The song: A single voice coming from what sounds like an old radio broadcast–in French, the true lover’s language–is tinged with harmonious heartstring-pluckings and synthesizers that bring the story into technicolor. Just a simple french-pop song that could go on forever, but like any great love story, ends way too soon. Savor the memory.
My cousin has a theory about true love–that it can never last. Because once your love story goes on long enough, it starts to become ugly, wears with age, and eventually crumbles. She tells me all the best love stories are ones that don’t last.
But I think she’s wrong, and I don’t know how to explain it. When I found out that the title of this song means “Patience”, my heart dropped a little and I came closer to my answer. If you didn’t understand the words, you definitely understood the message through the singer’s voice: A plea for patience, to maintain the fleeting love, to keep the torch lit. I’d imagine it’s pretty hard.
mp3: Amadou & Mariam, “Sabali“
