And it reminded me that I'm still so very saddened by Gord Downie's death, I really am. I haven't been able to listen to any Hip again in quite the same way yet and I have been unable to listen to his full solo album (the one he wrote knowing he was terminal), I can only listen one song at a time and even then... it's a lot.
I said to someone the other day that the death of musicians is an odd one. We may not even have seen them perform. We probably don't know who they *actually* are, most likely we just know their stage persona/presence, so it's not like losing a sibling, or a spouse, or friend, you know? But it can be so deeply affecting.
They, or their music, or their words, or their performance was there for us, was there WITH us, was a soundtrack, brings back a memory, got us through something, made us feel. Music is just.... it's magic, magical. And when the person who represents those moments, memories, feelings dies, it's like that memory is somehow.... I don't know what I mean to say here, that memory is made more vivid, or it flares along with the sadness. And for me it's sometimes that I missed out on being able to thank them, or to tell them that they meant something or that their song got me through X or Y or that I felt this way about it. Maybe that's part of it. Plus the reminder that we're all human, and mortal. So very very mortal. And if they? They who were sometimes God-like, and untouchable can die? Well damn, what's keeping us from it?
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It's such a visceral and emotional connection to a stranger.
Also hit hard by Dolores' passing... the Cranberries were big in my rotation back in the 90s, and I have fond memories of singing along loudly on road trips and the like.
Oh, I know what you mean. For me, The Cranberries were part of the soundtrack of those years where I was transitioning from kid to young adult and from high school to college and none of it made sense and everything was so exciting and big and scary. So even though it's been years since I listened to one of their albums, when I heard Dolores O'Riordan died, I felt like a piece of my teenage self died too. Like a reminder that life is fleeting and we can never go back.
Sorry, didn't mean to go so dark there! :/
It really is that Jason, a strong connection to a stranger, yes. *hugs*
No, I completely understand kandijay, no need to apologize <3
While I enjoy the hits of the Cranberries and love her voice, they were not a heavily played band for me. But it still feels so very sad when a well know performer passes away.
I still get tears when certain Hip songs are played. I am a huge fan and have been listening since their very first EP and the first time I saw them on campus so many years ago. Chris Cornell hit me pretty hard too...have been a fan for years and my one daughter performs a couple of Audioslave songs, and now I have a lump in my throat again.
It really is amazing how artists can touch your life in so many ways and the hurt you feel when they leave way, way too early.
The Cranberries weren't a super important band to me either E, but I know her death hit a lot of folk hard, perhaps her age is part of it. *hugs all round*
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