John Mellencamp Community

I hesitate to write this, as sometimes songs can never come close to what you feel when major life changes take place, but John's songs have been present for two important moments in my life, for which I would like to thank him for.

First, I was seventeen and Scarecrow had been out for a while. I had not only "rebelled" from my friends in not only listening to to John, but also actively promoting the beauty of that album. From start to finish, that is my favorite album. During that summer, it was beer, laughter and this album. However, as the summer closed, my mother, who had been sick for a since I was five, passed away. The sadness was great and not for this forum. However, one of the good memories is driving back from the funeral in my older brothers car feeling sad and lost, when on the radio came "Minutes to Memories". I cannot say that hearing that song changed my life or made all the sadness disappear, but it did allow me to hear a voice that put into perspective, at least for that moment, what I was feeling and what had happened . . . this is life, and that good or bad, it needs to be savoured as these are the memories that will define a life. In that moment I was more than what was taking place.

Fast forward twenty-two years. My father was diagnosed with stage four cancer. The last, and really only parent I knew, was going to pass on. Tie that in with all the responsibilities that adult life hands you, and needless to say it was a very difficult time. "Life, Death and Love" had come out, I had purchased it as a curiosity as I had not kept up with John in a long time and had read a review that it was a great album, a return to form as it were. During this time, the song "Longest Day" spoke so much to me that I listened to it over and over. The line "sometimes you get sick and don't get better", though harsh at the time, spoke truth about life that I had never at that point thought about. Although I wanted to share the bueaty of the song with my father, I could not given the situation, but for me that will always remind me of that time and my father that I loved.

Long story short, I want to thank John for the gift that he has given me in the songs that he has shared that have spoken to me during two very difficult times in my life.

Now I am 42 and I have tickets to see John in Winnipeg and will likely be the last time I see him play. From 17 to now, John's music has been such a large part of my life, though inadvertently, I am very excited to see this show. I just wanted to share this as sometimes music moves beyond notes and lyrics to truly be a comfort in times of sorrow that lifts up a person. Thank you John.

Terry

thanks for sharing your story, the words and music touches us all in different ways at diferent time in our lives. Some more poignant than others.

I'm glad you are getting to ee this show!

Thanks Terry for sharing your life experiences.  My father passed away last fall after a year long battle with cancer and Longest Days was my daily affirmation of life.  A day didn't go by where I didn't play it and there were tears some days and some days smiles.  There are a lot of songs that John has written that do this for me (Minutes to Memories also being one) but for me Longest Days stands out as my favourite and when I hear it I will always have that association of my father.