|
|
|
|
|
|
HOME | ABOUT | BIOS | EMAIL |
|
 |
| |
Sunday, August 16, 2009
RIGHT HERE NOW
James McMurtry
Where'd You Hide the Body
Sony : 1995
[Buy It]
Days of disconcertion, days of imbalance, days of rage. They happen less often than they once did, but they still happen. Once a wise old man told me that these days are a blessing, because they are a sign that vitality is still coursing through your veins. "Without these days, you have death in life," he said. I slammed the window on his beard. I stopped at a bar on the way back and stayed until last call. That old man's voice was echoing in my head and I needed the anger to drain.
Days of frustration, days of impatience, days of choler. This used to be the only reason to listen to music, and it was a substantial one. It's hard to overestimate the therapeutic efffect of that first Pretenders record, or Public Image Limited, or even AC/DC. I defy chiropractors to claim with a straight face that what they do straightens your spine and resets your alignment better than playing "Precious" at top volume.
Days of displeasure, days of judgment, days of narrowed eyes. As old or at least older age advances, it's easier to see those medicinal songs simply as vitamins. They give you energy but what else do they give you. And it's easy to resist the songs that other people insist are sources of comfort: "Thunder Road" or "Let It Grow" or even Tricky or Radiohead. To paraphrase David Bowie, if they don't do it, they don't do it: it's only false claims.
Days of suspicious, days of perceived injustice, days of moral exhaustion. In those times, it becomes a kind of quest, to find a song that works without exerting too much effort, or at least without appearing to. This week, there were a number of frustrating days. I don't mean to overstate the severity of what happened-it was nothing much, maybe nothing at all, but it was getting to me. I went searching for something calm. This is what I found. As a bonus, it even has football-related lyrics:I remember a ball game I watched as a kid
Neglecting my homework as I often did
Joe Namath scored on a seven-yard run
His knees barely held him, but they got the job done
And there'd be no last call if they elected me king
And if you were here with me, I'd tell you these things Which songs get the job done for you?Labels: ben, rock and roll
posted by Ben
LINK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
