This is a weird assignment. It feels self righteous, a trait that I’ve tried to extricate from my personality. Also, there must be thousands of songs that I think are so good, that everyone should listen to it. Nonetheless, sometimes I do as I’m told. I am selecting a great contribution from John Cale, “Do not go Gentle into that Good night”.
I’ve mentioned this song on this blog previously – as part of my eulogy to Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen – You Want it Darker – and probably will again and again. I love this song for many reasons, and will list some here.
- It communicates a link between classical music, the avant-garde, and rock music.
- It unites two Welsh men, the powerful poetry of Dylan Thomas and the dramatic music of John Cale.
- It a great message for people to work hard at living a great life. You only get one chance. I wrote about this previously.
- Most importantly, just enjoy the damn thing.
If you enjoy this track, try the entire album Words for the Dying.
