Long Song(s) vol. 1

The long songs. Songs that seem to go on forever. They move into your brain, and they've brought all this luggage. They start spreading their stuff all over the place. Eat all your food. But they got you presents so that's cool. After a while they get sort of annoying, but then, oh they go do something awesome and by the time they actually leave you know you're totally going to miss them. You tell them they can come back anytime man, anytime. And it was my pleasure. No mine. They're the songs that think they're so great you wont want them to end. And some of them actually are.

Like Sonic Youth's Hits Of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg). This is still my favorite long song. When I was 16 I got a mix-tape with this and was amazed at how I could listen to it the whole subway-ride to high school. If someone tried to talk to you while listening to this you'd just shake your head and sort of gesture something that meant" Oh I can't talk, I'm listening to Sonic Youth. I'm inside a bubble of coolness."

Then there's Hurricane by Bob Dylan, which isn't quite as long, but man, there's just so much information. Every time it comes on it's like running into Bob on the street and he's super angry and tells you every single detail about how Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was framed for triple murrr-der. And why shouldn't he, it's definitely important stuff. But I always smile when all those crazy bongos and violins and harmonicas push the song into yet another verse.

Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street) by Tom Waits is sort of like that except it's so lazy and loungy you don't really pay attention. Tom doesn't mind. It's even OK if you fall asleep, he's just muttering to himself anyways. I sometimes played this at a crappy coffee shop where I used to work, so I could pretend it was a crappy diner instead. But then someone would turn on Come Away with Me, by Norah Jones, and totally ruin everything.

That's all I got for now. Maybe naming this post "vol. 1" was a little optimistic, but hopefully my blogmates (is that what we call it? I think it was something else that I can't remember right now) will add some of their favorite long songs too.