Back in the day, my husband and I were big fans of country music, more rock than twang at the time. We were fortunate enough to see live Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Restless Heart, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, even Carrie Underwood (at a chile cookoff, before she was CARRIE UNDERWOOD). I had not been to a live concert since my vision loss until last year when Mister Rain and I went to see Tim McGraw (click here). We had such a great time that last Christmas, my husband gave me tickets to see Keith Urban, which we did a few weeks ago.
The show in Hershey, Pennsylvania was Keith Urban’s first since his divorce from wife Nicole Kidman became public. Knowing his catalog fairly well, I couldn’t imagine how he was going to perform all those love songs, whether they were written about Nicole or not. I know he is a professional, but when your profession is born out of your life, your heart and soul, unlike his marriage, there is no separation.
It was immediately obvious after the first song that this was not going to be a problem. And because of that, I thought about the break-up of his marriage much less than I had expected. Instead, I reconnected with songs I had not heard in over a decade, all coming back to me like a somewhat aggressive boomerang. As I sang along, the words I had first heard up to 30 years ago took on new meaning for me. I was no longer in my 20s, at the beginning of my marriage and career. Keith Urban and I are around the same age, when he wrote these songs he was in a similar place in his life. And although my husband and I have not split, Keith Urban and I remain side-by-side in the passage of time, as well as the season of life.
One song more than any other brought this front and center. As Keith performed Better Life, memories of how I felt hearing this song when it debuted in 2004 came rushing back, the hopes I had for my life with Mister Rain reflected in its lyrics.
Friday night and the moon is high
I’m wide-awake just watchin’ you sleep
And I promise you, you’re gonna have
More than just the things that you need
We ain’t got much now
We’re just startin’ out
But I know somehow
Paradise is comin’
Someday baby
You and I are gonna be the ones
And good luck’s gonna shine
Someday baby
You and I are gonna be the ones
So hold on
We’re headed for a better life
Oh now, there’s a place for you and me
We can dream as big as the sky, yeah
I know it’s hard to see it now
But baby, someday we’re gonna fly
This road we’re on
You know it might be long
But my faith is strong
It’s all that really matters
Someday baby
You and I are gonna be the ones
And good luck’s gonna shine,
Someday baby
You and I are gonna be the ones
So hold on
We’re headed for a better life
There was a distinct awareness back then that my husband and I were at the beginning and working towards a good life. That means something different to everyone, for us it was very general: careers that fulfilled us and made us enough money to live comfortably and travel.
Listening to this song in 2025, the lyrics had not changed but now I was taking them in on the other side of “someday.” An awful lot of life has happened in between, both terrible and wonderful things. In this moment, in an arena with Keith Urban singing Better Life, I reflected on where Mister Rain and I were and where we are now.
I will not say that life is better than it was, but I will tell you that it is pretty damn good. I don’t need better. I just need my life.
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