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Darkness at the Edge of Being
I sometimes turn to song titles and lines from famous pop songs for inspiration. In this case it started off with a Bruce Springsteen song, Darkness at the Edge of Town. Starting from there, I wrote a sad song. So people tell me. I also managed to place it into a genre nowhere land: it has the simplicity of a pop song. However, it comes in classical disguise with only a piano and string accompaniment. For a classical musician, its simple structure is a flaw; for the average pop music consumer, the overall sound is too classical and stern. Commercially, a pretty depressing combination, I must admit.
It took me some time to find a visualization for the music and the lyrics. I finally turned to an experience of my earlier years:
In the 1980s I did an internship at a psychiatric hospital. I attended to people from all walks of life. What they all had in common was... How shall I phrase this? That they fell off the cliff at some point in their lives. For different reasons. Everybody had their own story. During that internship I learned that it can get you at any time: maybe you were born with a genetic baggage, perhaps it was triggered during childhood, some bad experiences as an adult, or loss of purpose when you are a retiree.
What I also learned: it seems that not every person possesses his or her own habits of depression management. Some work it off in the gym. Others take long walks and hibernate for some days. For me it has always been music and literature that helped. Finally, most people get along with a little help from their friends. But for some of us and at some point in life, the last resort is professional help and medication.
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