Dan Fogelberg -- 1951 - 2007

I was saddened to learn of the death Sunday of Dan Fogelberg. He had been battling prostate cancer since being diagnosed with the disease in 2004.

Fogelberg made some beautiful music. He fit neatly into that soft-rock niche that the Eagles and James Taylor made popular at the time. The peak of his career came with 1981's "The Innocent Age." Three songs from that album, "Hard to Say," "Same Auld Lang Syne," and "Leader of the Band," made the Top 10. Other hits include "Longer," "Heart Hotels" and "Run for the Roses." His better songs could always be found a little deeper into the albums.

Allmusic has a huge biography, discography, and other info on his musical career.

In "Same Auld Lang Syne," which is obviously autobiographical, he talks about meeting an old lover by chance...

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 now.
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,
But neither one knew how.
We drank a toast to innocence,
We drank a toast to time.
Reliving in our eloquence,
Another auld 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