Ron pope — Blog — Casey and the Sunshine

As is customary, I just spent 51 minutes listening straight through the new Ron Pope album, Atlanta. It is quite nice. Ron Pope always convinces me that banjo and mandolin and harmonica are all right. It just hit iTunes yesterday, so there aren't YouTube versions with bad fan video just yet. You'll either have to get the album or take my word for it. You should know by know that my favorite part of being a human being is words.

These words come from "In My Bones"...

My angel with her dirty wings, she used to make me smile,

but she kept all of her secrets locked inside in a place I could not reach her,

though I tried with all my might.

When I begged for something real, she said goodbye.

It's my fault; I don't care.

I can't hate you if you're not here.

Once you go, never ever turn around

I have sacrificed and I've burned -- you've gotta live before you learn.

I wanted the truth, but sometimes the truth hurts.

I'm sure that I'll be just fine if I remember she wasn't ever mine.

The truth about the two of us is we don't make sense.

When we made love our love was just pretend.

And now I'm trying to forget her but I feel her in my bones.

And I wonder if she thinks of me at all.

And these words come from "October Trees"...

The wind cuts through and it chills me to the bone.

The sunlight feels like a ghost, it's so far gone.

A sad, old song keeps on ringing in my head.

The darkest time seems to be miles ahead.

So can we change? Or is this surrender?

I once loved your grace and the innocence that fell from you like leaves, spiraled off October trees.

You know I love you. What else do you want from me?

Where is your dignity? Where is your pride? Where is the love that you once had inside?

Where is your dignity? Where is your pride? Where is the voice that was always your guide?

And these words come from "One Grain of Sand"...

What do I say? What do I do to show you all the ways my heart is slowly shattering for you?

I don't want to hold you if you want to go, and I'm not gonna make you feel loved if you don't.

I would rather learn what it feels like to burn that feel nothing at all.

And these words come from "City in Motion"....

When the lights are blinding, I don't mind it if you require my shade.

When the nights are darkest all I want is for you to shine my way.

And if the only thing that keeps you here is some echo in the dark,

let's set the city in motion before we fall apart.

And these words come from "Bitterness or Sympathy"...

The first night I should have left you, before I shut my eyes, I prayed to God I'd wake up somewhere else.

And when the morning came to find me, you were sleeping there beside me.

I wonder if this nightmare ever ends.

Is it bitterness or sympathy that keeps you standing here with me?

I'm not sure how much more I can take.

I have sacrificed my peace of mind to sit here with you wasting time.

And now I think I'd like to walk away.

And there's one song, "Waking Up," that has no lyrics. I love that, too. Just some sweet, soft harmonica and banjo, I think. It surprises me that I would feel this way about those instruments.

Anyway, just letting you know that this new album is perfectly Ron Pope (in my professional opinion?) and that that is a nice thing. Grab your own copy on iTunes ASAP! :)

On Thursday, May 5, I will be in San Francisco experiencing Ron Pope in concert. This is an opportunity I've been anticipating since the moment his voice came out of Jocelyn's laptop speakers during finals week my junior year of college. It's amazing to me how I actually know every word of every song. I'm going to be that person at the concert, who knows what song is next after two strums on the guitar. I'm going to cry probably the entire time.

There's something about the lyrics to his songs that has drawn me in. I have a very specific association for each song, and it's really only fitting that it's this year that I'm seeing him. This year when so many of those memories have been cast aside or forced out by extenuating circumstances and things beyond my control.

And I'm nervous that I won't be able to cope. All that emotion in one room in once place at one time with all of those strangers. But it's what I love so much about Ron Pope -- how much he makes me feel. When listening to him sing I just can't help but feel everything all at once. It's so heartfelt. When he hurts, I hurt. There's a force at work that is undefinable.

He was the first musician to whom I ever applied my "spiritual affinity" terminology. There's a connection between my soul and his voice that I cannot begin to express. Sometimes I feel like a total creep for saying things out loud like that...but if I were a musician, to affect someone the way he affects me is exactly what I'd hope for.