April 16, 2019: Man of the Hour

Hi Brad and Brad,

Life and death has constantly been on my mind lately. Given how quickly I've seen others lives change, moreover from things completely out of their control, it has me thinking about what music or song I'd like others to remember me by. I want Pearl Jam sung in remembrance of me, but which song would I feel be the most appropriate and compassionate? I bought the Benaroya Hall concert from 2002 as one of the first live albums I got of the band. I love that show, especially given it's more acoustic, which gives it a different feel for me. The song that always stood out to me was "Man of the Hour."

I hadn't seen Big Fish before hearing the Benaroya Hall show, so it was the first time I heard it. When I read over the lyrics critically, it reads as many who pay tribute to someone that made an impact in their lives.

And the sky breaks at dawn shedding light upon this town
They'll all come around
Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
Goodbye for now.

However, when you get to the end of the song, it almost reads more as a son/daughter grandson/daughter paying tribute to a fatherly figure. I don't have any children of my own, but I hope that I can be remembered as someone who inspired/instilled something in others.

And the road
The old man paved
The broken seams along the way
The rusted signs, left just for me
He was guiding me, love, his own way
Now the man of the hour is taking his final bow
As the curtain comes down
I feel that this is just goodbye for now

While life is short, there is always a long road ahead of all of us. There's always an opportunity to reinvent yourself.

Forced to endure, what I could not forgive,

Chris

Comments

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