Our Endless Numbered Days

I don't know what got into me last night, but I put on an album after I got home from tennis. I was mesmerized by what I heard, not for the first time, of course.

God, give us love in the time that we have...

Iron & Wine's album, Our Endless Numbered Days has consistently been on my playlist for the last couple of years.

she says wake up, it's no use pretending
I'll keep stealing, breathing her
birds are winging, over autumn's ending
one of us will die inside these arms

eyes wide open
naked as we came
one will spread our
ashes 'round the yard

she says if I leave before you darling
don't you waste me in the ground
I lay smiling like our sleeping children
one of us will die inside these arms

eyes wide open
naked as we came
one will spread our ashes 'round the yard

This music sounds to me like it's come out of the soil, it's so organic. It's born out of the soil, starting out as a low murmur, yet growing louder, more expressive, yet not begging for it's audience to hear it. It's simply exists for anyone who cares to listen, & anyone who cares to listen will be instantly rewarded. What more can you ask of any musician? That maybe, just maybe, you'll stumble unto the music not knowing how or when or where you discovered it, but you're glad you did. I think Herm, the owner of Vertigo records, suggested this one to me, but it could've been any number of people, maybe some of whom I've never met. Whoever may have suggested it to me I owe a huge debt of gratitude. I can't think of any one single album that I'd like more for anyone I know to hear. I can't think of one person I know, who after listening closely, couldn't find something to like about this album, from my father, my grandparents or any friend who has the least bit of interest in any kind of music I listen to.

I could do a song by song analysis, telling you what I like about each song, but it wouldn't tell you the whole story, as each song runs into the next. In fact, many songs share similar chord structures, themes & melodies. That's part of it's charm. You'll learn a similar lesson, or get a similar feeling from each song, yet each one, will make you feel something different about yourself, about the world around you.

love is a dress that you made, long to hide your knees, love to say this to your face, "I'll love you only"

This is funeral music. It's not the funeral of anyone who wasn't sure of their place, though. This music is like the smile or the laugh that occurs after a funeral, not out of disrespect or callousness, but rather of necessity, of life maintaining some sort of balance. It celebrates all those bittersweet moments of life, of holidays come & gone, realizing that life exists outside of those moments that you're supposed to look forward to, that life throws you both unexpected happinesses & sadnesses.

light strikes a deal with each coming night...

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Sodom, South Georgia-Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days

slept through Christmas, slept like a bucket of snow...

Love & Some Verses-Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days

Each Coming Night-Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days

Naked As We Came-Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days

These Days-Nico, Chelsea Girl

Happy Tuesday, friends...

andrew