“Longer” – Dan Fogelberg
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens
I’ve been in love with you
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you
I’ll bring fire in the winters
You’ll send showers in the springs
We’ll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings
Through the years, as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I’ll be in love with you
I’ll be in love with you
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens
I’ve been in love with you
I am in love with you
“Longer” was released in 1980 and became a runaway hit for Dan Fogelberg. The reason it resonated with most people is that it tells about unconditional love that can last for eternity and that can transcend the vicissitudes of the moment. This song is obviously perfect for wedding celebrations. However, if you will carefully examine the lyrics, you can also apply it in funeral settings. Fogelberg was presumably inspired by Maggie Slaymaker, his partner, at the time he wrote the song and whom he married in 1982. However, they split after three years in 1985. At any rate, Fogelberg said that when he wrote that song, with Maggie lying beside her in Maui, Hawaii, everything “seemed right,” and “The song seemed to write itself.”
Why sing “Longer” in a funeral service? “Longer” can be appropriately sung on a funeral service because of its emotional theme. It tells about the undying love of someone even after the passage of time. You can say that this unconditional love will still remain even after death. The song says that this kind of love has always existed longer than anything has ever existed and therefore will last when all material things have long since gone. It perfectly describes the love for the departed that is manifested by those who are left behind. Are you looking for songs like this? There are more of them at www.songmeanings.net.
