RIP Me: Songs My Wife And Other Loved Ones Should Listen To After I Die, Part 1 of X

[Photo can be found here]

Do I want my loved ones to listen to happy, joyful songs to fight off deep sadness?? Hell, no! I want them to listen to somber, soul-achingly depressing songs. But…they’re all beautifully somber, soul-achingly depressing songs. To that end, I made a mix for Amanda (and others) to be played about a month after my death, which I hope is many years in the future – of course, I probably just cursed myself to an early death. Lyrically, they’re not all about death, but each one of them evokes just that right something. They should be played late at night, lights off, sitting in front of a window with a view of the skyline or on a porch under a star-filled sky, drink in hand, contemplative mind, grateful heart.

I don’t know about you, but I find it immensely comforting to listen to melancholic songs so it’s no surprise that many of these songs have been featured on multiple mixes over the past 20 years. They’re an indelible part of me that will live on.

So in the coming months and years I’ll highlight a random selection from this ever-growing mix.

Don’t Look Back, John Lee Hooker with Van Morrison (from The Best of Friends – Buy Here). It’s John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison – what more could I possibly say? There’s something wondrous about Hooker’s world-weary baritone voice as it hovers above the melody carved out by soulful electric guitar riffs and delicate Hammond B-3 lines. And then Van Morrison drops by and kicks up the soulful factor by a few notches in a way that only Van Morrison can (one of these days, I’ll have to take on the daunting task of finally writing down what Van Morrison’s music has meant in my life.)

Seriously, listen to the song in the proper setting (as described earlier) – you’ll thank me for it.