Jose interprets Louie’s love song

At this time of the year when thoughts turn to romances or better yet, weddings that live happily ever after, there also comes the search for the song that perfectly embodies such sentiments. There are so many. Every composer in history has at some point in his life written songs or the song that captures that moment when one feels being truly and deeply in love. A good number of them later came to affect listeners in a similar way that they adopted these songs as their personal themes, the words and music in their personal soundtracks with which they would always remember how they felt then.

To Love You Once Again is such a song. Louie Ocampo composer of hits like You are My Song, Hagkan, Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin, Say That You Love Me and others wrote it as a gift for his wife Jojo, during their last wedding anniversary. He wanted to tell her how he wishes to love her once again so that he can love her even just one second earlier than he did. Apparently, the time they have had is not enough for him to love her all he wants. Wow, those are big, remarkably revealing words and it is heartening to know that there are men who have no qualms about expressing their feelings like Louie does in his song.

Louie asked his friend Freddie Santos to put those feelings into words and the song was performed expressly for his wife on their anniversary dinner. Being Louie Ocampo though, there was always the strong chance To Love You Once Again would later be recorded. The couple had no objection to that, but Louie wanted a special singer who will do it the way he believes it should be sang. And Louie was prepared to wait as long as it takes for the right one. But it did not take that long. The recording came about less than a year later with visiting Broadway star Jose Llana.

Jose is considered one of the most exciting leading men to emerge on the American stage in recent years. He has appeared in Flower Drum Song and The King and I. Out there, he is often described as being in the same league as Alfred Drake of Oklahoma or John Raitt of Pajama Game. Those who have heard him hereabouts say he is "boses guwapo." If you cannot sing and want to dedicate a love song to somebody special, he is the guy you would want to have bringing your romantic messages to life.

It is no wonder then that Louie allowed Jose to record his most personal song. To Love You Once Again will be part of Jose Llana’s first all-Filipino album. It includes other love songs by well-known composers but because of the story that brought it to life and the sentiments it has, To Love You Once Again is certainly the most special.

To Love You Once Again

I
In looking back at all I’ve been through
At every single moment
In thinking back on all that was
The times that I would treasure

II
There is one thing I’d change
Would that might seem so strange
I’d move the world in such a wondrous way
Then maybe I’d have known you
Even sooner than we’d met
Loving you not seconds longer is my only one regret
But such whims do lie beyond me
So I’ll take what’s next and then
Looking back, I know I’d live my life the way I’ve lived
If only just to be with you again
And to love, yes, to love you once again

To Love You Once Again is Louie’s personal song for a memorable moment. Because he recorded it first, maybe, Jose will later also make it your song. And now that it will finally be heard by others, it can be also be the "theme song" of anybody in love. Of course, it would feel so much nicer to have the man or woman you love write a song like this for you. But then, a boyfriend who writes music like Louie does or who sings like Jose is not that easy to come by so if you have to make do with someone else’s song, I do not think they would mind if it is To Love You Once Again.