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WEBMISTRESS speculates:

Lindsey didn't write this instrumental, but it's nice, isn't it? He probably picked it to showcase his instrumental talents, but many songs could have done that. Why did he choose this one? Well, besides the fact that he probably liked it, it has a wistful sound that may have matched his feelings about leaving FM. Also, I believe it was one of his father's favorites, when gives added meaning to that wistfulness.

 

ANNE speculates:

I always think it's interesting when a songwriter chooses to include a song in his/her repertoire that is written by someone else. Because they usually only choose one or two of these songs to include, the choices are particularly revealing. Lindsey's choice of TNWM is no exception. Despite the fact that Lindsey chooses to perform this as an instrumental, TNWM does in fact have lyrics, and assuming that he's familiar with the lyrics (I assume he is if this was his father's favorite song), I think it's a very revealing choice to include in his repertoire. Here are the lyrics:

One dream in my heart,
One love to be living for,
One love to be living for
This nearly was mine.

One girl for my dream,
One partner in paradise,
This promise of paradise
This nearly was mine.

Close to my heart she came
Only to fly away,
Only to fly as day flies from moonlight.
Now, now I'm alone,
Still dreaming of paradise,
Still saying that paradise
Once nearly was mine.

Verse

So clear and deep are my fancies
Of things I wish were true.
I'll keep rememb'ring evenings
I wish I'd spent with you.

I'll keep remember'ing kisses
From lips I'll never own,
And all the lovely adventures
That we have never known.

Repeat Refrain

Of particular interest, I think, are the lines "Close to my heart she came/ Only to fly away" because this bird imagery echoes language that Stevie uses in Rhiannon ("She rules her life like a bird in flight/and who will be her lover?"). Also the lines "I'll keep rememb'ring kisses/ From lips I'll never own" are telling in that the issue of possession is a familiar tension in Stevie and Lindsey's relationship: Stevie wanting her independence and Lindsey wanting Stevie all to himself.

Furthermore, the general theme of this song matches Lindsey's favorite theme perfectly: that of a man who is deeply in love with a woman despite the fact that she won't accept his love (see "Bleed to Love Her", "Monday Morning," "Go Your Own Way", "Book of Love", countless others.)

Even in Lindsey's instrumental version, you can feel this divine sadness and longing for a lost love. A very interesting choice on Lindsey's part indeed.