NAME IN STONE

Okay so I know Ryan Gosling's little band is old news, but I still can't get over this song, not to mention the video for it. I am mesmerized by the children's choir dressed in Halloween costumes, the band's Johnny Cash/mid-Nineteenth century western style, and the raw, one-shot cinematography. The embrace of southern American spirit melded with innocence and death is something I am so fascinated by. I would love someday to travel down to the deep south of the States and walk amongst the decomposing, quiet graves of towns that are both untouched and also fundamentally different from the times of war and slavery and agriculture that so defined the South as a people unto themselves. The lonely, introverted leader walks thoughtfully among strangers, always listening, teaching and learning -- touched by this showing of love and fellow artistry more than anyone could ever know. Bringing others together through one's own separation, there's a need for love in the world that is stronger than personal feelings or tragedy -- it's a protest against alienation. Simultaneously a lullaby, a gospel prayer, a farewell, an homage to the dead and a love song. Watching this, I feel I understand something greater than the lyrics could convey; it's quirky, but I think there's honesty and caring hidden there underneath the gimmick of ghosts and ghouls. Maybe.