If We Were Vampires by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Over the years, there have been two primary sources that I have relied upon to keep you up to date with what is current in music-Rolling Stone magazine and the public radio station out of Minnesota, The Current. One of my favorite activities when I have some spare time is perusing The Current's "End Of the Year" top songs list or random listener favorite lists for a particular period which leads to the discovery of a wealth of great new music for my ears. From one particular scavenger hunt while living in Beijing, I found this song, charting rather high on the listeners' list.
I had never listened to Isbell's music before, but I was aware of some acclaim attached to his name. The title of the song jumped out at me too and before cuing it up, I was perplexed as to why this song was so high on the list, as I assumed it was a novelty song drifting along the re-boom of vampire pop culture. So, I listened to the song with curiosity and middling expectations.
There's not many songs that have produced tears on the first listen for me-upon further consideration, it may only be this one. The great bluesman Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for becoming a master practitioner; I'm not accusing Isbell of dabbling in the dark arts, but wow, to write something this extraordinary seems like mystic forces have to be at work.
I adore this song so much, I'm including two versions--the one you see up top, performed in harmony with his wife Amanda Shires who Isbell has credited to saving himself from alcoholism. The second version, attached here, provides the lyrical accompaniment.
One final note--if you've been following along, you'll recall John Prine was the artist from the year 1999 and I threw flowers at his feet for his stunning songwriting. It turns out Prine was a mentor for Isbell, who wrote a fine obituary upon Prine's passing. I love it when sublime talents connect.
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