Those of you who were listening to music in the Nineties might remember Mike Doughty as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter behind the alternative rock band Soul Coughing. While I knew of the band and had heard a song or two of theirs in passing, I’d honestly never paid much mind to Doughty until I witnessed a live performance of his earlier this year, after which I was so impressed by his latest solo CD, “Golden Delicious”, that I went back and not only got the two solo albums he’d released prior, but I went further back and bought (as in paid actual money for) all three Soul Coughing studio albums.
On record and in person, Doughty’s personable and witty. “Golden Delicious” is primarily loosey-goosey and fun in that laid-back, very New york singer-songwriter way, with the exception of my two favorite songs, the melancholy (at least to my ears) “Wednesday (Contra La Puerta)” and the album’s opener, “Fort Hood”.
It’s probably better for you to read what Mike was thinking about when he wrote the song than to have me explain it (because it would come out sounding like a regurgitation of his words anyway), so check out this blog entry: http://www.mikedoughty.com/blog/archives/000730.html
I’ve listened to this song practically every day for the past two or three months and I still can’t get to the end of it without misting up. Maybe because his lyrics perfectly my feelings about the war. Maybe because he eloquently describes what so many Americans are feeling without hitting you upside the head with rhetoric. Maybe because I look fondly at the innocence I had before going through my own personal war (as so many of us do). Maybe because my baby sister is in the midst of her second tour in the desert. Whatever you think, it’s a powerful song, an equally powerful video (one I almost made my way to the set of before getting sidetracked), and I hope that for those of you previously unaware, it makes you want to check out more of Mike’s music.
Enjoy.
