I met Rita Crosby at a Christmas party in Chappaqua (not sure why I was there). At the time I was more interested in connecting with the Chappaqua Drama Group than with a woman, but both happened. Rita and I talked quite a bit that night and she invited me for lunch the following day. When I showed up (she did let me inside and she fed me) her receptivity to romance had significantly altered (I later found out her ex-boyfriend had asked her back, maybe because he saw me chatting her up at the party). And it wasn’t raining. I later directed a show for CDG, cast her, and during the rehearsals she let me know she was available and interested. That show went on to win numerous awards at a couple of festivals and definitely changed my life. My relationship with the beautiful, incredibly talented Rita, lasted about two years and probably didn’t change my life all that much. But I love this song, one of the last I ever wrote, when I had finally gotten it as a songwriter. And like most of my later songs, it works better when I’m performing it than when one listens to it on recording.
Lyrics
I Just Wanted to Get Inside
Never crossed my mind
That I had read her wrong
Didn’t she ask me, didn’t she tell me
To come along
And so I knocked upon her door
She said, Hey, what did you come here for
And I said…nothing
In fact I hardly tried
I just wanted to get inside
She was looking grim
When she looked at all
I was looking in at her window
Feeling kind of small
She said, Hey, this morning I saw the light
I said, Yeah, but I was thinking about last night
She said, My fault, I took you for a ride
Last night I wanted you inside
Gave her all my views
Told her my life’s tale
It was raining, I was soaking
All to no avail
I said, Hey, how’d we ever get this far
She just smiled as she walked me to my car
She said, Look, I’ll call you
When my fears subside
I said, Sure, opened my door and got inside
Guess you never know
Just what’s gonna be
Still I’d like to get a handle
On what’s up with me
Some folks say it’s just my foolish pride
Or some choice that I make and then let slide
I see you grinnin’
Ain’t no call to be snide
God knows there’s dumber things I’ve tried
When I just wanted to get inside.