James Mack's Weblog

The life of Nick Drake, by most accounts, ended far too early. A purveyor of introspective rock/folk in the late sixties and early seventies, he was intensely shy and self-critical, and seemed to always be just shy of breaking through to success. He died in 1974 due to an overdose of antidepressants he had been prescribed, opening speculation of suicide, despite reports from his friends that he was getting progressivly happier in the weeks before his death. The speculation was fueled, however, by the content of his songwriting, such as these lines from "Fruit Tree":

Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound
It can never flourish
'til its stalk is in the ground

and these from "Pink Moon":

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it's a pink moon

The truth behind his death will likely never be known, but his music has enjoyed a posthumous revival in recent years. Initially featured on a Volkswagen ad, and later part of the Garden State soundtrack, he finally entered popular consciousness. His music is not out of place in today's music scene, and might be likened to more recent singers such as Iron & Wine and Jeff Buckley (who happens to be another similarly premature loss). Perhaps his posthumous success will provide some sort of redemption, but if nothing else, he left us with more than we had the day he was born.

His story also serves to remind me just how precariously I'm often perched between satisfaction with what I've done and the drive to improve upon it. Nick Drake habitually fell upon the darker side of that line, unable to find value in what he had done within his lifetime. I believe a certain amount of dissatisfaction is healthy, but like most attributes, it must be kept in check by finding pride in my accomplishments, whether or not they happen to be perfection.

I'll close with the lyrics of one of Nick Drake's songs which ended up on the Garden State soundtrack. I highly recommend that you try to get yourself a copy of the song itself, because reading the lyrics of a song is like reading half the pages of a book. You get an idea of what's going on, but the experience is incomplete.


Nick Drake - One of These Things First

I could have been a sailor, could have been a cook
A real live lover, could have been a book
I could have been a signpost, could have been a clock
As simple as a kettle, steady as a rock
I could be
Here and now
I would be. I should be
But how?
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.

I could have been your pillar, could have been your door
I could have stayed beside you, could have stayed for more
I could have been your statue
Could have been your friend
A whole long lifetime could have been the end
I could be yours so true
I would be. I should be through and through.
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.

I could have been a whistle, could have been a flute
A real live giver, could have been a boot
I could have been a signpost, could have been a clock
As simple as a kettle steady as a rock
I could even be here
I would be. I should be so near
I could have been
One of these things first
I could have been
One of these things first.