"Blue Sky" - The Allman Brothers Band
"Don't fly, mister blue bird, I'm just walking down the road,
Early morning sunshine tell me all I need to know"
"Blue Sky" holds a special place in my heart as sort of a theme song for Tuscaloosa. I find it impossible to drive to, from, or around that city without hearing this song at least once. The things this song brings to mind are the things I loved most about Tuscaloosa. The beautiful weather, ancient oaks, tradition rich University, and the old southern heritage. Sure there are certain aspects of that heritage that I could do without, but the basic idea of a simpler time, with simpler people appeals to me. Dickey Betts writes about the things I would think were important to him: the river, the sunshine, God, and, of course, those blue skies. For me, it all correlates directly to Tuscaloosa, a place I made home for 5 years of my short life. I suppose I miss it all quite a bit, and as this song seems to embody the entire experience, the guitar solo always makes me a touch bleary eyed. The climax for me arrives at the 2:08 mark of the album version (2:13 in the video linked at the top) where the solo is coming off its highest point yet and begins to descend with a series of notes that, for some reason, I just love. I can't explain it but that point in the song breaks my heart and makes me long for Tuscaloosa.
So if you decide to listen to this one, I would suggest a car ride, windows down, on a warm spring day when the sky is bright blue and you're willing to let yourself forget you ever had any worries.
I heard this song on shuffle a couple nights ago, and that moment in the guitar solo completely passed me by. I tried to listen for it, but I suppose my over-concentration may have tainted the listening experience.
ReplyDeleteIt also lends some truth to my belief that no one can feel the same way another person feels about music. People can like the same music, but no one can share a breathtaking, chill-sending moment in the same point of a song. It makes me sad that I believe this, because for a long time, I tried to make people listen to music that did that to me, in the hopes that it was do the same thing to them, with poor results.
So, cherish your favorite songs, even if no one can fully understand why you feel so deeply affected by them.