Soundtracked

Love, Reign O'er Me

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This week's theme: Soundtracks

Yesterday afternoon and into the early evening I spent some serious time on YouTube, and it became evident to me that I probably could've used Pearl Jam songs all this week. Where was this idea on Sunday?? "Breath", "State Of Love And Trust", "Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns" (not a PJ song but it's one they cover a lot in concert and a couple members were in the band that originally played it), "Hard To Imagine", "Dead Man", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", and anything Eddie Vedder did on the Into The Wild soundtrack  . Ballgame.

But no. Instead I'm running with their cover of The Who's "Love, Reign O'er Me" from the Adam Sandler flick Reign Over Me  . And I haven't seen it, because I've pretty much given up on Sandler...but from the little synopsis I'd probably enjoy this movie. Or bawl after it. Anything's possible I suppose. I don't hate him, but he was really starting to get stale to me, so I wasn't gonna go outta my way to watch another movie where a dopey schlep gets into a situation that the hot girl helps him get out of while they fall in love. Of course, then he would make a film where he plays an adult. Whatever, bruh.

And Pearl Jam is an inspired choice to take on this song. I don't know of many other singers who can match the passion in Roger Daltrey's voice, and Eddie Vedder definitely has the wail necessary to sell the desperate emotion on display around the 2:20 or 4:23 marks of the following clip. That's all I need to know about this. That locks it up for me. Although hearing Pete Townshend describe The Who's version makes me love it even more...

"[It] refers to Meher Baba's one time comment that rain was a blessing from God; that thunder was God's Voice. It's another plea to drown, only this time in the rain. Jimmy goes through a suicide crisis. He surrenders to the inevitable, and you know, you know, when it's over and he goes back to town he'll be going through the same shit, being in the same terrible family situation and so on, but he's moved up a level. He's weak still, but there's a strength in that weakness. He's in danger of maturing."

That "strength in that weakness" line...hits me like a brick to the chest. That's all I can really say about this.

I've had a bit of a day today, and I really needed this. Not rain, not the song necessarily, but that strength. It's gonna take probably every bit of energy I have tonight to force myself to find things to laugh at...I can already feel one of those moods where random sadness is the end result coming on, and it may last until the weekend's over if I'm not super careful. Pretty sure I won't feel fully back to normal until Monday afternoon provided the phone doesn't ring between now and then...I probably should just shut it off until like Tuesday anyway so I can feel like I have some control, but if I do that I'll probably forget to turn it back on until like next Thursday. Funny how that works.

"Only love can bring the rain
that falls like tears from on high."
Lyrics.