Music, the Southern Cross, and Australia

[valis2]

privatemaladict and I were having a conversation via LJ recently after she posted an entry about music, and how some music only has a "window of opportunity" for you to really enjoy it, and if you hear it at the wrong time in your life you'll be unaffected.

So recently I've been thinking about the song "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Look, I am not a big fan of theirs overall...I own not a single album...but somehow, the week before I left for Australia...actually, just a few days before I left, I heard SC on the radio. I've heard it a billion times before and never been affected.

Then I got to Australia. At the very end of the trip, on Heron Island, I went to a Night Sky presentation, and was standing in the dark amidst an alien landscape listening to a woman lecture about stars and constellations, when she pointed out the Southern Cross.

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way...

And for some reason, the song now gives me this wonderful feeling, and I can recall that moment in the dark, with the splendor of the heavens, and the walk back alone to my little cabin, and the feeling that I was truly an adult, a woman walking the Earth and finding her way among the crash of the waves and the call of the night-birds.

Comments

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

That is beautiful. :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Aw, you're so sweet! Thanks, dahling.

I sent you renfest photos in two emails. I hope they get to you okay. Let me know if you don't get them.

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

And you said you posted nothing good. :)

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

How utterly romantic. I mean that in a good way. ;)

[rickfan37.livejournal.com]

I love CSNY.
But anyway, it's always great when a piece of music evokes such a strong association.

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

That is so cool. I'm going to download that song right now. :)

A similar thing happened to me quite recently with Jack Johnson. I'd heard a few of his songs, and never thought more than "That's nice". Then my b/f burned me one of his albums, which I listened to while driving home after what had been an absolutely wonderful weekend with him. And something just clicked with the words and the music and my mood - it was just so lovely, so peaceful and just... perfect. The funny thing is, I later realised I'd listened to that very same album just a few weeks before when I'd borrowed a whole heap of Mike's CDs. It didn't catch my attention - and now it's one of my favourite CDs.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

But this is the exception, you see, not the rule. ;)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

hee...thank you!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, definitely!

Though it's funny when I am looking over my craft items, and I see one particular thing, and I remember what music I was listening to as I was making it. ;)

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

I think you merely need to post twice as much, and then you'll have really awesome non-fiction -and- fiction. :)

By the way, I love your icon for tLS. Did you make it, have it made for you, steal it blatantly? :) And what sort of music is on this soundtrack, one wonders keenly?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's so sweet! It's awesome when it can embody a mood you're feeling right at that moment.

I've bought CDs before and not listened to them for three years because the first listen was so boring...but then later had them in heavy rotation because they suddenly "spoke" to me.

Heh...two people replied to this entry with Trent icons...are you trying to send me a message? *giggles*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

If I posted twice as much, I'd even annoy myself. ;)

This entry (http://www.livejournal.com/users/valis2/101904.html) has the whole story, and the whole piece of art, about the fabulous fanart I commissioned from ac1d6urn .

Hmm...this entry (http://www.livejournal.com/users/valis2/82008.html) has some, but not all, of the music that will be on the "soundtrack".

Now I feel all embarrassed, like my geek!slip is showing.

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

Better than your freudian slip showing!

Perhaps. ;)

That's some great, hard-driving music. *smiles*

And thank you for showing me the whole art. I'm sure it'll look lovely as a poster. :)

Oh, and don't be embarrassed, geek == cute.

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

I had this icon since I went to the NIN concert, which was what prompted the very comment you mentioned in this post.