Light Years

The National

Happy Thanksgiving — a day of gratitude as I wrap up this deep rabbit hole I went down with The National. Reconnecting with my loved ones — and I’m grateful for my luck to have family on both sides of the tree who love me. It’s something I don’t take for granted. And I’m also remembering those who’ve passed; grandparents on both sides, my aunt, my uncle, my cousin. ♥️💙 ♥️💙 ♥️💙 💙

We should be easy to find. It’s a phrase I’ve grown to love, thanks to this record. I have a tendency to hideaway. Something in my DNA. But since the pandemic, I do find myself stretching and becoming more available — more proactive about reaching out, which makes me happy.

The 16th and final track on I AM EASY TO FIND just kills me. That little piano refrain, the haunting strings and that tragic baritone vocal from Berninger. I don’t know the context of these lyrics — it’s probably a break-up…

But sometimes I like to adopt my own context with certain songs. For me, this track is a metaphor — seeing your child move on to their own independent life. That slow, relentless process. I feel it with Flannery now. Sixteen going on seventeen.

I was always ten feet behind you from the start

Then suddenly light years away. Maybe it feels like light years, but really we’re still hanging like twenty-five or thirty feet behind. 😆

We all need the love of our parents, even as we grow old.

This song LIGHT YEARS has an emotional, cinematic video too. It comes from a longer piece of filmmaking — check out the entire beautiful short film from Mike Mills It’s difficult to get through without weeping. 😭

You were waiting outside for me in the sun
Laying down to soak it all in before we had to run
I was always ten feet behind you from the start
Didn't know you were gone 'til we were in the car

Oh, the glory of it all was lost on me
'Til I saw how hard it'd be to reach you
And I would always be light years, light years away from you
Light years, light years away from you

I thought I saw your mother last weekend, in the park
It could've been anybody, it was after dark
Everyone was lighting up in the shadows alone
You could've been right there next to me, and I'd have never known

Oh, the glory of it all was lost on me
'Til I saw how hard it'd be to reach you
And I would always be light years, light years away from you
Light years, light years away from you
Light years, light years away from you
Light years, light years away from you