Jackson Browne wrote “For A Dancer” in memory of a modern dancer friend who died tragically in a fire. When Jackson’s wife, the model Phyllis Major, died suddenly in 1976, “For A Dancer” mysteriously took on a new meaning. “That’s how songs work,” Brown said in an interview. “They migrate into other parts of your life and other experiences.”
Browne eventually played the song at the funerals of two other celebrity friends. And if one listens to the lyrics closely, “For A Dancer” becomes a larger commentary on the intransience of life itself. We cling to it like a thread.
To me, the larger meaning underscores the necessity of using every precious moment wisely. Here’s my cover.
Tom Paxton released "The Last Thing On My Mind" in 1964 on his album, Ramblin' Boy." The inspiration for the song came from Dave...
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://davidgittlin.net/2021/08/03/beauty-of-the-bells/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-gittlin/message
In this song, Cat Stevens is singing to a woman he yearns for in a Human form. On another level, he may be singing,...