There’s a vision I have of myself, riding on a motorcycle into the sunset towards somewhere that doesn’t matter, flying on a road that doesn’t matter, over hills that don’t matter, to a place far away that doesn’t matter. A song plays in the background as I embrace the open space in front of me. Hope. Unknown. Something. I cruise through valleys and mountaintops and horizons. The clouds vanish. A motel whips by. The concrete eats itself. There’s that thing and this thing and another thing. It’s all cinematic and beautiful, a sprawling and transformative connection to the wild. I can taste it, fleeting. You know what it is. The freedom. For something. That’s not too far away. Not too far away at all. Nothing feels far away, except whatever is.
This month Magnolia Electric Co. turns 20. An all time album. RIP Jason Molina. I miss you and I know I’m not the only one.
“Farewell Transmission” by Songs: Ohia
The whole place is dark
Every light on this side of the town
Suddenly it all went down
Now we'll all be brothers of the fossil fire of the sun
Now we will all be sisters of the fossil blood of the moon
Someone must have set them up
Now they'll be working in the cold grey rock
Now they'll be working in the hot mill steam
Now they'll be working in the concrete
In the sirens and the silences now
All the great set up hearts
All at once start to beat
After tonight if you don't want this to be
A secret out of the past
I will resurrect it, I'll have a good go at it
I'll streak his blood across my beak
Dust my feathers with his ashes
Feel his ghost breathing down my back
I will try and know whatever I try
I will be gone but not forever
I will try and know whatever I try
I will be gone but not forever
The real truth about it is no one gets it right
The real truth about it is we're all supposed to try
There ain't no end to the sands I've been trying to cross
The real truth about it is my kind of life's no better off
If it's got the map or if it's lost
We will try and know whatever we will try
We will be gone but not forever
Come on let's try and know whatever we will try
We will be gone but not forever
The real truth about it is there ain't no end to the desert I'll cross
I've really known it all along
Mama here comes midnight with the dead moon in its jaws
Must be the big star about to fall
Mama here comes midnight with the dead moon in its jaws
Must be the big star about to fall
Long dark blues
Will-o'-the-wisp
Long dark blues
The big star is falling
Long dark blues
Will-o'-the-wisp
The big star is falling
Long dark blues
Through the static and distance
Long dark blues
A farewell transmission
Long dark blues
Listen
Long dark blues
Listen
Long dark blues
Listen