'Til They Met.

There are a pair of twins from Edinburgh widely known for how many miles they would walk to the door of their significant other.  Charlie and Craig Reid would (and their accompanying band) have a reputation for getting the entire audience to chant and clap in unison through the song.  The Proclaimers song I'm writing about today is not as well known as "I'm Gonna Be", but it does have a similar propulsion.  It might just be me, but I think it's pretty cool hearing two people singing lead in synchronicity.  Whether it be the women of Icona Pop, Agnetha & Anni-Frid of ABBA, or the Proclaimers.

"Then I Met You" is the third track from their breakout 1988 album Sunshine on Leith.  Charlie and Craig tell the tale of finding love after such a long time of being single and lonely.  The chanted lyrics tell about a man who has prayed to God that he'd find someone, and the payers seemed unanswered.  The man has reached a point of feeling destined to walk this life without a companion, without a sense of meaning, or a sense of worth.  

It all changed when walking out into Morningside (a district of Edinburgh that he thought had nothing new to show him) that this kindred spirit happens to also be looking for him.  It was at that moment that the curtains were drawn and light shown in.  I go as far as to guess that it's like when the kingdom prepared for Elsa's coronation in Frozen (Yes, I'm a proud Disney-phile).  

The song is still very popular with the Proclaimers' fans, but I do wonder if that type of negative prior outlook and finding the right person are so directly correlated. People say that one must love them self before finding romance with someone else.  While this man seems to have gown accepting of life alone, the lyrics still seem to show signs of despair.  However, something that does seem to match up with a common phenomenon is that he didn't find love until he wasn't so intently looking for it.  These too notions seem to meet in the middle, perhaps providing good reason for it happening.  I guess that it's appropriate that Ted Mosby's quest to find love ("How I Met Your Mother") led me to this song.  "I'm Gonna Be" was part of the show's soundtrack, and through the HIMYM Pandora station I heard other songs by the Proclaimers.  If it wasn't for the TV series' bittersweet finale, perhaps "Then I met You" could've been the last song.