In The Sun (Free Acoustic Couch Rehearsal with Michael Stipe)

Joseph posted this text, this song and this poem the day after the terrorist attacks in France in November 2015.

In this world where everything sometimes seems to be nothing but darkness, it is music that heals and saves. 

It's interesting that this attack happened in a venue whose soul purpose is to bring forth that light.

And those that were attacked were simply trying to celebrate love of life and rock n roll. 

I think it was no accident that those forces of evil chose that type of place and event. 

A place of expression and freedom. 

A place designed to allow people to worship (in a way) spirit.

When you think about it, places like this are churches in a way.

And for all of us (and there are many) who are saved by music, a dark cloud has descended.

It's design is to keep us locked in and afraid and away from the music.

I think we all feel somewhat helpless in these situations.

I know I do.

But I do have music to offer.

A little more light coming up against the dark.

In that spirit here's my song In The Sun recorded as a duet with Michael Stipe.

It originally was part of an EP he made to help New Orleans during Katrina. 

Hope it someway it helps and that none of us cave into fear.

Sending all my love to Paris.

Photo by @billdobrow taken last time we were in Paris.

Where I found a door and was inspired to paint it in my hotel room by the endless voices of freedom, rebellion and creation that always echoes off the street there.

   


In The Sun (w Michael Stripe) - MP3

I am a hallucination 

Of a warped perspective 

twisted in madness

And a superficial syringe 

Shooting into the veins of Christ

A hallowed sacrificial goat

Flows from me 

As dose the blue jay on a warm mountain sun

As does a snake 

Looking into swallow rats in the dark

As does the minnows 

And the magic of tricksters in Vegas

Singing to the almighty disguised as Elvis

On cocaine and hookers

Bring back Bartholomew 

Bring back Coltrane's dirty notes

Trying without succeeding to tame his unhinged music

By remaining faithful to his godfather The Duke. 

And put your dukes up

From me the boxer

Fights blank warlords in blue desserts

Whispering of the mighty trains 

Whose inventors died beneath the tracks. 

Their bodies

Tattered and torn in the sinews of metal

The pigs of industry

Whiffing their big husks about

As they storm cities

Giant as Godzilla size

Eating the assholes out of all of us. The grime of the city only protects us for so long

Before it takes us in and makes us its slave. We our monitored here

Our lives which were once impossible

Are even more so now.

We are headed into a planet on fire with storms so powerful 

That even Coltrane's mind

Is a placid place for meditation by comparison. 

We are a doomed species. 

And we have undone ourselves.

We have let our passed sins 

Become greater still

And greater still again

Until now

Even the best of us in our heart of hearts 

Knowing what we know about humanity

Have little hope that this world full of loons and vampires 

Has any real chance 

Of putting the flame of this ignorance which is burning us alive

Anywhere close to out.

But bankrupt though we are

Doomed as we maybe always have been. 

This night driving down the cool highway listening to Coltrane with the window in the Cadillac rolled halfway down

Smoking a spliff in the wind of a double tequila 

Heading to New Hampshire

There is actually nothing at all wrong with anything. Everything is also as perfect as it could possibly be. 

Who can't after all get behind 

Living this kind of gamble

Between life and death all the time. 

Holding onto the blue prints of Saigon

And the window map of a heart surgeons ambition 

Across the chest of a rodent. 

Break our backs or let us fly

This life is anything but fair. 

We all stand around 

Like hallowed out tombs for mercy

And yet we laugh and smile and fuck and get drunk

And do all the good things 

That celebrate our doom here

On this most beautiful of places.

Listen to Nina Simone sing

Ooh child things are gonna get easier

Ooh child things'll get brighter

And it's all you need. 

Sometimes. It's all you need.