"And just like that it's over; everything that I knew of love; I was a long long way off."
In my honest opinion this is Greg Laswell's only good song, and it's not that good of a song; it just catches a nerve with me.
Laswell, is a PLNU alum, so my previous statement may not be the most supportive of my fellow Sea Lions, but one of the things I'm most particular about is the music I listen to.
According to my iTunes count, I have listened to this son 48 times since I downloaded it in February 2009. Those 48 times doesn't even include all the times I have listened to it on my iPod. So there must be something intriguing about it; even if it's not the best piece of music ever created.
I became acquainted with Laswell, when he came to speak at our annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea my junior year. The link provides the video of the interview and his live performance of this song.
If you know me really well, you know, but perhaps not at the time, I was having the worst bouts of anxiety I had ever, and hopefully will ever experience. Damn estrogen.
The night of the symposium, my dad and I sat in the audience to see Richy Furay of Buffalo Springfield. He was the person we excited to see. Though I had no reason to be anxious I thought my heart was going to explode and I wanted through the entire interview with Laswell and Furay I wanted to run through the theater screaming. I swear I'm not crazy. I'm better now, my body just really hates estrogen.
I had noticed through that time that only thing that calmed me down was music, but not all music. I don't know who accompanied him. All I know is I wasn't a fan of his greasy hair and shirt that looked like long underwear, ugh hipsters. But when the two started playing "How The Day Sounds," I was immediately calmed down.
The next day I downloaded the song, and was a little disappointed it sounded different than the live version. I only listened to it once, and went on with the rest of my busy week, working at the Writer's Symposium, which was always the most stressful week for me in college, more so than finals.
On Friday night of that week, after my favorite Writer's Symposium session to date, Chris Buckley, I had my heart broken, like really broken, the most broken it had ever been. I didn't cry that night. I was too shocked.
The next morning I stayed in bed and listened to my roommates in the living room and waited until they were gone, so I could sneak out and not have to tell them about what had happened the night before.
I got in the car and drove to Target. I have no idea what I needed to go pick up so badly that morning. When I got there, I sat in my parked car listening to this song and cried. The words exposed themselves to me a little more that morning than they had the first time I listened to it. That night I had been focused on the lulling chords of his guitar. But it actually isn't until tonight I can really see how those words mirrored exactly what I was feeling that morning...everything I knew of love, I was a long long way off.
I can listen to this song and not get sucked back to that morning. I went to the Target parking lot today and had no recollection of those memories. But my opinion of Laswell, as well as other singer-songwriters is that they are only truly excelling in their craft if they can create songs that serve in moments like the one I just described.
I just watched the video of the interview again. I had forgotten something that Laswell had said that night. Actually he was quoting Dean Nelson. But he said if you are afraid to share something with your audience, you aren't being truthful. I sincerely believe a story isn't complete without every ounce of feeling the writer is remembering.
So my concluding opinion: Laswell, isn't my favorite, but has at least with one song, performed his duty as a singer-songwriter.
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