I
have been known, on many occasions, to write blogs eulogizing and paying homage
to those who have passed – some famous figures and some relatives, friends, and
acquaintances.
It
seems fitting to try to capture some small detail of a life lived and impact
made. The truth is we all impact each other in profound ways that go unspoken
most of the time.
It’s
that teacher who encouraged you, that event that changed the course of your
life, the love you thought would last forever. We are destined to grow and
change, despite our best efforts not to. We become who we are, and along the
way we are accompanied. We are accompanied by a soundtrack, the songs that take
the journey with us.
Maybe
it starts with the music our parents played. Maybe it’s an older sibling. We
are not conscious, most of us, of what forms us until we look back much later,
until we start making our own choices, dabbling in different genres, until we
find what speaks to us, and maybe even more importantly, what speaks for us.
My
tastes have never been the avant-garde. I’m not drawn to art that disturbs me.
I’m drawn to what makes me feel a part of something larger, or at the very
least, less alone in the world. The world is disturbing enough. I want harmony,
both in my music and in my soul.
You
would think that, being a songwriter, I would have a long play list when it
comes to favorite bands through the years, but the truth is I’ve only ever
really truly loved two – the Beatles and the Eagles.
If
you scoured my CD collection, that is pretty much who you would find for bands,
not that there haven’t been other good ones, but let’s be frank, the other
bands I’ve liked can trace their sonic lineage directly to the Eagles, so why
not stick with the source?
When
John Lennon was shot, it was one of those events where you could remember
exactly where you were when you heard the news, what you were doing, how you
felt. Our world would never be the same, not only because of the way in which
he died, or how young, but because his passing made any hope of a future
reunion gone to us forever. We’ve had decades to live with that, now and accept
it.
The
Eagles, though, that’s another story. We’ve seen and heard hell freeze over.
And no matter how long they’ve each had solo careers, it never seemed to shut
the door on the band, on that sound, on the songs that have been our
soundtrack.
Glenn
Frey died last Monday, and though his passing has been one in a long line of
recent musical passings, I have hardly been able to speak about it, so profound
seems this particular loss.
I
didn’t know him personally. I knew nothing about his life or his family. I
couldn’t tell you his birthday or favorite color. But if you asked me for a
list of my all-time favorite songs, there was sure to be at least one of his on
there. And that is saying something.
In
a world where melody and lyric have been replaced by a driving beat and
mindless repetition of disposable hooks, it’s easy to see why respect must be
paid to those whose work endures. I often wonder what songs our current youth
will be reminiscing about four decades from now. Justin Bieber? Jay Z? I feel
sorry for them. Truly.
Me,
I’ve got these songs, timeless, and enduring, and so much more poignant to me
now. The world seems a much sadder place, with the Eagles, like the Beatles, relegated to a memory now. The harmonies seem that much sweeter, and my own
life, that much more fragile.
Artists
are struggling nowadays. We seem perpetually torn between trying to stay afloat
and trying to stay true to ourselves. Bands like the Eagles never seemed to
have to endure this struggle. They never seemed to go away or lose relevance.
I
find myself telling people to say something that matters, because our time here
is brief and the need is great for that.
Glenn
Frey seemed to already know that, and with his passing, I hear this song of his
and Jack Tempchin’s in a new way…
“It’s your world now, use well the
time
Be part of something good, leave
something good behind
The curtain falls, I take my bow
That’s how it’s meant to be, it’s your
world now.”
