Jeff Buckley & Elizabeth Fraser
All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun

What are the best love stories?

Which of the couples that swear eternal love, and those that live a passion without a happy ending, can claim to have experienced true love?

On one side is solidity, and on the other, the rock n roll allure of live fast/die young in Neil Young style. I have always sided with those who hate the usual traditionalism in this context, and I have always appreciated the genius and daring of those who share silence, nonsense, and spirituality.

Take Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser. These two legendary figures fell madly in love during the '90s. Grace, the commercial successes of Tim's prodigal son, alongside the established and ethereal voice of the Cocteau Twins.

There exists a recording that until some time ago remained unknown (YouTube is the source). It is a song titled All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun (also present in a 1996 bootleg), sung by both artists.

You can hear Buckley's simple and crystalline guitar, accompanied by Liz's shy laughs at the beginning and end of the piece. I imagine them there, just the two of them in an empty studio composing lyrics and melody while joking, playing, and being happy to share their greatest passion together.

My eyes are a baptism, oh I am fuse.

A determined King accompanies the chorus, and the magic takes shape. A wonderful work of art created somehow, someday.

I know you said that there’s no one for you, but here is one.

Between the words, one can hear camaraderie and the search for completeness. Passion and fear. Theirs was one of those passions so strong that it led to destruction, everything ended well before the famous incident in the river. Liz had met Jeff fearing that the great artistic admiration the boy had for her could somehow harm the relationship.

Years later, upon the release of the pirated track on the web, the singer had the opportunity to express anger and frustration: it was undoubtedly such a personal recording that she did not want to share it in any way.

After perhaps generalizing a bit, I still wonder what can bring intensity and pathos to a relationship, like writing a piece that will immortalize their best moment?