BJ Barham's band American Aquarium are back with a new album, The Fear of Standing Still, and as has become customary, he's not pulling any punches...
I watched my father put his father in the ground
Without a single solitary tear falling down
On the car ride home I remember asking why
He said, "It's simple, son, you're born, you live a little, then you die
Crying ain't gonna bring them back, it's just a waste of time"
My grandmother made it all the way to 93
She saw countless wars, electric cars and colour TV
But then I start to think about all the family and friends
She lost, and how lonely it must have been there at the end
And that's one race to the finish, I'm betting no one wants to win
And the curse of growing old
Is watching everything you love and know
Bloom, die and fade away
The only thing more terrifying
Than coming face to face with dying
Is learning there's a price we all must pay for another day
So the only time I ever saw my father cry
Daytona 01, the day that Senior died*
It's safe to say that was the day that he finally saw
That no star burns forever, eventually they must fall
Raise hell, praise Dale, death is coming for us all
And the curse of growing old
Is watching everything you love and know
Bloom, die and fade away
The only thing more terrifying
Than coming face to face with dying
Is learning there's a price we all must pay for another day
That price is change
Unavoidable change
(*Senior is American stock car racing driver Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on February 18, 2001. It's not necessary to know that to be affected by this song, but I had the question and now I know the answer.)
You know when you're having a bad day, and you switch on the radio and hear a tune that turns it around? It might be an old favourite... or it might be something you've never heard before that speaks directly to you, and sends you scrabbling for a pen to write down the title and the artist for further investigation.
American Aquarium know that feeling... and lead AA-man B.J. Barham has written a song to celebrate it.
I turn the radio on
And out comes a song I didn't recognize
The way the singer was singing
My heart was connected, I was hypnotized
How can something that I've never heard in my life
Pull me back into the light
To be honest, the video rather over-sells the idea, but it's a great tune despite that. The new American Aquarium album was crowd-funded in just under 2 days. More power to the people!
It ain't gettin' me further than the dump I live in
It ain't gettin' me further than the next paycheck
Workin' this job is like lightin' two fuses
Workin' this job is runnin' out of excuses
It's like a dead-end when a road map is useless
Until I'm dead and there's nothin' to show for my uses
1. Huey Lewis & The News - Workin' For A Livin'
Look, I know you don't agree that this should be Number One, but I need cheering up, OK? And Huey always does the job...
Some days won't end ever and some days pass on by
I'll be working here forever, at least until I die
Damned if you do, damned if you don't
I'm supposed to get a raise week, you know damn well I won't
HARMONICA!
As per the new Top Ten rule, I stopped looking for them once I had ten, so I'm sure there's lots more where these came from. Feel free to throw me your suggestions and I'll happily do a Volume 2. Misery loves company...
