I had a seizure one night, when I was a teenager, on the front step of Store 24 on Thayer Street in Providence. I was talking to my friend Mark and drinking a Coke, watching cars drive by, and then I was looking up at Mark’s face in the glaring fluorescent light and Thayer Street was sideways. “What happened?” he asked me. I didn’t say anything, ’cause I didn’t know exactly and ’cause I was busy feeling the sticky fluid on my face and in my hair. I hoped that I’d cracked my head on the cement step and that the sticky fluid was nice, dramatic blood, but my Coke can was empty and Mark wasn’t looking at me as if I was covered in blood, so I figured I’d not only embarrassed myself by having a seizure in public but also poured an entire can of soda on my own face. Swell.
“Lazy Eye” thinks this is a pertinent moment. It then goes on to describe ways in which our brains spend time in other places and the embarrassing frustrations that can cause us. Another eye in another place, out of this world, can set off our balance and poke little holes in the beautiful masks we wear in public. We make these masks out of psychological glitter and glue, ’cause we think we can fool people, or maybe we got our feelings hurt one too many times, and a thoughtfully constructed persona starts to seem important. They’ll think I’m so cool! But friends, lovers and well-wishers whose hearts are not made of stone always seem to be around when our weirdnesses shine through the eye holes like so much bright light.
Love,
Kristin
Find this song and all my recent work, in multiple formats – including lossless, free for download on my CASH Music pages. Information on how you can support my work by becoming a subscriber is here.
50FOOTWAVE
books
Kristin Hersh
Paradoxical Undressing
Throwing Muses
Great demo and great essay too. I love the description of the Lazy Eye. My 6 year old son has had a lot of criticism all year at school for being a “dreamer” – not concentrating, not paying attention, etc, etc. I bought a book recently about dreamer children, and have come to realise he is just like me and that he will be fine,
Not only that but it’s a beautiful thing to be blessed with – imagination, creativity, no boundaries to where the mind may go. Ok it’s scary at times but it’s good to question and learn things and be yourself.
The whole “They’ll think I’m cool” really struck a chord, as I never felt as if I “fitted in” and I think my son sometimes feels that way too. So, I’m encouraging him to be himself and highlighting his beautiful nature, and then he’ll have the right friends around at the right times, just as I have now.
Thanks Kristin
x
I really love it, it has an awesome night time sound and I love night noises. btw beautiful art work that comes with the track.
I go on listening and listening again and again.
I love the shiny colors, their depth, the rythmic changes, etc.
They allow me to appreciate my own “intervals”…
Thank you!!!
DAMN this song is awesome. I can feel it all the way through me. I love all of your stuff but this one totally made my day. The guitars give me a feeling like I’m facing some crazy unstoppable demon storm and I’m playing that guitar for my life.
ah, store 24. how many hours did i waste up there when i was a teenager.
Hi
This song it ripples through my veins and then explodes
Looking forward to seeing you tonight in Cork Ireland
James
Great stuff, keep it coming. Big fan.