I found the song less heart-wrenching, but also stirring, deeply moving, profound. I felt more equanimity about the characters: the wheel turns, but life goes on. If the (unnamed) woman really is a wonderful as she sounds and Charlie found her; well then then he is a good -a wonderful- man himself and he will find another great woman.
What draws me to this song is the poetic excellence. It is rare for a great poet and a great musician to be married in the same body. Jeremy Wallace is one. He has so many compelling images in this song:
it mighta been october
I'm not sure
I just knew it was getting colder
[I live in Minnesota, so this is redolent of associations.]
and a leaf outside a window
in the wind just kind of hovered
for a moment
then it started blowing
and like that leaf
she was set on going
[Wow. What a poignant image of her state of pause, reflection and decision -- and the great pun on leaf / leave]
Oh, I hear "club compartment" as "glove compartment"
Other songwriter / poets I like are:
The geniuses: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen
But also
Brett Dennon eg Darlin Do Not Fear.
Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know
'Cause it won't last - your worries will pass
All your troubles they don't stand a chance
And sometimes it takes more than a lifetime to know
Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know
Johnny Clegg eg The Crossing (Oziyeza)
A punch drunk man in a downtown bar
Takes a beating without making a sound
Through swollen eyes he sways and smiles
’cause noone can put him down
Inside of him a boy looks up to his father
For a sign or an approving eye
Oh, it’s funny how those once so close and now gone
Still so affect our lives
I wanted to get lyrics for all these songs, but too much time already.
Jill Sobule eg The Resistance Song (a reincarnation song) or I Kissed a Girl
Bob Seeger eg Against the Wind
Richard Shindel eg On a Sea of Fleur de Lis
Eddie Vetter eg Society
Traci Chapman eg Change Your Life
Dar Williams eg Iowa
Indigo Girls eg Prince of Darkness
Josh Ritter eg Harrisburg
Natalie Merchant eg Motherland
Slaid Cleaves eg One Good Year
James McMurthy eg Charlemange's City
Tom Petty eg Down South
Et cetera. But again time will have its way. Maybe a longer annotated list elsewhere list
I found the song less heart-wrenching, but also stirring, deeply moving, profound. I felt more equanimity about the characters: the wheel turns, but life goes on. If the (unnamed) woman really is a wonderful as she sounds and Charlie found her; well then then he is a good -a wonderful- man himself and he will find another great woman.
What draws me to this song is the poetic excellence. It is rare for a great poet and a great musician to be married in the same body. Jeremy Wallace is one. He has so many compelling images in this song:
it mighta been october I'm not sure I just knew it was getting colder
[I live in Minnesota, so this is redolent of associations.]
and a leaf outside a window in the wind just kind of hovered for a moment then it started blowing and like that leaf she was set on going
[Wow. What a poignant image of her state of pause, reflection and decision -- and the great pun on leaf / leave]
Oh, I hear "club compartment" as "glove compartment"
Other songwriter / poets I like are: The geniuses: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen
But also Brett Dennon eg Darlin Do Not Fear.
Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know 'Cause it won't last - your worries will pass All your troubles they don't stand a chance And sometimes it takes more than a lifetime to know Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know
Johnny Clegg eg The Crossing (Oziyeza)
A punch drunk man in a downtown bar Takes a beating without making a sound Through swollen eyes he sways and smiles ’cause noone can put him down Inside of him a boy looks up to his father For a sign or an approving eye Oh, it’s funny how those once so close and now gone Still so affect our lives
I wanted to get lyrics for all these songs, but too much time already.
Jill Sobule eg The Resistance Song (a reincarnation song) or I Kissed a Girl Bob Seeger eg Against the Wind Richard Shindel eg On a Sea of Fleur de Lis Eddie Vetter eg Society Traci Chapman eg Change Your Life Dar Williams eg Iowa Indigo Girls eg Prince of Darkness Josh Ritter eg Harrisburg Natalie Merchant eg Motherland Slaid Cleaves eg One Good Year James McMurthy eg Charlemange's City Tom Petty eg Down South
Et cetera. But again time will have its way. Maybe a longer annotated list elsewhere list