Anyone who knows me knows that one of my favorite bands is The Weakerthans. Songwriter John K Samson who fronts the band fills each ear catching, wonderfully singable song with an aesthetic of directness that always made me think of authors like Salinger and Hemingway. Straight forward story telling, with the sort of frank and intimate details that draw you deeper into the characters each time you listen.
In high school I would sit and listen to the song "Left and Leaving" over and over again trying to write lyrics, but only managing to get distracted by the song. I labored over lyrics, hoping that I could achieve the same effortless feeling that pervades the Weakerthans' music. Lines like "headlights race toward the corner of the dining room, half illuminate a face before they disappear," or "My city's still breathing, but barely it's true through buildings gone missing like teeth. The sidewalks are watching me think about you, sparkled with broken glass." It gets me every time.
If you haven't listened to the Weakerthans, pick up the album "Left and Leaving," then just listen to it all the way through. Go for a walk or a drive and just listen.
No comments:
Post a Comment