I loved this song when it first came out, and I thought it would be appropriate to share on the Death & Dying blog. I've always wondered if the song was based on true events, and it turns out that it was.. I've included some of the song's history:
“Wayne Cochran was initially inspired to write ‘Last Kiss’ after having lived near a dangerous highway where several accidents had occurred yearly. This song is about Jeanette Clark and J.L. Hancock, who were both 16 years old when their car hit a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnesville, Georgia. They were on a date a few days before Christmas in 1962. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies did not recognize his own daughter.
‘Last Kiss’ was covered by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The idea to cover ‘Last Kiss’ came about after vocalist Eddie Vedder found an old record of the song at the Fremont Antique Mall in Seattle, Washington. He convinced the rest of the band to try out the song and it was performed a few times on the band's 1998 tour. The band eventually recorded the song at a soundcheck at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. and released it as a 1998 fan club Christmas single. The band spent only a couple thousand dollars mixing the song. Bassist Jeff Ament said, ‘It was the most minimalist recording we've ever done.’
The cover ended up reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This remains Pearl Jam's highest position on the Billboard Hot 100” (Wikipedia).
Wikipedia. "Last Kiss." 3 February 2011. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Kiss.
I think the idea of the last kiss is just like the last goodbye. I think what all of us want most is that when we die or when someone we know dies is that we want to leave it on good terms and say goodbye. I believe that for most people that lose a loved one the guilt is sometimes the worst part of the death. The guilt of the things that they had done to that person and the guilt that they were never truly able to fix what had happened by saying goodbye and being forgiven. This is something I worry about to is that I will lose someone without being able to say what I want to them.
I love this song from Pearl Jam, and I definitely think its appropriate for our class blog. In our textbook it discusses how death and dying can influence music, and I certainly think some of the most touching songs relate to loosing someone too soon. I especially like the line, "She's gone to Heaven, so I got to be good. So I can see my baby when I leave this world." I think this song is very sweet. I particularly like the idea that even though she's not still with him here on earth his love for her will still go on, and they hope to be reunited one day.
I loved this song when it first came out, and I thought it would be appropriate to share on the Death & Dying blog. I've always wondered if the song was based on true events, and it turns out that it was.. I've included some of the song's history:
ReplyDelete“Wayne Cochran was initially inspired to write ‘Last Kiss’ after having lived near a dangerous highway where several accidents had occurred yearly. This song is about Jeanette Clark and J.L. Hancock, who were both 16 years old when their car hit a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnesville, Georgia. They were on a date a few days before Christmas in 1962. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies did not recognize his own daughter.
‘Last Kiss’ was covered by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The idea to cover ‘Last Kiss’ came about after vocalist Eddie Vedder found an old record of the song at the Fremont Antique Mall in Seattle, Washington. He convinced the rest of the band to try out the song and it was performed a few times on the band's 1998 tour. The band eventually recorded the song at a soundcheck at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. and released it as a 1998 fan club Christmas single. The band spent only a couple thousand dollars mixing the song. Bassist Jeff Ament said, ‘It was the most minimalist recording we've ever done.’
The cover ended up reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This remains Pearl Jam's highest position on the Billboard Hot 100” (Wikipedia).
Wikipedia. "Last Kiss." 3 February 2011. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Kiss.
I think the idea of the last kiss is just like the last goodbye. I think what all of us want most is that when we die or when someone we know dies is that we want to leave it on good terms and say goodbye. I believe that for most people that lose a loved one the guilt is sometimes the worst part of the death. The guilt of the things that they had done to that person and the guilt that they were never truly able to fix what had happened by saying goodbye and being forgiven. This is something I worry about to is that I will lose someone without being able to say what I want to them.
ReplyDeleteI love this song from Pearl Jam, and I definitely think its appropriate for our class blog. In our textbook it discusses how death and dying can influence music, and I certainly think some of the most touching songs relate to loosing someone too soon. I especially like the line, "She's gone to Heaven, so I got to be good. So I can see my baby when I leave this world." I think this song is very sweet. I particularly like the idea that even though she's not still with him here on earth his love for her will still go on, and they hope to be reunited one day.
ReplyDelete