(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