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about
On its face, this song is about death. My grandmother, Anita Mednis, left the mortal plane on December 6, 2023, and it has rattled my surviving family as we all deal with the passing of a matriarch in our own way. This song is a homage to her. It is a folk song in English with Latvian roots, recorded with vocals and kokle.
As I reflect on my grandmother's life and death, I've been thinking about how many of us are determined to leave our mark and our legacy so that we are not forgotten about when we, too, eventually pass on. However, we can't force anyone to remember us, and we can't guarantee that the choices we made in our lives will have a lasting impact.
The refrain "no matter what you say or what you do, billions of people will live and die without ever having heard of you" is nihilistic, in a sense, but it is also a call for us to focus our life force on sharing, collaborating, teaching, and forming true connections with each other. Too many of us are caught up in being popular, famous, and "the best" at what we do. We chase awards, accolades, wealth and prosperity. (this is not to look down on anyone - I crave the very same things, too) we get desperate to maintain relevance when we've left the room, knowing one day we'll leave it for the last time. But in her death, I'm not reflecting on my grandmother's social position or whether she met famous people or won awards. I'm thinking of the lessons she taught me, like how to chop vegetables and how to learn to play a song (by playing it slowly, in rhythm, until you can get to tempo). I remember how she made me read Latvian books out loud to practice and how she would offer me a glass of white wine every time I came home during the summer I lived with her in Latvia.
With death comes rebirth. Matter cannot be created or destroyed - it moves. The cycle continues. We grieve, we cry on each others' shoulders, we give our eulogies and play our songs for each other to channel the pain. I hope that, maybe, this song gives you some space to reflect and pay tribute to those who you have lost as well.
with love,
Lari (mother mushroom)
lyrics
the river is a caulron full of misty mysteries
the fog settles as I lift the veil
I gaze into the dark and look into your eyes
I present you with a promise and a sacrifice
the flowers in the yard must wait for months to bloom
the creatures of the night bask in the light of the waxing moon
even the dark and cold promise a rennaisance
after hibernation, we charge out all at once
and no matter what you say or what you do,
billions of people will live and die without ever having heard of you
but in the coming days, after you've passed through,
when your son describes the fullness of your spirit, there's not a dry eye in the room
and no matter what you say or what you do,
billions of people will live and die without ever having heard of you
but as the world turns on, your energy will move
every weekend, your granddaughter throws a party and feels your presence in the room
credits
released January 30, 2024
written, recorded and produced by Lari Mednis
field recording by Lari Mednis
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