Thursday, January 31, 2008
rob
This is the friend I was talking about the other day. Robert McGonigal.
He was a wonderful person. Softly-spoken, gentle, curious, spiritual, warm, generous, loving, talented.
I still can’t fathom that he’s gone. I hate that he’s gone. It makes me angry. I’m not at peace with it yet.
I was listening to a Sleater Kinney record I bought recently ‘the hot rock’ - it’s an old one, but new to me.
One song- ‘Get Up’ -has really stuck in my brain. You know how certain songs do? And when the music sticks in your head, and the lyrics are good and pleasing and complex...well, it’s a compelling combination.
I was excited to find on youtube a music video for the song - it’s not only a lovely video, but it was also directed by Miranda July - who I’m a big fan of. Watch it here.
Anyway - I’m not sure exactly what Sleater Kinney meant the song to be about - some of the song seems to be about those first few times you hook up with someone, and then other parts of the song have this weird, metaphysical slant. Those parts of the song make me think of what happened with Rob - so I’m going to write the lyrics here for him:
“And when the body finally starts to let go
let it all go at once
not piece by piece
but like a whole bucket of stars
dumped into the universe. Watch it go!
Goodbye small hands, goodbye small heart
goodbye small head.
My soul is climbing tree tranks
and swinging from every branch
They’re calling on me.
They’re calling ONE me.
Do you think I’m an animal?
Am I not?
Do you like fur?
Do you want to come over?
Are we captive - only for a short time?
Is there splendour? I’m not ashamed.
I hit the mark!
I target moon. I target sun.
Fall down on the world before it falls on you.”
*
does that make sense?
