Song of the Day - July 3, 2009

With so many celebrities having passed away over the past few days, many of whom I haven't talked of here, it occurred to me to offer this as Song of the Day: People Who Died by the Jim Carroll Band. A punk poet, portrayed by Leonard DiCaprio in Basketball Diaries, says farewell to some people he knew who died of various causes. The punk approach may seem offhanded to you, but has always struck me as appropriate if you think about the whole 'rage against the light' thing. In that way, it becomes a very fitting tribute because it is so full of life. It was probably the first punk song I ever heard, and one of the few that many of my tragically unhip friends knew. Great to pogo to, or just contemplate, it remains one of my favorites to this day.