Chad's spot for various thoughts, musings, poetry, ideas and whatnot

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Metaphorical Reasons

One of my favorite musical artists is folk musician David Wilcox. He is an excellent artist of both tune and word and I just picked up his latest CD, Live Songs and Stories. Now if you've ever had the pleasure to see Dave in concert you know that a lot of the enjoyment comes from hearing the stories he tells between songs while tuning up or whatever. This latest CD captures these moments excellently. One of the stories is titled "Metaphorical Reasons."

The story is about the various metaphors that work their way into his music and the process by which that happens. he tells that oftentimes they jump him when he isn't looking and isn't really aware what's going on. The key thing that clues him in that something deeper and more metaphorical is going on is that he gets "bugged". When I heard him talk about this on the CD it was like this rayfrom heaven shone down on me. I was like, "Wow! So that's why that happens." I'll go somewhere and something happens and I'll get really bugged. I mean, it's like all out of proportion to what's really going on. I use words like wrong and bad in a truly moral sense to describe a situation which is way overreacting. Kathy has begun to recognize when these moments are coming on and sometimes she feels the same way. Now I understand why this happens. There's something metaphorical going on underneath the obvious that's getting to me but I'm not seeing it.

Dave has a great example about shoipping. I really dislike shopping sometimes. I get bugged. Like Dave says shopping can be a metaphor for life. You go into the store to find one thing and then all of the sudden there's this "Blue Light Special" and before you know it you're holding a bunch of shiny junk and you're in the "CHECKOUT LINE". Now, how's that for a metaphor. And if you're not careful, it's the express lane and there's no getting out. I'll leave it to you to figure out the rest. For my part I have to thank Dave for giving me license to get bugged every once and a while and for prodding me to look for the metaphorical reasons.

Finally, I don't mean to sound like a shill here, but I really would recommend the album. It's just real. Not really great or awesome orsome other stupidly overused adjective that hyper marketing machines use. The CD is real and it speaks to the part of you that wants to retch everytime you hear an N'Sync or Backstreet Boys or some other music industry copycat song. it tells you that things are going to be alright and there is an alternative to the mysoginistic lyrics of Eminem or the sex, drugs and money ethos found in 90% of what's produced today. In our house we have a staircase that's 112 years old. The rail is wooden and curved. Its handmade and worn down by thousands and thousands of trips by probably hundreds of different hands. Its real. Dave's music is like that. The Christians who reaad this will appreciate Dave's faith centered approach that doesn't become way overboard like a lot of CCM today. the non-Christians will enjoy his voice and will find truth in what he writes about.

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