This fall Noah enrolled in a new school as a freshman in high school. It’s gotta be one of the biggest transitions that we humans face — that and college graduation. It certainly was for me way back then.

He goes from being the eldest and most mature in grade school and junior high to the rank and file of a lowly freshman, a whole new school to conquer and toughest of all, girls. Especially the post-pubescent kind. All of the sudden the little girls turn to ‘babes’… and that’s a whole other story.

Knowing what he was headed for, I thought I’d write a song about young love and the incredible experience of falling for the ‘#1 babe’ of the junior class. Now Noah’s a cute kid and pretty confident in a most humble way. After all, he’s a Broadway star. But standing in the hallway between classes and actually catching the eye of Miss #1 is, yes, a whole other story. I know; I’ve been there.

The palms sweat, the heart goes wild in the chest, the knees go out from under, the breath comes short all in the split second of a lingered glance. Whaddya gonna do about it? Was she really looking at me, or someone over my shoulder behind me? WHAT’S THE PROTOCOL HERE?

I love this song. I lived it as a freshman in high school and I lived it again while writing it. I think Noah did it total justice.

 

If This Ain’t Love

Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

She noticed me

She looked at me

She smiled at me

Everything was more than I ever dreamed

 

And when I turned

To walk away

I could not feel the floor

Under my feet

All I could think was

Oh God

Why couldn’t I just say “Hello”

 

She noticed me

She looked at me

She smiled at me

Everything had changed in a blink of time

 

There in the hallway

Just before math class

Surrounded by a thousand kids

All coming and going

I think I fell in love

Yeah I fell in love

Oh yeah

And oh baby if this ain’t love

What is?

 

Then there she was

Right after school

So I asked her if I …

Might walk her home

“Maybe tomorrow”

And with just two words she was gone

So why couldn’t I just say “Goodbye”

 

But she noticed me

How she looked at me …

She smiled at me

And suddenly my world was all upside down

 

There on the sidewalk

Losing my marbles

Surrounded by a million thoughts

All coming and going

I fell in love again

Yeah I fell in love

Oh yeah

An’ oh baby if this ain’t love

What is?

Oh baby if this ain’t love

What is?