2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: More and more this primary has distilled down to one thing for me: [View all]Waiting For Everyman
(9,385 posts)I agree, ChiciB1, Jackson seems to constantly say what I'm thinking, only much better than I ever could. And he's been doing that since the early 70s. There's just nobody so consistently insightful about life as I've known it. He's 2 years older than me, so he's pretty much in sync with my experience of the years. I've bought most of his albums over again on LP, cassette tape, and CD, and now have them digitized. There are only a couple of his later albums that I haven't "taken to" as much.
The song 'Everyman' always comes to mind for me during elections, and that's a big reason why I chose this name because I jointed DU during the 2008 election, and it felt like that's what I was doing here -- waiting for Everyman to come to our way of thinking and join us in the election effort.
When it came out in real time, similar to Jackson's words, I had just given up on living with a bunch of East-coaster friends in California for several years. I don't know how he did it, but that guy always seemed to know where I was at, and what I was thinking. His songs have definitely helped me get through it all. I want to say he's the poet of our time and he is, except that we are fortunate enough to have several who could share that title.
Yes indeed, we do "have one" now! This is for you and him, all of us...
Everybody I talk to is ready to leave
With the light of the morning
They've seen the end coming down long enough to believe
That they've heard their last warning
Standing alone
Each has his own ticket in his hand
And as the evening descends
I sit thinking 'bout Everyman
Seems like I've always been looking for some other place
To get it together
Where with a few of my friends I could give up the race
And maybe find something better
But all my fine dreams
Well thought out schemes to gain the motherland
Have all eventually come down to waiting for Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman --
Make it on your own if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go, I understand
Waiting here for Everyman --
Don't ask me if he'll show... baby, I don't know
Make it on your own if you think you can
Somewhere later on you'll have to take a stand
Then you're going to need a hand
Everybody's just waiting to hear from the one
Who can give them the answers
And lead them back to that place in the warmth of the sun
Where sweet childhood still dances,
Who'll come along
And hold out that strong but gentle father's hand --
Long ago I heard someone say something 'bout Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman --
Make it on your own, make it if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go, I understand
I'm not trying to tell you that I've seen the plan
Turn and walk away if you think I am --
But don't think too badly of one who's left holding sand
He's just another dreamer, dreaming 'bout Everyman
Gotta have a bonus track...
(For younger DUers, the Deluge was not water, it was an era of "cataclysmic" events -- one that ended a lot of things, and people. Following it on a playlist would be "Won't Get Fooled Again". Too bad we did though.)
Or two...
Jackson, Graham Nash and David Crosby, with David Lynley. Whenever I see Graham Nash I always think of an exceptional thing he did for me once, without even knowing me at all... he lent me the use of his house in LA for a few weeks while he was away, because he heard about a dire situation I was in through a friend of a friend -- I'll never forget his kindness and generosity.