Words – F.R David 

Words used to not come easily to me. I heard this bottom-of-the-tier ’80s greatest-ballads, synth-produced track from the early ’80s, and it seemed to encapsulate my prepubescent loving. I hung on every word as if it had come straight out of my unformulated brain.

Then boom, like a bomb had hit… I lost my South African sweetheart Cheryl, which I wrote about in my post 20 Seconds of Insane Courage.

“Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it.”

Well, this frigidity I was consumed by couldn’t have been summed up better in a song than here. It’s all to blame for my losing Cheryl and, hey man, F.R. David, you have some explaining to do. And I’m now a-talkin’. You have to talk to the girl, for God’s sake – be a man!

I was channel zapping the other night and saw one of the opening scenes of ‘The Notebook‘ where Ryan Gosling goes full hammer for his girl on the Ferris Wheel. That’s the man and gets to what Muddy Waters was going all ballistic about it in the Last Waltz concert.

I don’t think I’ve downplayed a song I was to present as much as this one. But you get where I was going.

It’s nice, well, kinda, to be jolted back to the music you used to listen to and still feel some nostalgic attachment to it, even if, in part, it was your unmaking.

Words was released as a single in 1982 from F.R. David’s same-named debut album. The song was a huge European hit, even peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, where I was unlucky enough to hear it, the single peaked at number 12 and spent 41 weeks in the Top 100 across two chart runs throughout 1983 and early 1984.

The rest, they say, is history – and sadly, mine.

[Chorus]
Words don’t come easy to me
How can I find a way to make you see I love you?
Words don’t come easy
Words don’t come easy to me
This is the only way for me to say I love you
Words don’t come easy

[Verse 1]
Well, I’m just a music man, melodies are so far my best friend
But my words are coming out wrong, girl, I reveal my heart to you
And hope that you believe it’s true ’cause

[Chorus]
Words don’t come easy to me
How can I find a way to make you see I love you?
Words don’t come easy

[Verse 2]
This is just a simple song that I’ve made for you on my own
There’s no hidden meaning you know when I, when I say I love you, honey
Please believe, I really do ’cause

[Chorus]
Words don’t come easy to me
How can I find a way to make you see I love you?
Words don’t come easy

[Bridge]
It isn’t easy, words don’t come easy

[Chorus]
Words don’t come easy to me
How can I find a way to make you see I love you?
Words don’t come easy
Don’t come easy to me
This is the only way for me to say I love you
Words don’t come easy
Don’t come easy

References:
1. Words (F. R. David song) – Wikipedia