1월의 마지막 날인 어제 저녁, 늦은 퇴근길에 바람이 불더니 겨울비가 진눈깨비처럼 흩날렸다. 어제는 낮 기온이 영상 10도를 넘어섰다. 추위에 야윈 겨울 해가 지고 어둠이 내리면서 바람이 불고 겨울비가 내리는 것이었다. 집에 도착해 아파트 우물가에 서있는 가지만 앙상한 느티나무 아래 차를 주차하고 문을 여는 순간 빗방울에 섞여 봄바람같은 게 얼굴을 스치고 지나갔다. 이제 입춘이 멀지 않았으니 이 미지근한 바람결이 헛 것은 아닌 것이리라. 하늘에서 내려오는 빗줄기는 그 어느 계절이던 간에 사람의 마음을 침잠하게 한다. 이 겨울비가 유난히 추운 겨울과의 이별을 뜻하는 것이었으면 좋겠다. 겨울비에 이별을 담은 詩 한 首와, 다시 만날 기약없는 빗속의 이별노래 'Blue eyes crying in the rain'을 올려본다. 어울리든 어울리지 않던 간에....
겨울비 - 강세화
헛기침하듯 조심조심 기척을 내며 부질없는 생각처럼 겨울비가 내리고 있다. 사방에 보이는 것들이 암회색으로 저물고 있다.
그리고 부산하게 바람이 불고 있다. 지붕 낮은 골목길에 앞뒤 없는 꿈을 꾸며 희미하게 느끼는 것들이 비칠비칠 떠나고 있다.
In the twilight glow I see her Blue eyes crying in the rain When we kissed goodbye and parted I knew we`d never meet again
Love is like a dying ember And only memories remain And through the ages I`ll remember Blue eyes crying in the rain.
Someday when we meet up yonder We`ll stroll hand in hand again In the land that knows no parting For blue eyes crying in the rain.
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. Originally performed by Roy Acuff, the song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger. Both the song and album would become iconic in country music history, and jump start Nelson's success as a singer and recording artist. (He had thus far been primarily successful as a songwriter for other artists.)
Song history
Originally recorded in 1945 by Acuff, the song was later recorded by Hank Williams in 1951 for the Mother's Best Flour Hour. Gene Vincent recorded the song on 15 October 1958. The song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his concept album, Red Headed Stranger, about a fugitive preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife.
Nelson's rendition, wrote country music historian Bill Malone, was "a fine example of clean, uncluttered country music, (with) a spare arrangement that could have come straight out of the 1940s." Rolling Stone noted the song was delivered with his "jazz-style phrasing" and was "the beating heart of Red Headed Stranger."
Elvis Presley
Presley finally recorded the song (having sung it privately with friends and family for years while accompanying himself on piano) in the Jungle Room at Graceland on 7 February 1976. This was the last known song that Elvis Presley sang (at the piano in the rest area of his Racquetball Court located to the rear of Graceland) before his death on August 16, 1977.
Recorded on 07 Feb. 1976, first released on "From Elvis Presley Boulevard"
Chart success and legacy
Prior to the success of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson had enjoyed widespread success primarily as a songwriter, with such songs as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline) and "Hello Walls" (Faron Young). As a performer, meanwhile, Nelson had hit the Top 10 of the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart just twice; it had happened in 1962, once as a solo artist ("Touch Me") and again as part of a duet with Shirley Collie ("Willingly"). Thereafter, Nelson had approached the Top 20 on occasion, but went 13 years without a Top 10 hit.
In October 1975, the song became Nelson's first No. 1 hit as a singer, and at year's end was the third-biggest song of 1975 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In addition, the song gained modest airplay on Top 40 radio, reaching number twenty one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" #302 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.