前幾天父親偕老友出遊，獨自在家的我過的頹廢至極，翻出了許久沒聽的 CD 一一回味。在舊 CD 中，找到了 Dan Fogelberg 的 Same old lang syne 。煮杯咖啡坐在書房聆聽，也帶出了許多年輕時的回憶。

        高中時沉迷 New Wave 與 Heavy Metal ，然而剛聽到這首 Same old lang syne 時，卻深深為其鋼琴間奏著迷，四處找譜希望能練成自彈自唱。當年台中的庭園咖啡盛行，庭園咖啡裡頭都有大姐姐現場彈奏鋼琴，當時的我有個夢想是北上唸大學時除了要組 band ，還要到餐廳彈鋼琴打工，自娛又可以賺錢。然而那時不像現在的網路時代，也不像現在的新學友訂譜那麼方便，這件事後來就不了了之了，譜也沒找到。

       大學時喜歡 New Age 的音樂， George Winston 是我的最愛。而當年 Kenny G 的 Song Bird 剛出片，聽到 Song Bird 薩克斯風聲的我都會有股從心頭顫動起來的憾動，那時的我想要學吹薩克斯風。 Same old lang syne 末段的薩克斯風 solo 就是我練習的曲目，最後也是因為我三分鐘熱度的習性與氣管不好肺活量差，這個活動後來也被擱置。

        研究所時常窩在宿舍，邊聽這首歌邊流淚，邊流淚邊給遠方的情人寫信，這首歌的旋律似乎很能刺激我的淚腺，眼淚是那兩年的回憶。

       剛出來工作那幾年，來來去去的戀情讓人心煩，不太去聽會讓心情崩潰的音樂，這片CD被我遺忘了。後來這幾年，不曾再聆聽過這片 CD ，一度以為弄丟了，年初搬家時才翻了出來，好好的收在櫃子裡。

       如今重新回味 Dan Fogelberg 以第一人稱敘述的場景，似乎更有感觸。在這城市中，也曾紅燈停車時瞥見旁邊車道熟悉身影，四目相對，但終沒停留加速駛離 …

Met my old lover in the grocery store

The snow was falling Christmas Eve

I stole behind her in the frozen foods

And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn't recognize the face at first

But then her eyes flew open wide

She went to hug me and she spilled her purse

And we laughed until we cried

We took her groceries to the checkout stand

The food was totaled up and bagged

We stood there lost in our embarrassment

As the conversation dragged

We went to have ourselves a drink or two

But couldn't find an open bar

We bought a six-pack at the liquor store

And we drank it in her car

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to now

And tried to reach beyond the emptiness

But neither one knew how

She said she'd married her an architect

Who kept her warm and safe and dry

She would have liked to say she loved the man

But she didn't like to lie

I said the years had been a friend to her

And that her eyes were still as blue

But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw

Doubt or gratitude

She said she saw me in the record stores

And that I must be doing well

I said the audience was heavenly

But the traveling was hell

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to time

Reliving in our eloquence

Another old lang syne'

The beer was empty

And our tongues were tired

And running out of things to say

She gave a kiss to me as I got out

And I watched her drive away

Just for a moment I was back at school

And felt that old familiar pain

And as I turned to make my way back home

The snow turned into rain

Dan Fogelberg ，七 O、八O 年代歌手，音樂類型為 Folk Rock ，也有人歸為 Soft Rock 。在台灣因為廣告及翻唱，大家較為熟悉 Longer 那首歌，而我最愛的，是 Same old lang syne 這首歌，其次是 Leader of the band ，唯美的 longer 倒是排在後頭。 Dan Fogelberg 的專輯在台灣已絕版，國外的二手CD 店倒是找的到。

以下相片加於11/05/2005: