Thursday, October 7, 2010

José González – Crosses

“If each man or woman could understand that every other human life is as full of sorrows, or joys, or base temptations, of heartaches and of remorse as his own…how much kinder, how much gentler he would be.”

Surely José González had a similar quote in mind for his song and video, “Crosses.”



I love so many of his songs…Teardrops, Down the Line, the Nest, and Down the Hillside, for starters. There is something special about the calm, but urgent repetitiveness of the guitar chords of the song that really makes “Crosses” stand out on the Veneer album. Although the lyrics may have a religion undertone for some, one could also interpret the references to crosses as being the connections and similarities between human beings. The everyday people singing the lyrics in the video, while sitting worn-out from their day, reminds us of similarities we potentially share with others, we quickly dismiss as living lives far too different from our own.

Personally, my variety of friends who come from a plethora of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and financial situations, are a beautiful reminder of this idea. Spending time in their company often results in a celebration of the things we share – worries, regrets, and aspirations, and reflections, rather than a battle of our differences.

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