And we’ve reached the end of this little experiment of mine, this challenge to not only explore as many artists as possible from multiple genres, but to also document my life for a year in music.  Music has always featured so prominently in my life that this seems as if it would be natural, but it was a decided challenge at times.

In revisiting the entire playlist, the songs at the beginning seems so far removed in places from where I am now that I seldom listen to them; yet, at one point within twelve months, the song was repeating in my skull, on the stereo, on my earbuds.

For my last song, I have chosen an artist who means a great deal to me, Tori Amos.  How could I not end with the woman who has sent me travelling across two countries as I follow her tours – her path?  How could I not choose this song, which is one of my favourites ever written and is half of the story behind the prominent tattoo upon my back? Written for her best friend and her struggles through bipolarity, and referencing the twisted version of Snow White by her writer friend Neil Gaiman, the song builds to a desperate fever pitch, mesmerizing and hypnotic in its plea to not look away.

If there is nothing else to be taken from this blog, and how often I stray into the personal, it is that we must all keep our eyes on those who hurt, those who need us.  Whether it’s a homeless man struggling to survive, or supporting a woman’s right to choose, we are all ultimately one race:  the human race.  This isn’t a story; there is no neat happily ever after.  We have to work for it.

In the right sidebar of the page, I’ve linked to both playlists on YouTube, containing the songs chosen over the year.  I just cleaned up and replaced now removed videos (because YouTube is the bitch of assinine records labels that somehow think they deserve money for music videos being watched).  Take a spin if you like; it’s a strange brew, but I’ve enjoyed it.

“bear claw free fall
a gunner’s view black and blue
shred in ribbons of lithium
blow by blow
her mind cut in sheets
layers deep now unravelling
just keep your eyes on her
keep, don’t look away
and keep your eyes on her horizon
get me neil on the line
no i can’t hold
have him read “snow glass apples”
where nothing is what it seems
“little sis you must crack this”
he says to me
“you must go in again carbon
made only wants to be unmade”
blade to ice it’s
double diamond time…“

Day 365:  Carbon – Tori Amos