Jennifer Hanson – ‘73

Songwriters: Jennifer Hanson, Michael Heeney, and A.J. Masters

I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a song that captures the essence of a divorce from the child’s point of view as well as the latest single, “‘73,” from Jennifer Hanson. Hanson puts words to the quintessential question silently asked by children of divorced parents and she sings the song perfectly while flipping through the photographs of her life, wondering how different all of their lives would be if her parents were still in love like they were in ‘73.

Two different Christmas trees, a new half brother, the awkward teenage years with a single mother, and the three of them united again for a photograph at gradution–they’re the thoughtful reflections of a grown woman looking back upon the years, without a trace of contempt for either parent. It’s beautiful and poignant and very real all at the same time as Hanson points out in the chorus, “Everything changes / Hey, that’s reality.” A reality shared by far too many, but it makes for a great country song. Props to her label for having the huevos to release this as a single.

Listen: Jennifer Hanson – “‘73″