Sun feels that this song was completely channeled. He had written a lyric with this title in June of 1992, his most prolific year of lyric writing since he wrote his first rhyme “Winter Is Fun” in 1st or 2nd grade about a century ago. At the time, he knew some things he wrote seemed more like they were compelled to come out of his pen than others he seemed to be directly in charge of. Some even seemed to write themselves. Sometimes he felt almost momentarily possessed. But even though he cottoned to Loreena McKennit’s description of a ‘visit’ he didn’t start thinking of it as a channeling probably until he wrote “I Wonder How I Know” in late October, 1999. And Sun uses the word channel for lack of a better description of “something like being in a partnership with God?, the Spirit?, the Universe?, Our Lady Of The Immaculate Smiley Face?... whatever.”

            The title still appealed to him and without referring to the original, in the back of his mind he knew he wanted to write a new song using that title. When he was on his way to work on March 9th, 1999 he started singing to himself about a block away from where he lived at the time; “Colors come, with the rising of the sun...Clouds may fade, brightness to a non-descriptive grey.” Singing it over and over until he got to the subway. Once on the platform on a page in his notebook headed “If Love Has Ever Passed Me By” just under the title he wrote in brackets: [If love has ever passed me by - maybe it was meant to] then several lines below that also in brackets: [Forgiveness feels good]. The crowded train came but as soon as he got to work he pulled out his book and wrote the first two verses while having his bagel and coffee. Fortunately the day found him having to run around town alot and being on public transportation had always been an ideal opportunity to read or write. On each trip he added more...as though the channel was opening each time the time was right.

            By the time he was on the Lexington Avenue train after work on his way to get some acupuncture he was writing the last verse and chorus. He remembers crying while sitting on the train as he read his finished song. As he walked around he continued to sing the melody that had come at the same time as the words to commit it to memory until he could get home and put it on tape. Only a few words and one phrase were changed afterward during ‘Sun’s Quality Check’.

            Now it was time to look at the original lyric from 1992 and compare. Other than the title, the only line that was the same was “I just wasn’t  paying attention”. The rest is completely different. Reading those original lyrics now, he says he’d wretch if there was time between the laughing and the giving of thanks. Sometimes it’s not a whole song that’s rescued from abandonment “My Baby Makes Me Feel So Good”, “Nowhere”, “Move On”, "I Didn't Have Time To Cry On Thursday" but just an idea! “If Love Has Ever Passed Me By” is rife with hidden meanings and double entendre that Sun was still discovering even as he was singing it for Inquire Within. Sun says he’d like to do an uptempo version of this song a’la the Archies inspired “Love Will Take Your Breath Away”. What do you think?