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.
In her brief lifetime cut short by Leukemia, Kate Wolf managed to become a major influence on the folk scene with songs like “Give...
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://davidgittlin.net/2021/12/21/empty-chairs-the-beauty-of-a-broken-heart/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-gittlin/message
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://davidgittlin.net/2022/04/07/the-love-of-my-life/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-gittlin/message