Wish You Were Here

I've never felt as deeply about music as I have listening to acoustic pluckings of Mr. David Gilmour. Roughly 20 years post-recording, I stumbled onto the title track to Pink Floyds' 1975 release while listening to local classic rock stations in the late '80s and building my treasure trove of favorites. All of course as my friends and I judged every other song in modern times against albums our parents had and the British Invasion.

I still remember endless nights of Led Zeppelin documentaries, stories in Chemistry class about the Beatles and Bob Dylan. My friends and I saw multiple master musicians from the era over those years, including one that I've lost all respect for in recent years thanks to his support of Brexit. And we spent our part time job money on those tickets, TWICE! My senior year in English my best friend and I did an entire literary analysis of The Wall for our final project. Talk about commitment to British Rock idols...

Lately I'm revisiting the best of them and have to share some of my all time favorite lyrics that never go out of style.

So, so you think you can tell... Heaven from hell. Blue skies from pain. Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees. Hot air for a cool breeze. Cold comfort for change. Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just 2 lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year. Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fear.

Wish you were here.

It's one of those that makes me stop from the first note and sit for the 5:37 (m:s) it takes to float on that melody.

I can't imagine sitting here writing my thoughts into the void without having spent hours on lyric writing as a teen, writing about favorite songs, and hours upon hours of music classes where I expanded my mind and learned the greatness that is making fluid art for the ears. Working in teams, listening instead of speaking, holding my breath longer than any young person should, building my diaphragm into an instrument and reading classical music with verve. Classic rock and classical music share the same roots and will invoke emotion, fill gaps in your soul and as the smartest person I know said recently, it scratches the itch in my brain.

I will show up for every election, every protest and sign every petition it takes to keep music and arts education alive in our schools. If the NEA and our education initiatives go down it will NOT be for my lack of support. There are unlimited music education influences and impacts on our society and ANYONE who says otherwise has no understanding of the brain and the linear connection between science and music.

No matter which continent you inhabit, if you have your hearing then you have a favorite sound, a favorite song and the ability to enjoy music. The US better not fuck it up for future generations.

-Til the last drop, N