I agree with Wolfgang - it's a time problem: Every one of these songs would exceed the longest of ballads if the true story was told ... Who would listen? Also, maybe the songs let you dream about something that rarely happened in real life where criteria of selection other than love were the norm - relative financial security (for women) or good housekeeping and childbearing qualities in the partner (for men), and the predominant attitude was 'Love will come later'. For many, love never came.

Wolfgang, I'm sure you underrate your life! Marrying late (and there must have been a life before marriage!), having lively young children and spending nights with strange women in foreign airports must surely rate!

It seems you got your own Internet connection as a Christmas present - or are you still working at this ungodly hour? Happy Hogmanay to you (and your family), Laura, PoppaGator and all Mudcatters!