By Your Side by Sade is one of those songs whose message didn’t quite resonate with me until many years later after its release. First of all, let’s discuss Sade. This chick is a mega-talent. Understated vocals, years and years of hits, responsible for a brand of music that still holds up today as if you’re hearing it for the first time. Almost a jazz-blues-pop fusion with vocals that stick to your soul like honey. Years after my split from Frank, when I was certain I was going to die alone by choice, the realities of mortality crashed into my house with news of my sister’s stage 4 ovarian cancer and my own 'lung gnome' surgery in 2004. The lyrics of this song mean everything to me; despite everything that went bad in our relationship, Frank was still there for me each step of the way. In spite of my complaining about it to all my friends, I’m still thankful he stayed a part of my life, a part of my family. Not sure why I connect the two, but this song is my thank you note to Frank, and by extension Tony, for never letting me be alone, for never letting me down, for helping me redefine the word family.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: December 2, 2017. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.
