Someone Like You

When I was at Ricks College my freshman year, my mom came down for "Women's Week". Among the many activities planned we attended a dance performance called Extravadance. It was all the different dance companies performing together, but one number still stands out in my mind.

It was a dance done by a talk, dark haired young man dressed in a white, collared shirt and black pants, and a tiny blonde girl in a long sleeved white dress that came to her knees. He was lifting and throwing and spinning her like she weighed nothing at all. They stood on opposite sides of the stage at one point as the song went into a crescendo. She gracefully ran across to him and leapt into the air, spreading her body out long, then wrapped her petite figure into a tight ball around the one strong arm he held out at his side in a ninety degree angle. It was all so beautiful and moving to watch. Few things show romance in quite the way dance does. I wish to this day I could watch it again.

One thing that made the dance all it was was the song. It was called "Someone Like You" and was, although I didn't know it at the time, written for the Jekyll and Hyde musical. It took me years to figure that out and track it down. I've known about it for a while and finally downloaded it yesterday. It's been playing in my ears all day long. It's hopeful and powerful and full of drama. I. LOVE. IT.

So that's what I want to share with you tonight, and you may not care, but I'm going to express my thoughts about it anyway. In addition to its association with the extremely romantic dance performance, I loved the song for its message. Remember what a romantic I am and understand how I love to listen to the words and the passion of the tune as a young woman dreams with all her heart for the kind of man that could love her and show her things and take her places that she hasn't experienced on her own and possibly bring her to a better spot in life than she knows she in now.

Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that a woman is nothing until she has a man. I believe that a woman needs to be her own best self. I also believe that the Lord planned the institution of marriage because men and women can make each other better than they would be apart.

What does this mean to me now that I am married to my wonderful husband? I still have fears and insecurities and faults. I listen to lyrics like "Wanting to fly, but scared to try..." that apply to me more often than I'd like. But then the chorus starts, "But if someone like you found someone like me, then suddenly nothing would ever be the same. My heart would take wing and I'd feel so alive if someone like you found me." And then I remember that I'm lucky enough to have him already! Right here and now and in the present tense. I can go to him and pour out my heart and he'll help me work through whatever it is and I'll feel better and be better. And it works the other way too.

In the final chorus, she sings out so strong and hopeful and happily, "My heart would take wing and I'd feel so ALIVE!" I love that. I love being in that place and knowing my happiness is with this man that I truly love.

I'm putting up two versions of this song for a few reasons. One is that the version I love best by Linda Eder cuts off the first verse of the song. Her voice is unbelievable. What an amazing talent!!! (I downloaded her version from the original Broadway soundtrack.)


I don't care much for Colleen Sexton's voice, but she still does fine (better than I ever could) and you can feel her emotion. Also, you can get a kick out of David Hasselhoff's overdone performance here. :o) (P.S. I think she's doing up her blouse at the beginning of the clip because he's been tending to her shoulder and not for some inappropriate reason that I wouldn't want to post on my blog! ha ha)