Remembering 9/11

The significance of the date September 11, 2001 needs no explanation. Every American remembers where they were, what they were doing and what they saw either in person or on the television. It is burned in our collective memories....as well it should be. We will never forget what happened. Our collective hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who lost their lives on that day and all of those who continue to suffer from the after effects whether they be physical or mental. And I would also like to thank all of our brave service men and women who serve in our armed forces. Regardless of what your stance is on the wars we fight overseas, these people are putting their lives on the line for you and your country and deserve our love and respect.

Ok, hopping off the soap box and coming back to a topic that is a focus of this blog: music. Music, along with smell, probably has the strongest memory association with events, places, times, etc. in our past. Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American (originally titled Bleed American, changed to self-titled post-9/11 and then back to Bleed American in 2008) and Jeff Buckley's Grace will forever be associated with 9/11 in my mind. In the days following the attacks, I was spending a lot of time with my friends in NYC. I remember one night, one of my roommates at the time, Dave, and I were hanging out in our apartment drinking beers and talking until the wee hours of the morning. We listened to those two albums and for whatever reason, they really hit us hard. Specifically, the lyrics to the songs "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley and "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World. I remember calling my mom in a drunken stupor at like 3am and playing both for her over the phone. I don't expect these songs to have the same significance for anyone reading this that they hold for me, but if you take the time to listen to the lyrics, then I think you'll really understand why I think both songs are appropriate to listen to on a day of remembrance like this. Listen/watch "Hallelujah" here and listen to "Hear You Me" here.