“I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday

Is there anyone who knows how to belt the blues with more feeling than Billie Holiday? The work of the American jazz icon still speaks to us with a tender, present voice. Her songs make us feel nostalgic—classic account of love, loss and longing—but they never feel irrelevant. And above all, Billie was a woman of strength. It’s why we think her tune “I’ll Be Seeing You” would be a fitting memorial song: it recalls the pain of missing someone, but finds resilience and strength in the steadfastness of Billie’s persona.

The lyrics to the song go as follows:

I’ll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through

In that small cafe
The park across the way
The children’s carousel
The chestnut trees, the wishing well

Billie understands one thing in particular about how we love those we love. We don’t just love through the physical time we spend with them. That’s the beginning of it, of course–but also love someone far after they’re gone through the objects and places that remind us of them. It could be a “small cafe”, or a “chestnut tree.” A “wishing well.” These places become special relics for those surviving a loved one—little totem poles for old times, you could say.

Billie continues:

Credit: jazzinphoto

I’ll be seeing you
In every lovely summer’s day
In everything that’s light and gay
I’ll always think of you that way

I’ll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I’ll be looking at the moon
But I’ll be seeing you

Light or gray, sunshine or rain—she’ll always have her loved one with her. There’s a melancholy air to the song, but there’s also a kind of sweetness, a splendid realization that this person will be “in everything that’s light and gay.” In that way, that person is with her now more than ever.

Check out more memorial songs here.