I bet you’ll die with a smile. I wish I could see it.
But I know I’ll die first because, seeing what you’ve been through your whole life, you must be immortal and indestructible.
Your guitar is an instrument that connects your brain to your heart and soul.
Or is it all the way around?
And you transmit all your feelings with your fingers.
And if you add the correct lyrics. You’ll incite a riot.
And your lyrics and riffs will echo in my bones.
Love gone bad, cheating, mistrust, lies, suffering, double crossings, deception, and abandonment.
We can find all devastating adjectives in your lyrics. And yet we believe you because we know you’re an expert. You have been the cause and the effect of all those feelings.
You’re an authentic, soulful blues man. You borrow alien sentiments and affections.
You instigate young and old minds with messages of rebellion and mutiny.
You twist and wring love and devotion and turn them into evil provocations.
Beautiful music inspired by a black sound that the masses had ignored for decades.
Exporting it back to the blind ears of America. Transformed into ‘devil’s music.’
Your image is a symbol of revolt and anarchy affecting generations.
And for decades, you fooled us because you were a humble and sincere human being.
The man was so gentle that, without a doubt could be called a gentleman.
Like all good brothers, great artists, and great bands whose members had contrasting egos, you fought with your own.
But now, we know it’s all good.
All blues and sad music had to come from misery, anguish, and desolation. But you never suffered; you were always having a great time. So you convinced me I was wrong.
How could you create such music without living a miserable life or going through hell?
You had to scrape the shit right off your shoes with your overloaded acoustics to create a devil full of sympathy.
You were always trouble, it seemed. A Houdini in reverse. Never wanting to disappear.
A consummate monkey reaching for coconuts can also fall from a palm tree and end up like a pirate with a broken skull.
Never a dull moment, indeed.
The End
Lines inspired after watching “Under The Influence.” About the life of Keith Richards.
Edmundo Barraza
Lancaster, Ca. Dec-19-2015
A man who has definitely lived life to the fullest.
LikeLike
You’re so right, Jerry.
LikeLike
A great artist!!!
LikeLike