Cold Shivers as sung by Eva Hunter is one of the most beautiful songs that I have ever heard:

I was thinking about how close we came before it slipped away
like a coin down the drain
Like a face in the window
after you said goodbye
I was looking through an old magazine when I saw your picture
I thought how much you changed like a map of a city
rebuilt after the war

And I really don’t know how it happened so fast
How we all grew so old
How we fell out of touch
But I still feel cold, cold shivers cause I wanted it
so much

I was thinking
how it swept us away
And we were helpless
once our choice had been made
Like a bullet in the barrel
of a gun that had been fired

And I was searching
for the truth I denied
trying to remember
just which times I lied
Lies I repeated so often they seemed true

And I really don’t know how it happened so fast
How we all grew so old
How we fell out of touch
But I still feel cold, cold shivers cause I wanted it
so much

And I’ve been searching for the reasons why we grew
to be so cold
And I’ve been hoping that the bridges we burned are all behind us after all
And I was whistling an old melody
It’s one we used to sing
and it felt incomplete
like a book you never finished
and yet never put away

And I really don’t know how it happened so fast
How we all grew so old
How we fell out of touch
But I still feel cold, cold shivers cause I wanted it
so much
cause I wanted it
so much

Ralph Covert, Wixen Music (C) 1993

It is from Eva’s album Fancy Prairie, which looks like it’s out of print.  Not all of her CDs are available here.  See her web site also.

Originally the song is from Ralph Covert’s – Eat at Godot’s, which I know nothing about.

Gina is Eva’s sister, she sings backup on Cold Shivers and is a friend of mine.  The following is most of a letter I sent to my friend Gina in Apr 2003:

Dear Gina,

Just wanted to get this written before I forget. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Cold
Shivers, is one of the most beautiful songs that I have ever
heard! It is certainly one of the most beautiful blendings of female
voices
that one could hear. I don’t think it would’ve mattered if it was sung
in a language that I don’t understand – it still would’ve been
hauntingly beautiful. I have an inkling that it has to do with
sororital voices. [Did I make that word up?] I am, of course, partial
to female voices,
but that’s not the point… [Such a shame that my society has taught me
to conjugate/use fraternity, but that I am almost entirely unsure how
to use variations of sorority… And yes, I understand I can solve this
one myself & I intend to.]

I hate celebrity, and the mass commoditization of popular culture;
but, if anybody ever deserved to be famous for a song, it would be you
two. Yes, I understand that you sang ‘backup.’ But, I consider it to be
a duet in a very real sense. It would not have been even close to the
same song if sung alone! Or with anyone else.

So, thank you & your sister very much for this gem. I
really do believe that it is one the most beautiful & moving (among
other things) songs that I’ve ever had
the privilege of hearing.

OK, I’ll stop now before I embarrass anyone… …

…

Songs are narratives, as valid as any other – science, literature,
and so on – and some narratives deserve their special storyteller!

Just trying to do my bit to ‘be good family’ in the world & thank those responsible for my joys.

[Just one of the many places I was talking about story and storytelling before I even knew I could/would take a class in storytelling.]

I haven’t heard Eva’s newest CD yet because I’ve been hoping to see
her live again and get it then, but….  I do recommend checking her out
though, especially if you can get your hands on Fancy Prairie.