For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15
Some songs have greater meaning during specific seasons in our lives. I believe my affinity for “Afraid of Everyone” wouldn’t have been what it is if it weren’t for the fact that High Violet was released the month my daughter was born. I have distinct memories singing along to “Anyone’s Ghost” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and her giggling along. But I also remember how “Afraid of Everyone” spoke to me, wrecked me and woke me up to the reality of the intense weight on our shoulders of raising up a child.
“Afraid of Everyone” was a sobering wake-up call for me. That line “I don’t have the drugs to sort it out” was especially poignant. On the flip side, the song was a clear reminder that my wife and I were not alone as newbie parents in feeling the fears, anxieties and excitement that we felt. A complex and beautiful mess of emotions. There was incredible comfort in that. The irony of it all was that by listening intently to the song, I felt that I was intently heard.
“With my kid on my shoulders I try not to hurt anybody I like. But I don't have the drugs to sort.”