The Greatest Song of the 20th Century

I've been vaguely miserable for a few weeks, and the holiday season pushed me further into arctic saturnalia.

But I was giving a nice long run to Portsmouth, NH today and drove back south against the solar glare.

As I pulled into the parking lot, the greatest song of the twentieth century came on the radio, and I was suddenly happy. I rushed into the W and started joking with Billy. I've also lost something of my sense of humor, so Billy seemed downright shocked to see me hamming it up.

"Goo Goo's back!" he squeeled.

And I told him it was because of that damn song.

Everything about the song held meaning for me. The slightly embarassing name of the band, the chantish lyrics, which express not a trace of wit or imagination, but, I would hold, genuine longing and spirit.

The drummer plays with a rough joy that occasionally spills out and threatens to go off rhythm.

The female harmonies, particularly on words like "wall," soar to a near cloying height.

It is the optimism of a time past. For me, as soon as I heard it, I was instantly in the back seat of my mother's Big Bird yellow station wagon, reclining on the pleather seats and watching the green lawns. Not the most peaceful or colorful times, but still, times more peaceful.

I felt myself choking up. Right now, I can barely listen to it. The nerves are raw.

Ah, the old sweet melancholy bliss of the holidays.

So, here it is. The greatest song of the twentienth century, embodying frustration, expectation, blindness, and (perhaps) unconscious insights.