Last night at the dance I met Laurie,
So lovely and warm, an angel of a girl.
Last night I fell in love with Laurie -
Strange things happen in this world.
As I walked her home,
She said it was her birthday.
I pulled her close and said
"Will I see you anymore?"
Then suddenly she asked for my sweater
And said that she was very, very cold. [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/dickey_lee/laurie_strange_things_happen.html ]
I kissed her goodnight
At her door and started home,
Then thought about my sweater
And went right back instead.
I knocked at her door and a man appeared.
I told why I'd come, then he said:
"You're wrong, son.
You weren't with my daughter.
How can you be so cruel
To come to me this way?
My Laurie left this world on her birthday -
She died a year ago today."
A strange force drew me to the graveyard.
I stood in the dark,
I saw the shadows wave,
And then I looked and saw my sweater
Lyin' there upon her grave.
There are a few songs and movies about romantic time warps - "portrait of jennie," "the lake house" and this song. It's a romantic time-warp song and a bittersweet tale to say the least. How did dickey lee stand it - singing such sad songs as this one and his previous hit, "patches"? I don't know but i'm sure glad he did!