Thursday, August 24, 2006

1000 Miles Apart

Have you listened to Downhere’s Wide-Eyed and Mystified yet? Have you REALLY listened to it? I haven’t paid attention as well as I should, and here is my case in point.

Last summer, while I was home on maternity leave, Glenn was working hard at putting this album together. I would hear bits and pieces of songs over and over again as Glenn tried to perfect its sound. He played one of their new songs for me, in its raw state, because he thought I’d really like it. The song he played for me 1000 Miles Apart. I like it. I liked the acoustic sound of it. I liked the beat. I liked how the tune stuck in my head. At the time, I thought the reason that I liked it was because of the words 1000 Miles Apart – I listened and thought of my long-distance relationship. I wasn’t paying attention very well. Although there is still a definite connection between this song and my long-distance relationship, I didn’t pick up on the true connection until much later. The album was finally released and I bought my copy and it played in my car stereo for weeks.

I still didn’t get the message of the song.

After the album had been out for a little while, I started reading the reviews. There were quite a number of them, and they were all very encouraging. Then I read either a review or an interview that explained what 1000 Miles Apart was all about.

I can’t believe I missed the point!

The next morning during my drive to work, I queued up #12 on my stereo, cranked up the volume, and listened.

Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I felt so sad and so ashamed.

I’m far from racist, but I still feel full of guilt and shame. How did we become like this? How can we be so cruel? Having a mulatto child, I’m sure this problem will be forced into being a major issue in my life.

So sad. So needless. So maddening.

“Will we ever have eyes to see that from our colours we learn?”

1000 Miles Apart

I wonder when this poison seed made a root and grew a weed
I wonder when I taught my feet not to walk down certain streets
I want to feel what I believe: that we are all the same
It’s not our houses, it’s our hearts 1000 miles apart

You stay there, and I'll stay here, into our corners we disappear
And we don’t ever have to talk, 'cause you like hiphop and I like rock
But sometimes thoughts hurt just as bad as striking cheeks with hands
It’s less our homes and more our hearts 1000 miles apart

When will we have eyes to see?
When will we learn?
Will we ever have eyes to see
That from our colours we learn?

A change of heart, a change of tune, can we forgive each other’s wounds?
Can we cut down this fence of weeds, and neighbors, close as brothers, be?
Cannot love conquer even when we don’t look the same?
'Cause we don’t have to keep our hearts 1000 miles apart

Downhere
Wide-Eyed and Mystified
May 2006

3 comments:

Sherri Lavender said...

You didn't miss the point initially! The song WAS first written from a couple perspective in which one travels. Marc re-wrote the lyrics over and over again until it became a song about racism.

Think of yourself as privileged because you got to hear what is now really a 'demo version' of the song!!

Tracy said...

Thanks for reassuring me once again Sherri that I'm not as dumb as I think I am. :)

I've got to stop crying on the way into work though. It just messes up my makeup something awful! Hehehe

kathryn said...

cry all you want, and bring your makeup along for touch ups! Crying is good. . so cleansing! I found your last 3 posts very touching.

I think that songs can be like paintings. . people will take different impressions from them or have differing feelings, or the song will hit them in a way that speaks to them, as individuals.