Top Ten Songs of 2011 – #5
Resuming my countdown of my top ten songs of last year, I arrive at a poignant track from Lucinda Williams latest album, Blessed.
Blessed came out early in 2011 and has been somewhat off my radar over the past several months as I listened to other new releases, but today’s SOTD, ‘Copenhagen,’ was an easy call for my top five.
In two simple verses, Williams recalls hearing about the death of her manager, Frank Callari, while on tour in Copenhagen. In the chorus, she imagines what has become of him — what becomes of any of us after death. “You are flecks of light, you are mist,” she sings (with those last words also conveying the double meaning “you are missed”).
Musically, the track is layered with aching slide guitars and a subtly driving rhythm section over which Williams delivers her mournful vocals. Blessed is one of her best sounding albums and this is one of the best sounding tracks on it.
Striking my face and shattering
Covering me in a fine powder and mist
And mixing in with my tears
And I’m 57 but I could be 7 years old,
‘Cause I will never be able
To comprehend the expansiveness
Of what I’ve just learned
But you, have disappeared
You have been released
You are flecks of light
You are mist
Somewhere, spinning round the sun
Circling the moon
Traveling through time
You are mist
Walking through unfamiliar streets
And I’m shaking unfamiliar hands
And I’m hearing unfamiliar laughs
And lovely language I don’t understand
It’s late October in Copenhagen
The skies are grey, the snow is falling
I see my breath outside, I’m freezing
I’m motionless, I’m disbelieving
But you, have disappeared
You have been released
You are flecks of light
You are mist
Somewhere, spinning round the sun
Circling the moon
Traveling through time
You are mist
Meet Me In Montauk 
I wonder what caused her manager to die at 55, as reports only say “natural causes.” I’m sorry, “natural causes” applies to people over 80 in my mind.
Anyway, very touching songs from the melancholy Williams.