Shannon’s Perspective:

“She fell down to her knees crying to the sky someone help me please.”

This song is off of an album called On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.  The title alone drew me in but the songs are what kept me coming back.  I believe this to be one of those “perfect” albums that you rarely if ever skip a song.

Larry was trying to be kind in his write up but those who know me well would say that I am Jenny, abusive childhood followed up with excessive drugs and alcohol to numb the pain while always looking for love in all the wrong places, and those who truly know me don’t judge me for it.  Larry has never judged me for these things and only helped me to see that as a product of my environment it was up to me to change and break the cycles.  I’ve done the best I can with that and hope I have not damaged my children too much.

Larry’s Pick: She

It's hard to put into words how brilliant a lyricist I think Michael Been is; I suppose the biggest compliment I would be able to pay is that he is right up there with Neil Peart.

Just like Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys, he is able to craft songs so eloquently you're not really sure who the intended audience is - but it works for everyone. And when Peter Gabriel recognizes you as something special...you must be something special.

One of his previous bands, The Call, could really be considered a Christian rock band and listening to them I can see that. But since I didn't run in that circle, I'm not sure if they were. Listening to this song, I feel there is definite inferences to the Devil as well as God. Or it just could be exhaustion, exasperation and triumph. That's the great thing about music - you be the judge!

I think the best way I can communicate how this song feels to me is by comparing it to something I think most people can relate to: The "She" in this song is Jenny from Forrest Gump. Someone who had a pretty shitty life early on which cascaded into pretty terrible life choices and then fought to bring herself back to life.

By no means am I saying Shannon had the same type of life as Jenny, but our experiences growing up were completely different - and she definitely drew the short straw. Between challenges growing up and dealing with her health issues, she has fought through some pretty hard things - and finally found her courage to let it all go...

P.S. 2010 will always be a terrible year for me, as my father passed away. But a couple of other reminders exist that take me back to that year. At the time I was heavily into the show Deadliest Catch and Captain Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie died the same day as my dad. In some weird way, I always felt connected to his two sons and what they were going through. And later that same year Michael Been passed away...

30th Anniversary

Our Story - Shannon's Perspective

Our Story - Larry's Perspective

Ghost of a Chance (Rush) and why?