Patricia Barber

Will he 

kiss her on New Year's Eve, 

after the last guests leave, 

then kiss her again? 

From "The New Year Eve's Song" (2008).  

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians used to own New Year's Eve with their version of "Auld Lang Syne."  But for my money, Patricia Barber owns New Year's Eve now.

When the members of a band goes on "indefinite hiatus," that's usually all she wrote, although sometimes they will get back together and pick up where they left off.  After tomorrow, 2 or 3 lines a day will be on indefinite hiatus -- at least for a year, perhaps forever.  Que sera, sera . . .

Click here to read more about "The New Year's Eve Song."

And click here to listen to "The New Year's Eve Song."

Patricia Barber

But there's reason to believe 

That spring won't arrive
There's reason to fear 

That when you left, I died
When I look in the mirror,
My face is too white
When I check for a pulse,
I'm afraid of the quiet

(From her 1998 song, "Winter," which I heard her perform last night in a small jazz club in Chicago.  It was the first time I had heard her perform live.  I sincerely hope it will not be the last.)