Sublime

If there's a single artist I had to point to as having had the singlemost profound effect on my life as a musician and human being over the last, say, 15 years, that person would be Mark Kozelek.

Mark's first band, Red House Painters, released 3 of my top 10 records of all time, and I don't actually even keep a top 10 list so that has to say something.

Mark is going to release a collection of cover versions of Modest Mouse songs in a few weeks.

One of these songs, "Ocean Breathes Salty" has officially become the only song I care to listen to at the moment (aside, perhaps, from Kanye Wests' "Roses").  You can download it as an mp3  here.

In fact, I'm starting to think that if no one else ever writes or releases another song, it won't matter much. 

The lyrics to "Ocean Breathes Salty" are as follows:

Your body may be gone, but I'm gonna carry you in In my head, and in my heart, in my soul. And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Don't think so Well that is that and this is this You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get You get away from me. You get away from me. Collected my belongings and I left the jail Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell I had to think awhile. I had to think awhile The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in? In your head, and in your mouth, in your soul And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both grow old Well I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I hope so Well that is that and this is this You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get You get away from me. You get away from me Collected my belongings and I left the jail Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell I had to think awhile. I had to think awhile Well that is that and this is this Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed, when the ocean met the sky You missed when time and life shook hands and said goodbye When the earth folded in on itself And said "Good luck, for your sake I hope heaven and hell are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath" You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death? You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death? The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in? In your head, and in your mouth, in your soul The more we move ahead the more we're stuck in rewind Well I don't mind. I don't mind. How the heck could I mind? Well that is that and this is this You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get You get away from me. You get away from me Well that is that and this is this Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed, when the ocean met the sky -- You can see the video for the original version of the song here. Otherwise, Mark's latest project "Sun Kil Moon," along with some information about his previous projects, is Online here. Finally, since this song has more or less become my personal soundtrack for making preparations to depart Berlin, I thought I'd list my top 5 reasons for the impending departure (March 2006), even though I don't really keep a top 5 list: 1. American highways 2. The feeling that the horizon is far off in the distance 3. Because if everyone like me stays away from America forever, it will never have a chance to get better 4. The foreboding sense that the longer I stay here, the more my approach to life will become increasingly pragmatic, to the point that I will eventually lose what it is that I'm most afraid of losing (in addition to my sense of humor, which was previously everpresent). 5. I want what was foreign to feel foreign again, so that I can enjoy it as a foreigner again someday How are you doing, one of the 75.6 people who stops by here on a daily basis?  Did you like the song?

Comments

[Raquel]

Nooooooooo! Don't leave!

Thanks for the song. Modest Mouse puts to music and lyrics the feelings I have when driving across the US. (More "Lonesome Crowded West" than the others.) I understand your foreign sentiments.