Listen As Though They Were Dead
John Lennon. Vincent Van Gogh. Nick Drake.
Murder. Suicide. Suicide.
Their towering talents aside, their sudden and tragic absences from the world serve to somewhat define these individuals. It also sharpens our interest, and often the sincerity with which we consider their works. Why is that, is what I will wonder on here now.
I have always loved Nick Drake's music, from the moment I heard it first. But I knew nothing about him for the longest time. Perhaps as an indication of how much I respected his art, my mind often conjured this image of a distinguished, middle aged Nick Drake, a highly intelligent Englishman, someone who could have one day been knighted. That sort of image. I didn't know he only made it 26 years in this world.
Upon learning the details of his life and suicide (an antidepressant overdose, possibly accidental), his music (his guitar, his lyrics) made so much more sense to me. This is quite a statement since Drake's lyrics aren't terribly complex in the first place. His whole style is very elemental through and through, actually. But upon learning this information, my eyes and ears opened up in a new way.
There is no shortage of tales regarding posthumous success. Some are accomplished in life, and some are decidedly not, but their work is augmented in stature after they are gone. Perhaps this is related to the cultural notion of respect for the dead, which inspires an earnest investigation, a fair shake, if you will, for what the artist was trying to tell the world when they were still able to tell anything at all. I have to admit, there is a significant sentiment of sadness when I consider this.
When someone speaks to me, earnestly and honestly, I hope to be able to listen to them as if they were dead, as if I were hearing their final recordings. My knowledge of them would be fuller, I think. My consideration would also likely be kinder and more forgiving, or at least less critical (and that's a view we can all probably afford to slip into, methinks). When I see some nobody creating art in the world, I hope I have the sense to pay enough attention to the whys and the character of it all, because that may well be the last chance anyone has of seeing such things performed (a)live.
So, if you have art, or simply honest things to say, you can come to me and hold me to my word: I will do my best to listen as though you were dead.
Murder. Suicide. Suicide.
Their towering talents aside, their sudden and tragic absences from the world serve to somewhat define these individuals. It also sharpens our interest, and often the sincerity with which we consider their works. Why is that, is what I will wonder on here now.
I have always loved Nick Drake's music, from the moment I heard it first. But I knew nothing about him for the longest time. Perhaps as an indication of how much I respected his art, my mind often conjured this image of a distinguished, middle aged Nick Drake, a highly intelligent Englishman, someone who could have one day been knighted. That sort of image. I didn't know he only made it 26 years in this world.
Upon learning the details of his life and suicide (an antidepressant overdose, possibly accidental), his music (his guitar, his lyrics) made so much more sense to me. This is quite a statement since Drake's lyrics aren't terribly complex in the first place. His whole style is very elemental through and through, actually. But upon learning this information, my eyes and ears opened up in a new way.
There is no shortage of tales regarding posthumous success. Some are accomplished in life, and some are decidedly not, but their work is augmented in stature after they are gone. Perhaps this is related to the cultural notion of respect for the dead, which inspires an earnest investigation, a fair shake, if you will, for what the artist was trying to tell the world when they were still able to tell anything at all. I have to admit, there is a significant sentiment of sadness when I consider this.
When someone speaks to me, earnestly and honestly, I hope to be able to listen to them as if they were dead, as if I were hearing their final recordings. My knowledge of them would be fuller, I think. My consideration would also likely be kinder and more forgiving, or at least less critical (and that's a view we can all probably afford to slip into, methinks). When I see some nobody creating art in the world, I hope I have the sense to pay enough attention to the whys and the character of it all, because that may well be the last chance anyone has of seeing such things performed (a)live.
So, if you have art, or simply honest things to say, you can come to me and hold me to my word: I will do my best to listen as though you were dead.
posted by Jasper C. Coligny at 1:22 AM
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