As Time Goes By

 

As Time Goes By
By Lostalley

It may be anachronistic to post an old movie song here and L word seems merely a cliché nowadays. But on this Valentine night, watching the movie clips posted by Leaf moments ago, I remembered something. 

It was in my college years. I was returning to Xiamen University from Shanghai after summer vacation. At a train station in Zhejiang Province, China (I forgot the name. It’s one of those short stops along the 24-hour journey), a young couple on the platform caught my eyes. The man was a military officer in olive army uniform and the woman dressed in a small town fashion. She was burying her head in his chest and sobbing uncontrollably. Embracing her gently and consoling her softly, he had a torn and slightly embarrassed look on his face. She would raise her head now and then, looking into his eyes, with expressions of affection, sorrow, worry and something else. She was pretty in an innocent way. He was handsome and shy. The whistle from the train conductor woke them up. The train’s engine started. All passengers got aboard. She showed no sign of letting him go. He still had her in his arms while turning over to check the train’s movement, as his colleagues were shouting from the train window to urge him to get on. My gaze froze on them, so did everyone in my compartment. The conductor blew the final whistle and waved the flag. The officer rushed to jump on the train, leaving his woman behind. The sight of her standing alone on the empty platform soon flew past. “They must be newly-wed,” a middle-aged man sitting next to me joked. There was no French kiss or any amorous act depicted in Hollywood romantic movies. However, this is the most moving love scene to me, then and now. 

Feb. 14,, 2015, Bethesda, Maryland

"As Time Goes By" Lyrics

You must remember this

A kiss is still a kiss

A sigh is still (just) a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by

And when two lovers woo

They still say: I love you

On that you can rely

No matter what the future brings

As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs - never out of date

Hearts full of passion - jealousy and hate

Woman needs man - and man must have his mate

That no one can deny

It's still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by