A quick remembrance of Daniel Johnston the Austin, Tx songwriter who died yesterday at 58.
He was schizophrenic and suffered from manic depression but that didn’t stop him from recording seventeen full length albums. His music was covered by many artists including Tom Waits and Yo La Tengo. Kurt Cobain was a huge fan and championed Johnston when he was alive.
I remember, back in I think it might have been 1991 or 1992 I was working on an archeological dig that my Dad was running in eastern Nevada. The crew was made up of anthropology students and various misfits who worked as itinerant dig staff around the west. We shared a lot of music on those jobs (back then mostly cassettes). Someone gave me a cassette called Yip/Jump Music by Daniel Johnston. I remember being really struck by the songs and Daniel’s voice. Based on the quality of his voice and the primitive sounding recording I thought he was a child, having no knowledge of him as an artist to that point.
His song from that recording, Don’t let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievances impacted me at my core. It spooked me because I couldn’t imagine a child having access to the kind of words and experiences that would lead to a song like that. It was sad and lonesome but also so generous and hopeful. I listened to it over and over and over until years later the tape wore out. I have gone back to that song so many times in my life and have listened to many of Johnston’s other recordings and every time I do, my heart fills with gratitude for being able to hear the man’s voice, for him to put so much of his inner life out for us to contemplate. What a gift.
I’m so saddened to hear of his passing. Godspeed to a wonderful writer, artist and a generous, if troubled human being.
video link below