Be Calm - fun.
(live, 9.8.09)
…all the treetops turning red
the beggars near bodegas grin at me
I think they want something
I close my eyes, I tell myself to breathe
and be calm.
Be calm.
I know you feel like you are breaking down.
I know that it gets so hard sometimes.
Be calm.
I’ve taken to listening to this song at least twice before leaving the house each day. It’s basically perfect for someone like me - an energetic and rousing song urging calmness; an anxious plea to the animal brain to stay grounded, centered; a seemingly simple exhortation dressed up as an anthemic sing-a-long. And, god, the musicality of it all! The energy of this up-close small crowd performance! The way the song builds itself into itself—piece by interesting, anxious piece—until you’re left with a nearly overwhelming melodic tapestry of words that pushes itself ever onward, propelled by its narrative fuel, its gently loud and loving reminder: BE CALM.
