First Girl I Loved

(from the album rubaiyat: elektra's 40th anniversary; performed by jackson browne with david lindley)

First girl i loved--
Time has come i will sing the sad goodbye song
When i was seventeen, i used to know you
And i haven't seen you now in so many years
And the last time i saw you
You said you joined the church of jesus
But me i remember your long red hair
Falling in our faces as i kissed you


I just want you to know i just had to go
I just want you to know i just had to grow
And you're probably married now
With a house and car and all
And you turned into a grown-up female stranger
If i was lyin' by you now, i wouldn't be here at all

Well we parted so hard
Me rushing 'round new york with a guitar
Making love to people i didn't even like to see
And i still sometimes think of you
As i lay here in the six at morning
And in the lonely midnight
I've got to hold your face before me

I just want you to know i just had to go
I just want you to know i just had to grow
And you're probably married now
With kids and all
And you turned into a grown-up female stranger
If i was lyin' by you now, i'd just have to fall

And i never slept with you
Though we must have made love a thousand times
'cause we were just young
Didn't have no place to go

I just want you to know i just had to go
I just want you to know i just had to grow
So its goodbye first love
And i hope you're fine
I have a sweet woman
Maybe someday she'll have babies by me
(she pretty)
She's a true friend of mine