Glorious Kingdom

Damn.

Ryan Adams writes some good music.

It kills me (with envy) to see someone four years my junior have a song catalog that rivals (and mostly surpasses) those of more "famous" songwriters with many years under their belts.

One of my new, all-time favorite lyrics is from the new release Jacksonville City Nights (his 2nd of three releases slated for this year).

Up there in the clouds
In that glorious kingdom
Tell me there ain't nothing but an easy decline
Can I still smoke cigarettes and have my coffee
Up there in heaven and a bottle of wine

The lyrics bring forth a vivid image of this desperate character longing for answers that he cannot seem to find. For me, it's all captured beautifully in this short passage. Perhaps the subject of the song yearns for these basic "necessities" which he would have where it not for some unknown downturn in his life. It leaves us wanting to learn more about this person while completely understanding (and relating to) his struggle with some of life's greatest questions.

Good music. How can anyone live without it?