In his fine diary today, PapaChach muses again about his late wife, makes me get all misty (wry grin), and includes an excellent song.
Got me thinking about my brother, and excellent songs.
When I got to California for his funeral last October, my sis-in-law had a request. They needed three songs for the service. She'd picked two. Her request to me: pick the third, and it has to be an REM song.
Which was fitting.
REM was probably my brother's favorite band. If not, it was in the top three. They were in my top five, as well. Furthermore, I'm the one that introduced him to REM. Further furthermore :-), his very first concert he ever went to? You guessed it. And who took him? Got that one, too. Summer of 84--I was 19, he 16--at the Orpheum in Boston. He would've told you until the day he died it was the greatest show he ever saw. I'll tell you right now it's the greatest show I ever saw by anyone not named Springsteen :-).
Also, by a happy act of complete coincidence...the last time I saw my brother alive was last March. Even though the prognosis at that time was "great! No worries!" I still got my ass out there for a week. (And it's a good thing.) And my visit, by complete coincidence, coincided with REM being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Patrick and I sat on his couch watching it. They even brought their old drummer, Bill Berry, back--he'd retired in like 1996. Patrick always called Bill Berry "The Unibrow"..because he certainly has one...and I can clearly remember Patrick saying, "The Unibrow's back and they're playing all the old shit! This is like 84 at the Orpheum!"
Yeah, so, if there was to be music at my brother's service, there must be REM. And if there was to be REM, I'd be doing the picking. My sis-in-law knew this.
I had the complete works of REM on my laptop (of course), so I spent the first night in the hotel room listening. The next morning, I went to my sis-in-law's house, found Patrick's copy of "Murmur", and handed it to her. "Track six."
PERFECT CIRCLE
Put your hair back, we get to leave
Eleven gallows on your sleeve
Shallow figure, winner's paid
Eleven shadows way out of place
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Pull your dress on and stay real close
Who might leave you where I left off?
A perfect circle of acquaintances and friends
Drink another, coin a phrase
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Heaven assumed, shoulders high in the room
Try to win and suit your needs
Speak out sometimes but try to win
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Standing too soon, shoulders high in the room
Sometimes it's hard for me to listen to REM. But I do it, every so often. He really would've liked the new album; it sounds like their older stuff.
Damn, I miss the big lug.
RIP, little brother.