For those not quite ready to let go, there's Bruce Cockburn's "What About the Bond?" (from the Humans album, 1980):

What About the Bond
by Bruce Cockburn

disharmony gives way
to mute helplessness
not enough communication
too much not expressed

it's all to easy
to let go of hope
to think there's nothing worth saving
and let it all go up in smoke

(Chorus:)
what about the the bond
what about the mystical unity
what about the bond
sealed in the loving presence of the Father

dysfunction
of the institutions
that should give a frame to work in
got to find our own solutions

confusion
pressure from all sides
got to head right down the centre
in the love that will abide

(repeat chorus)

man and a woman
made to be one flesh
nobody said it would be easy
but can we let go now and fail the test?

now you could say
life is full of moving on
but do you want the pain that's already been spent
to all be wasted -- c'mon

(repeat chorus)

(Ottawa, March 28th, 1980)

---

Next, for people who are wondering what happened, there's Al Stewart's fabulous "In the Dark" (from the Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time album, 1999):

In the Dark
by Al Stewart

They said "God Bless the Prince of Wales
Let let us hope that he prevails."
The souvenirs provide details
Of distant monarchy

Moving through the human tide
With the Princess at his side
Tribesmen cheer and gaze wide-eyed
At such celebrity

The Royal smile from magazines
Waving hands from limousines
The crowd holds pictures of the Queen
The magic entity

These images are beamed to me
Ten thousand miles across the sea
Lately I don't seem to be
Concerned with what they mean

(Chorus:)
In the dark, in the dark
Oh I never saw the danger or the spark
In the dark, in the dark
I was feeling like a stranger
'Cause I never saw the changes in your heart

Those angry words you soon regret
Are gone but not forgotten yet
She may forgive, she won't forget
Each individual scar

You make it up and say no more
And go on living like before
But every wave erodes the shore
And tarnishes the star

You sow each seed of discontent
Wonder where the loving went
Every night that's heaven sent
The dawn can sweep away

And in the background all the time
Like some ironic church bell chime
You watch the Royal couple climb
Towards their destiny

(repeat chorus)

So yes, let's bless the Prince of Wales
Cheer for him and if all fails
Wrap him in Valkyries' sails
The golden vanity

I am free to choose my part
But still can't find the place to start
To find my way back to your heart
That place of mystery

In Africa the anchor slips
They bid farewell to the Royal ship
The newly painted fences chip
Life falls into routine

We go on from day to day
Living in the usual way
I don't know, and you won't say
What happened in between

(repeat chorus 2x)

---

This is from Paul Simon, on Graceland (1985?) for people who are ready to toss in the towel:

Crazy Love
by Paul Simon

Fat Charlie the Archangel
Sloped into the room
He said I have no opinion about this
And I have no opinion about that
Sad as a lonely little wrinkled balloon
He said well I don't claim to be happy about this, boys
And I don't seem to be happy about that

I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of this crazy love

She says she knows about jokes
This time the joke is on me
Well, I have no opinion about that
And I have no opinion about me

Somebody could walk into this room
And say your life is on fire
It's all over the evening news
All about the fire in your life
On the evening news

I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love

Fat Charlie the Archangel
Files for divorce
He says well this will eat up a year of my life
And then there's all that weight to be lost

She says the joke is on me
I say the joke is on her
I said I have no opinion about that
Well, we'll just have to wait and confer

I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of your love
I don't want no part of this crazy love
I don't want no part of this crazy love

---

And from the wonderful and under-rated Bob Bennett comes this, once you're ready to laugh about it all, from the Songs From Bright Avenue album (1991):

Our Codependent Love
by Bob Bennett

I never did anything
You did not make me do
That's why I can't believe
You're telling me we're through
I sacrificed everything
It was the least that I could do
Now I'm paying the tab
And blaming it all on you
And our codependent love

Re-writing history
It's a twisted kind of fun
You can be Joan of Arc
And I'll be Atilla, hon'
When things get too complex
And I'm feelin' kinda bad
I shift myself into reverse
And blame my mom and dad
And our codependent love

No matter how hard I try
To live life to the full
I know I can never be good enough
Because I'm so dysfunctional

My life is so lonely now
The hours take too long
But I've got six feet worth of books
To tell me what went wrong
With our codependent love

When I need a vacation
From tormenting trouble and trial
I simply choose to take a cruise
To the Island of Denial
That Isle of Denial!

I'm faking my mental health
But I hope it never shows
Hey, I think your inner child
Just punched mine in the nose
There's one thing I have to know
And that will be enough
How did we ever get along
Before we knew all of this stuff
About our codependent love?

Our codependent love?
Our codependent love
Did-not-want-to-end-it love
Our codependent love
I'm the defendant guilty of
Our codependent love
I-could-not-mend-it love
Don't I look resplendent
In our codependent love?

---

Alex