The Day the Music Died Again

I remember, very clearly, the day Joe Strummer died.  I felt like the bottom of the world had fallen out.  All I could think about was the first time I had heard those iconic chords opening London Calling. 

Close your eyes. 

Yes.  You hear it now…here comes the bass…and now that voice.

I heard it over and over.

Then came the pain. 

So, even though I am not a Bowie fan, I know the pain his fans feel because we have all had one of those losses.  For others, weeks ago, it was Lemmy.

Artists help to define us – they allow us to become inspired and bolstered by their bravery.  Bowie and Strummer and Lemmy were the souls of the rebels and “freaks.”  The outcasts.  The kids who scream, over raging guitars, that the Emperor has no clothes.  They gave us permission to be who we really felt we were…we are…who we were becoming.

For many of us, this music was the first music that was really ours…not our parents’ music.  The music they told us to turn down, turn off, or throw out.  It was the music we raged to; our cacophonic Declaration of Independence; our “fuck you” to our family, our school, our society.

Bowie gave us gliltter – guys could wear makeup and be ok.  Lemmy gave us leather-scented, eviscerating guitar.  Joe screamed out injustice. 

They all painted our souls in sound in ways we could not do for ourselves.  That is why so many of us feel like those pieces, those colors, died today.  They took a piece of our childhood, adolescents, our self-hood. 

You will for a while, dear hearts, feel like a piece of you is missing – and it probably will be for a while.  And that is ok.  A piece of us is missing. 

You will also feel, dear hearts, like you cannot scream out injustice, rage, or sparkle for a while.  And that is ok.  The sparkle will be dull for a while.

Somewhere though, dear hearts, we are all stardust.

Blessed Be all of you who mourn today.  

My husband gave everyone some great advice today on his fb status:

Only thing to do on a day like this is listen to as much music as you can.
Volume up. ITunes random. 
City of Fire albums ordered.
Kendrick Lamar in Amazon basket.
Heal your hearts, friends.