It's coming up one of my favourite times of year. April 25th is celebrated in both Australia and New Zealand as Anzac Day. I guess it's akin to your Memorial Day in America. Having been in Defence coming up 13 years now it's a day that has always had a lot of meaning to me. We all have days or events in our lives that have a special meaning for us either good or bad and for me being a music lover there has always been a song that I've associated with particular events in my life. Focus: Songs that have a special meaning for you. Good or Bad. Something that means a lot to you and tells a story of why. Being a Defence member this song from the moment I heard it has always struck as a fitting tribute to those that have laid everything on the line for us.
My dads oldest brother was super fucked up when he got him from Vietnam. He was addicted to heroin and had severe PTSD. My dad took it upon himself to get him to treatment (however good it was in the late 70s) and try to get him on the right path. He doesnt talk about it much and my uncle, while still a bit fucked up, is much better today thanks to my dad. When I played the song Rooster by Alice in Chains for him the first time, he started crying.
I'm a blues guy, so: I have meditated and thought about my spirituality more to this particular song than any other hymn. It's so simple and beautiful. This song is particularly special to me, because I heard it live in my fucking backyard by the original band members. It's also what I listened to on the 17 hour drive after my fiance left me.
This song reminds me of driving around town doing nothing in high school. Sitting in the front seat of my friend's minivan blasting The Cars and doing nothing important.