Of Human Feeling: "He Was a Friend of Mine"

Since the election I've been filled with a lot of anger, and I don't want to lose it. Our situation calls for some outrage and resistance, but I don't want to get stuck in that. Maybe that's why when I listen to music these days I am drawn to music that speaks, as Ornette Coleman phrased it, "of human feeling," music that speaks to shared experience and not just righteous indignation. It keeps me centered and sane. To lose someone you love is not a partisan issue. It hurts for everyone. But there is more than pain in this great old song, there is great beauty. When we die we won't think of politics but of those we loved. There is an extra layer of poignancy here, since Bill Morrissey died too young a few years ago.