Jason Molina - Montgomery
Jason Molina's "Montgomery" Seven years ago it was 2006 and I was 23 years old. I worked at UPS every morning from 4am until 8am unloading freight from trucks and putting them on conveyer belts and then quickly changed clothes to head to my office job from 9am until 6pm doing tech support work. I was supporting a woman I didn't love and on the verge of marrying her because like most of us at that age I was living blindly in the fantasy of what the world expected from me rather than what I wanted from the world. Jason Molina published his song, "Montgomery", that same year and along with "Motor Away" by Guided By Voices was able to save me from what would have likely been a very unhappy and untrue future. I can remember listening to this song endlessly in my bedroom as I tried to hold my relationship and jobs together and being relentlessly inspired to seek out the great and timeless romantic story of "hitting the road", but mostly the happiness that every human being is entitled to at birth. A year later I was driving a tractor trailer around the country with a smile on my face every day. I moved to Ohio and found the best friends I could have ever dreamed existed. I often feel hokey in my passion and love for music, but it has meant more to me than just about anything I can think of. Music is as critical a resource as sunlight and the land that it shines on and like revolving days these songs can and will shine on the hearts of the people below forever. Jason Molina exited this world today. I just wanted thank him for the courage it took to let me hear his voice. The only tragedy I can see is that people like Jason Molina and writers of his ilk can not know how much their voice is and will always be needed here on earth. He may have saved my life in under 2 minutes. Artists are the most important heroes we have.
Jason Molina's "Montgomery" Seven years ago it was 2006 and I was 23 years old. I worked at UPS every morning from 4am until 8am unloading freight from trucks and putting them on conveyer belts and then quickly changed clothes to head to my office job from 9am until 6pm doing tech support work. I was supporting a woman I didn't love and on the verge of marrying her because like most of us at that age I was living blindly in the fantasy of what the world expected from me rather than what I wanted from the world. Jason Molina published his song, "Montgomery", that same year and along with "Motor Away" by Guided By Voices was able to save me from what would have likely been a very unhappy and untrue future. I can remember listening to this song endlessly in my bedroom as I tried to hold my relationship and jobs together and being relentlessly inspired to seek out the great and timeless romantic story of "hitting the road", but mostly the happiness that every human being is entitled to at birth. A year later I was driving a tractor trailer around the country with a smile on my face every day. I moved to Ohio and found the best friends I could have ever dreamed existed. I often feel hokey in my passion and love for music, but it has meant more to me than just about anything I can think of. Music is as critical a resource as sunlight and the land that it shines on and like revolving days these songs can and will shine on the hearts of the people below forever. Jason Molina exited this world today. I just wanted thank him for the courage it took to let me hear his voice. The only tragedy I can see is that people like Jason Molina and writers of his ilk can not know how much their voice is and will always be needed here on earth. He may have saved my life in under 2 minutes. Artists are the most important heroes we have.