A few months back, I was having an inane converstaion in a shortly-to-shutter-for-good Brooklyn bar about “least favorite songs of all time.” I believe I cited Don McLean’s “American Pie,” for reasons I would consider well beyond entirely obvious (i.e. it fucking sucks). My brother-in-law John didn’t have an answer, as I recall, but my brother-in-law Chris -– a truly decent gent, by all standards -- albeit not quite as rabid a music fan as I, let alone as outspokenly opinionated -– cited a song I was frankly surprised he was even aware of.
“What’s that dumb song that lists all the guy’s dead friends?,” he postulated.
“You mean, ‘People Who Died’ by the motherfucking Jim Goddamn Carroll Band?,” I replied with bug-eyed incredulity.
“Yeah, that’s the one. I hate that shit.”
Now, look, I’ve written several times, here, about my love of both Jim Carroll and that particular song (notably here, here and here), so I really don’t need to go into chapter and verse about its singular, elegiac brilliance. Suffice to say, it’s one of my favorite songs of all time, and I was frankly astonished that Chris failed to recognize its untouchable greatness, especially considering he’s an otherwise avowed fan of Guns N’ Roses.
Inspired by same, I was going to send Chris a copy of the JCB’s Catholic Boy compact disc, but then realized he’s a streamer who probably doesn’t even own a disc-player anymore. So, I didn’t.
In any case, yesterday was the late, great Mr. Carroll’s birthday, so respect is fucking due.
Play it loud. Play it always.
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