Elegantly crafted, beautifully executed and a thoughtfully written story
of a mother and child reunion. It is amazing how death forces us to be
reflective, especially as we age : >
You have tackled one of those "passages" moments - the death of a
parent - and examined it from multiple viewpoints. Perhaps it is this
ambiguity that makes it feel so real. You have the rarely ability to be
complex in simple language. In a few words, like Japanese haiku
poetry, you speak volumes.
Take that first line, for example - "Whistling through my new teeth." It
immediate conjurs up all sorts of questions, like did you lose the ability
to whistle until some dental work restored it? Or does your whistle
sound different now that you've got new teeth? And - since people
tend to whistle when they are happy - doesn't this suggest we listening
to a happy song? Or at least one with a happy ending? How can that be
when singing about the death of your mother? But then ambiguity casts
its shadow with the next line - "feeling like a thief," which can mean a
number of things from feeling guilty over whistling a happy song
during such a sobering occasion ... to trying to steal something
personally rewarding from someone else's misfortune.
I love your conceptual twist on the classic "Mama said" convention.
How many songs have been written where the singer talks about
something mama said? From "Mama said there'd be days like this" ...
"Mama told me not to come" ... Mama said you can't hurry love" ... or "I
recalled my mama's words, don't take you guns to town." But here it's
just the opposite - where it is the son who is trying to set the agenda
for behavior - and mama doing the opposite of what's expected.
I love the maturity of this piece, with its thoughtful recognition of
human limitation that no matter how much we do - no matter how
much more we think we should have done - it's never enough. And
that a part of us dies, too, when we say goodbye to a parent (no matter
how close or how far we've held each other).
I like to think turning these situations into art (music) helps us better
understand the life process. In this instance, your honest examination
has created a song that strikes a resounding chord for others as well.
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this piece are extraordinary. It's funny, sometimes when I listen to your
songs I feel like I am eavesdropping where I shouldn't. They are so
intensely personal and honest. Thanks for lifting up the window-shade
again. Excellent work. Very sorry about your mother.
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