In today’s edition of what will hopefully be a semi-regular feature (but will more probably be sporadic, because I’m just like that), I offer you a song that makes me stop and go, “wow, that’s a good song”: The Decemberists’ “I Was Meant for the Stage”.
I was meant for the stage
I was meant for the curtain
I was meant to tread these boards
Of this much I am certain
I was meant for the crowd
I was meant for the shouting
I was meant to raise these hands
With quiet all about me
Everything about this song hits me in just the right way, makes me pause and hold my breath until it’s done. There are days when I listen to the song and find myself feeling wistful, longing for the crowd and the shouting. But most times, I listen to it and think, well, someone’s living the dream, and that’s alright with me.
(Also, I love the last several minutes of the song, where it disentegrates from this gentle yet triumphant sort of folk song, into chaos, proving that you don’t need to be some kind of big loud rock band to just make some crazy noise.)