Wrestle with the darkness.
Rise above the pain and heartache.
Acknowledge the sadness,
push thru to the light.
It's not easy.
But it is necessary.
There is pain, sadness, death, gloom, darkness...
There is joy, sunshine, light, fun, happiness, life...
It's up to us to juggle and navigate the two grand strands as best we can.
The a.m soundtrack - Townes Van Zandt's - "In Pain." (1999). Townes, a great singer-songwriter, a sad, haunted, tortured soul. A life of a "series of drug addictions." Someone once asked Townes, "Why do you write sad songs?" Townes replied: "You don't think life is sad?" Yes. Life is sad. But it's not only sad. Listening to this album is a journey, and a joy of discovery. Townes was a true, American original. Great acoustic guitar playing, sensitive, evocative vocals. Inspiring creativity. You kind of wish it all worked out better for him. He lived, he wrote, he sang, and left a long discography of great music. His life was a long, train-wreck, but the work is inspiring. That's something.