“All things move toward their end…”

Very true, Nick.

Very true.

Interesting line though for what is presumably an album of love songs. Not that anything Nick Cave has ever done could be considered traditional love songs through, so why not? Why not? And again, it’s not that it’s an exaggeration of any sort. It’s just not what you expect to hear. Yet it’s perfect for the end of times. It’s just right for World War III. And being that it’s the end of time or the end of days or what not it’s easier to do that recommended thing and love like there’s no tomorrow, because there really may not be. Just the way it is.

Why not?

I’ll stop rambling though. This is a great album and it always has been. Grinding down toward thirty years old if we make 2024 and it’s not lost it’s impact with time.

We’re sitting here in New York City, or the Tri-State Area if you will, staring down the barrel of a long heatwave. Got to get right with my head because there isn’t going to be a lot of physical comfort. Get level or get lost because it’s going to be kind of difficult. Not that I like to bitch and moan about the weather but I admit that I don’t do well in heat. It fucks with my head. The heat definitely brings out my ugly. It comes out my pours with the sweat. No joke. I’m a beat in the heat.

Get level or get lost.

A year ago this week I was in the hospital with my wee health scare. Another twelve months hasn’t really given me any fresh perspective on the experience. It was interesting. There was that one night when I knew that it wasn’t ending with the removal of my appendix. My body was failing and I knew it before the doctors did. The infection had spread and they didn’t believe me at first but how are they to know how many nights I’d spend over the course of my life, living out my own personal biology experiments… chemical experimentation. Toxification. Detoxification. Just fucking around for whatever reason. They wouldn’t have any idea how it had been.

What was it that I said to myself? What was it that I felt? It wasn’t exactly alarm. It was more like…

“Huh. So this is how it’s going to go.”

Maybe the alarm was dulled by heavy doses of painkillers but there was nothing resembling fear. It was just curiosity. It was resignation. There was nothing approximating surprise. Quite the opposite. I had always figured that I’d exit shitting my pants, or in some similar undignified fashion. Of course it could have been all drama in my heavily medicated head. Maybe death wasn’t even close. It sure seemed like it was though. It felt awfully close. It felt awful. There were no foxhole prayers either. Not even an exclamation of “oh jesus christ.” That was what was curious about it. It wasn’t a fight. It was just grim acceptance.

But on the same day this year I celebrated a commitment ceremony with my partner and 499 other couples at Lincoln Center.

Life has some surprises.

The Universe got jokes.

It was a celebration though. I felt it. I couldn’t remember feeling happier. Still can’t. It’s easier to accept happiness when you have done some work and realize that you’ve been the only obstacle to happiness for most of your life. It’s been a long time since there was someone else to blame. What’s not to be happy about? There are things that could be better, but most things have been so much worse, so there is that. I’m just taking it all one day at a time, or I’m trying to. There may be no tomorrow and I’ve never felt that more either. There is some weird shit going on out there and it’s so much bigger than I am. It’s bigger than all of us. We’ve let this bullshit grow and move and now it’s got it’s own gravity and momentum.

Fingers crossed. Pray if you are that sort. Don’t be a part of it. Don’t be a cunt.

Right?

World War III doesn’t look exactly like I thought it might but it’s still a war. There have already been so many casualties. Some of them are still upright and walking and talking.

Strange times.

Troubled times.

Nick Cave had it down. He had it right while most of us were dancing to Shiny Happy People.

You go, Nick.