Whatever Happened to Brandy?

Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)
as performed by Looking Glass
There's a port on a western bay
And it serves a hundred ships a day
Lonely sailors pass the time away
And talk about their homes
And there's a girl in this harbor town
And she works layin' whiskey down
They say, Brandy, fetch another round
She serves them whiskey and wine
The sailors say: "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"Yeah, your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea"
Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the North of Spain
A locket that bears the name
Of the man that Brandy loved
He came on a summer's day
Bringin' gifts from far away
But he made it clear he couldn't stay
No harbor was his home
The sailors say: "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes
When he told his sailor stories
She could feel the ocean fall and rise
She saw its ragin' glory
But he had always told the truth, Lord, he was an honest man
And Brandy does her best to understand
At night when the bars close down
Brandy walks through a silent town
And loves a man who's not around
She still can hear him say
She hears him say "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
It is, yes it is,
He said, "Brandy, you're a fine girl" (you're a fine girl)
"What a good wife you would be" (such a fine girl)
"But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea"
Songwriters: Elliot Lurie
Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

I'll be honest with everyone--for some reason, this song is my absolute favorite song, ever.  And it remains so despite stiff competition from over 40 years of additional music released since it became a number one Billboard hit in 1972.  I was born in 1975 and I just enjoy this song a whole lot.  Musically, I am sure it is nothing special, and people never rank it among the best songs in the world, but I think its great.  

Who is Brandy?  Was the singer singing about someone he knew?  Or some lost love?  Or maybe just weaving a story that was timeless about a love lost to the sea?  There is a urban legend going around that Brandy was based on a real person who lived in the late 1700's and died in 1828 up in New Jersey.  Her name was Mary Ellis.  You can read about Ms. Ellis here.  The writer of the song has refuted this legend, and told everyone that the song is based loosely on a girl he knew named Randy.  Well, that changes things!  But we can still look deeper into the life of Ms. Ellis.  It is absolutely a fascinating story--take a moment to read it. 

This brings us for the topic of the day:  funeral planning.  Ms. Ellis' burial plot is in the parking lot of a movie theatre.  It is kind of sad when you think about it--not only was she never reunited with her lost love, the mariner who left and never came back--but her eternal resting place now overlooks a parking lot.

Please make funeral planning, and the location of your eternal remains, an issue that you include in your estate planning.  Your heirs will appreciate your efforts.  And although you will not be around to appreciate where you are buried or interred, the people who visit you can perhaps draw more solace from a serene peaceful pastoral setting than from the parking lot of a mall. 

You are definitely able to dictate what your wishes are for your burial, cremation, or other funeral plans, right in your will.  Give me a call today to discuss!  And here's to Brandy, wherever she may be.
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