few & far between
i remember in high school when i would launch myself with unnerving ease into fits of adolescent despair that were only slightly self-aggrandized i found tremendous solace in 10,000 maniacs' song lyrics. what can i say, it was the mid-nineties in the suburbs of los angeles, and besides frantic journal writing and cavorting with the other drama geeks there wasn't much else i could turn to, besides musical comedy, but we'll leave that for another time.
in any event, my musical tastes have grown and expanded over the years, but i've never even wanted to leave behind its roots in the pithy reflective nature of the softer side of what was then emergent alt-rock. i can quite easily lapse into a time warped melancholy--or exuberant glee, depending--when i tap into some of those songs and lyrics.
this morning, as i wax over-analytical over my morning cup of coffee, it's 10,000 maniacs' "few & far between" from their album our time in eden that best reflects how i feel. it's times like these when i revert back to a point when other people seemed to be able to say it better.
"for now my hands are tied/i'm a body frozen/i'm a will that's paralyzed"
it's not the happiest place i can be right now, but it's perversely comforting. even the title fits aptly, although the context is somewhat skewed. (ed: holy crap, is "skewed" even a real word?) i'm looking forward to skipping back to track two on the same disc to find brighter comfort in "these are days." it's there. i just have to get to it.