inner teen shine through.

For me this happens when it comes to my favorite rock star.

I wrote this next song in anticipation of having fifth-row tickets to a Rick Springfield concert.

I’m in the fifth row, you don’t know me
I’m one of the faces in the crowd
I’ve been listening to your songs for decades
Tonight I’m gonna sing them out loud

I’ve actually seen him in concert several times since the 1980s and there’s always that surreal feeling that the person whose image covered the walls of my teenage bedroom is right in the same room.

Hello from the fifth row, sorry to stare
I can’t believe it’s really you up there
So long ago and so many years
And right here in front of me

It’s funny how connected we feel to some celebrities, just by listening to their music or reading interviews with them. Although they know nothing about us – including our very existence – they can become part of our lives to a certain extent.

I’m in the fifth row, can you see me?
I may look older, but I’m young inside
All of my worries washed away with your music
A refuge from the storm of life

But in reality, they’re not really part of lives except in that way that their work brings joy our lives.

After the last note fades
Reality invades
We go our separate ways.

Unfortunately, it turned out that I had to give my tickets away because I wasn’t able to attend the show. But we’ll (or I’ll) always have this song.