The Songs We Will Sing.

#46 : Forever Young: Alphaville: 1984 and Forever Young: Youth Group: 2005

It has taken me a few days to think about how I am going to write this blog. It comes off the back of Forever Young, a song written by Bob Dylan and covered by Rod Stewart, which is a song with wonderful lyrics. But whenever I think of the song Forever Young, it is the song written by Frank Mertens, Bernhard Lloyd and Marian Gold and first released by Alphaville in 1984 that gets my heart and brings with it a load of memories. This Forever Young song has been covered by a whole lot of people over the years and a quick Google search will reveal approximately 70 cover versions; so I guess one would have to say these lyrics must say something that appeals to a lot of people. The group, Forever Young, released a version in 2003 and Youth Group, an Australian band, released their cover in 2005 and by 2006 it was released as a single and reached #1 and platinum status in Australia.

The year was 2006 and it was the Spring school holidays. A family went out for dinner to celebrate the birthday of their younger son, on the way home they dropped their older son at the home of some folks they knew to attend a birthday party. It was the final time they saw him alive, well and happy. I cannot write too much about this young chap, his incredibily sad story is in the public domain; below there a links provided and they will tell the story better than I.

But I can tell you this; this young man was a beautiful soul, really smart, too smart for the classroom and he spent a lot of time covering that outstanding mind so that he would just fit in and be considered average, he was a talanted sportsman, he embraced life and people with genuine vitality, love and warmth; his heart was free of malice. In his case it is true; only the good die young! Matt left a huge hole in the lives of his family and loved ones which reverberated throughout the whole of his school and local community and his passing was instrumental in the founding of the One Punch Can Kill campaign.

https://www.matthewstanleyfoundation.com.au/matthews-story.html

https://www.matthewstanleyfoundation.com.au/

School based officers and Matthew Stanley Foundation visit local schools

This is your song, Matt. You are not forgotten and neither is the pain and heartache of your family. Forever Young, but my goodness, what an impact you would have had on this world if you were still here with us.