Sylvie Hill

A mate sent me this video for the skateboarding, and I stayed for the lyrics. Remarkable tune featuring the singer of Reuben and the Dark and his young Big Brother. You can see footage of them in their younger age. The lyrics of “from garden to the grave” and “if you want a hiding place that’s fine with me” are so touching, on top of the weightlessness in carrying the heart of one you love and care for very much that you feel is hardly a burden.

I met the singer one night. One night at a Sadies gig, having a beer, I looked behind me to scan the room and came upon this chap with his long hair and beard in a blue jean shirt. That him? He has an aura about him, gentle eyes, and an inviting smile. Like his wife, they radiate Om and positive energy. A day or so later, I received a free download invite from his record company. He remembered my name, I guess. Kind man and genuine as hell. Or maybe it’s that we’re both Albertan and tied by some cosmic Prairie vibe 😉

This was also my second-last gig of 2020 I went to (before closing it off with Joseph Arthur) and it was powerful as hell. Dude really is magical and extends his family vibe from on stage to make one with the room. Myself, I wasn’t in the best place — needy from another big move, missing my good friends who knew me well, while exhausted by the energy and effort to meet and accept new ones into your life — and my companion that night was tender, kind, gave me space to be moody and also shared with me an honest conversation at the end of the night about how I was feeling, and he taught me one of the biggest lessons lately, which I’m happy to keep applying.

The lesson was rather than stewing in your unmet needs or disappointments envers les autres, it’s to pay more attention to who they are and what they represent rather than imposing upon them what you need and want them to be. I can only imagine this is a quality one would have to show as a Big Brother … and one I hope to bring into my little cat relationship soon, and helping the elderly in the new future.

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“Weightlessness” Reuben and the Dark

That howling wind
That sound you make
Those days a diamonds (?) in the rain
You go out like a flame
The hearts a heavy load, wouldn’t you say?
With the way the world has changed
If you want a hiding place that’s fine with me
And the song no one can sing
And you’re counting on dreams to carry you home
You’re counting on me to carry your love
Carry your love

Courage balanced on a blade
The black and white serenade
Safe from the garden to the grave
All those things that you do to disappear
If you want a hiding place you’ll find one here
And you’re counting on dreams to carry you home
And you’re counting on me to carry your love
And you’re counting on dreams to carry you home
And you’re counting on me to carry your love
Carry your love

(Weightlessness)
On all of the stony cliffs
And the past that has been dangerous
Fearless
Forgiveness

Oh
(Carry you home)
(Oh, weightlessness)
(Carry you home)
(Carry you home)

Fearless
Fate-less
Faultless