A propos of my earlier post today, I’ve been working on a song this evening inspired by both the Shawn Colvin song “One Small Year” and the eulogy I gave for my dad’s funeral. Of the four songs I’ve written so far this month for NaSoWriMo, I’m liking this one the best.
It’s funny, but I’ve already written several songs that were variations on that eulogy, so you might think I’d have gotten it all out of my system by now. When I was really young, I remember reading an interview with Daryl Hall in which he said a lot of his songs over the years had been about the same thing over and over, and he would often use incredibly similar wording, just trying to exorcise his demons. I remember noticing that in his songs after that, and wondering each time I listened to his music if he finally wrote it to his satisfaction and relief.
I don’t know if you know it when it happens because the inspired genius of your own words catches you by surprise, or if it takes a while for the realization to sink in that those demons aren’t haunting you anymore, or what. I’m OK with the idea that I may have to write about 2005 for a long, long time before I finally get it right, but I sure wouldn’t object to stumbling across just the right wording here tonight, either.