Austin by Blake Shelton

 Austin by Blake Shelton

I asked my partner yesterday if he had a country song that he felt I should dive into.  Well, as occurs sometimes, he missed the assignment.  And while his suggestions were not bad, they did not have quite the meaningfulness I was looking for.  This was not a test, I did not have this song in mind until later.  And it absolutely had to be this song. 

Some back story first.  I had the most amazing high school sweetheart.  We dated from the beginning of my freshman year until the end of my senior year.  He was mature beyond his years, romantic, intelligent, and treated me like the Disney princess I always wanted to be.

In February of 1994 he left for Marine Corp bootcamp.  I was finishing up high school and on May 1st I started my 5.5 year stint at the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland.  Upon his return in May he decided to drop by my house unannounced in his dress blues.  How sweet, right?  What I did next set me on a course of 32 years of unhealthy relationships.  I broke up with him and regretted it the minute he left.  

I spent the next several decades wondering what had happened to him and what might have been.  So, one night about a year ago I went full stalker and found his contact info and reached out.  And here we are.  

He brought up this song as a way to explain the rush of feelings that sometimes comes back after reuniting with an old romantic interest.  He knows how I use music as a way to express how I’m feeling and sent it to me.  It really does sum up the love I feel I am finally able to experience again.  And while we have our issues, as every couple does, I am unbelievably happy and optimistic about our future.

She left without leavin' a number

Said she needed to clear her mind

He figured she'd gone back to Austin

'Cause she talked about it all the time

It was almost a year before she called him up

Three rings and an answering machine is what she got

If your callin' 'bout the car, I sold it

If this is Tuesday night, I'm bowlin'

If you've got somethin' to sell your wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'

If it's anybody else wait for the tone you know what to do

And P.S., if this is Austin, I still love you

The telephone fell to the counter

She heard but she couldn't believe

What kind of man would hang on that long

What kind of love that must be

She waited three days and then she tried again

She didn't know what she'd say

But she heard three rings and then

If it's Friday night, I'm at the ball game

And first thing Saturday, if it don't rain

I'm headed out to the lake and I'll be gone all weekend long

But I'll call you back when I get home on Sunday afternoon

And P.S., if this is Austin, I still love you

Well, this time she left her number

But not another word

Then she waited by the phone on Sunday evening

And this is what he heard

If your callin' 'bout my heart, it's still yours

I should've listened to it a little more

Then it wouldn't have taken me so long

To know where I belong

And by the way, boy, this is no machine your talkin' to

Can't you tell, this is Austin, and I still love you

I still love you