Why I Cry...

A while back, I heard Ben Gibbard do a cover of "Why I Cry" on a video from the solo tour he did in 2007 (See below). I LOVE his version of the song, but I wish I could find a better quality recording of it. You should really check out this performance. I enjoy watching him play so much... and listening. I think Gibbard's voice was manufactured specifically to accompany an acoustic guitar. The two sound as if they were made for each other.



Yesterday, I found the original version done by the Magnetic Fields. Listening to it gave me that feeling of wanting to do nothing more than crawl into bed with the person you love and cling to them forever. Such sadness evoked by that song. Each note, guitar riff, and vocalization crushing my heart. But it's such a real feeling, one to be experienced, not pushed to the side or overlooked. It's not that surface sad that you know is expected of you so you force yourself to "feel" it, but that deep sort of sad that is undeniable as it penetrates all the way to the bone. I think it perfectly encompasses what it feels like to be left against your will by someone you thought would never be more than an arm's reach away. I recommend it if you want to experience something true and real for about three full minutes.

All the summer days
Where we used to play
Walking hand in hand
Castles in the sand

So you said goodnight
But you meant goodbye
Now our love has died
This is why I cry

From the madding crowd
Pointing up at clouds
Summer turned to fall
Pictures on the wall

So you said goodnight
But you meant goodbye
Now our love has died
This is why I cry