Mrs. Potter's Lulluby
"the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings"

So far, as I am writing this piece, Mrs. Potter's Lulluby has the honor of being my favorite track on "This Desert Life". Just thought I'd start this out by saying that. It has been for quite some time. The moment the low strings play, clapping stops and the count off begins, I brace myself for a hell of a listening experience.

It's sad to think that such a great song is unfairly 'over-shadowed' by all the fuss people made about the song's length. All I kept hearing were comments and sometimes complaints about how long this song was. You mention "Mrs. Potters" and immediately you're greeted with 'oh that's the "long song" right?" Well, enough already, true it clocks in at 7:46 but so what? It's 7:46 minutes of great music, and at times, at least for me, it just seems so short.

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For most Crow fans, the story behind the song is like common knowledge. But for those who don't, well basically it's a song Adam wrote about an actress that he had never met but was so enamored by when he saw a movie she starred in. So eventually, he met the person, they basically hit it off. So, so far, we've got a happy ending to this story.

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The fact that the song is so long, it tends to cover a number of topics, each similarly related to each other. At one level, it's basically a song about infatuation, this is obvious from the choruses when the singer professes his 'imaginary desire' (I burn for you) for this woman. But on a deeper level, it's really about making changes for the better, in every aspect of your life. "There's a piece of Maria in every song that I sing" sort of tells us that writing 'sad music' is really a part of who Adam is..so all you critics out there, stop hasseling the guy ;) No but seriously, what he tries to say is life is sad and can get complicated, but it's not impossible, he then goes further by saying "If you've never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame". Which is so true, I mean in your life you can mope and mope and cry...there's nothing wrong with that, but ultimately, don't let all this sadness get the better of you. Mope and cry, feel better live and learn and then move on.

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On a related theme we have the whole infatuation thing. I'm sure we've all been there before. Sitting down all day dreaming of our crush, building her/him up into the PERFECT person in our eyes. We can keep doing that for the rest of our lives...dream. Or we can do something about it and try to meet the person. That's why I love the lyrics "Well I know I don't know you and you're probably not what you seem." We all get scared some times about meeting our 'infatuations' our 'dream person' because we build them up so much that we are scared they won't live up to our fantasies and all will be ruined. But well that's the chance you will have to take cuz there is always the alternative wherein the person does turn out to everything you imagined her/him to be. So again, it's a choice...sit down and just dream, or do something about it. The line continues "But I'd sure like to find out so why don't you climb down off that movie screen". The character expresses his desire to move on to the next step. Of course we all know how THIS story ended up. Congratulations Mr. Duritz. He was really fortunate. He took a chance to really meet "Mrs. Potter" and you know the rest, so now the song probably has a more solid meaning for the both of them. (upon hearing the song...the real 'mrs. potter' cried, she was really touched...heck who wouldn't be).

Finally you have the last part wherein the narrator describes his life as a whole and how at times it has gotten so bad (in some ways, this is connected with the song "high life"). But then seeing how people around him have faded and crumbled away. He makes the resolution to not end up like everyone else "so I gave up my seat at the bar and headed straight for the door". Again, another triumph.

But wait! There's still another message I get (told you there was a lot) in the final verse wherein out in the desert, the narrator "shouts out these songs against the clang of electric guitars" under a "bowl of stars" (just love the imagery). There's a semi cautionary note wherein he sings "you can see a million miles tonight but you can't get very far". Like anything in life, restraint...stare of into the distance, move on from your problems, but don't lose yourself or things important to you in the process. Don't get TOO caught up in the future and get engrossed about what CAN happen in your life, rather do something to MAKE it happen.

That's basically what life's about. Set your goals, go for it, get hurt, and then get back up and go back on track. Life is full of risks, and pain and difficulty. But that's part of the package we all receive. You'll have to take risks. It will hurt at times, but when you succeed, all the pain you go through will be worth it.