Bob Lind's Message Board

Listen to "Whose is the Funeral" over and over and ask yourself as I do: Is not this brilliant writing more so than that of Dylan or others who are touted so highly? Bob Lind has that insight to look ahead to how others would perceive us and how we would perceive our lives at the end, if we were able to. The thoughts, the environment, the laughter, the tears, the truth and the lies all so profound. It is Humble, insightful, and special. I hope you all take the opportunity to listen to this wonderful song among all the other wonderful songs. I am happy that this treasure has come to light while still others remain to be brought to the surface. The sooner the better!!!! Ed Hackie[/b]

Whose is the Funeral?[

Whose is the funeral they're taking pictures of?
All the sad eyed ladies say he sure could make love...
Dead and departed, a life has been and gone. Whose is the funeral the sun is setting on?

Whose is the funeral the sun is setting on? He was so special now he is dead and gone.

His friends behind him often used to say: If one could love the whole wide world He would have found.... He would have found a way.

Whose is the funeral that's moving through the rain? No kind of wonder but still no kind of shame.
One kind of grief in a million kinds of minds.
So many pictures and oh so many tears. Nothing's been written that can make it clear.

Somebody worries while somebody else is crying. One tells the truth to find that the whole world's been lying.

Whose is the funeral that's waiting by the sea? Whose is the funeral that's doing this to me?
Whose is the funeral that's standing al alone? Is it someone elses' or a vision of my own?

Bonus Track from the Elusive Butterfly CD rerelease!!!!!

As I've blabbed to many already, including Bob, this song made me cry upon first listen. Incredible. Love it. Worth the cost of the whole CD.

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....I went to the river and I stood on the shore. I stood in the twilight of the life I had before....

Rob lets add up all the wonderful songs on all Bob's albums (songs written by him) , add to that the songs available on the website, plus the unrecorded songs we have chronicaled then subtract from 2000 and that will be the songs we have not yet heard!!!!!!! Let's hear them!!! Ed Hackie

I think Bob views this as not being up to scratch but I've got to agree with Ed and Rob about the track, I love it. As a demo it is superb I just can't help imagining the sort of arrangement Jack Nitzsche would have built for it...
Martin

Regarding "Whose is the Funeral".
It is a good thing that Van Gough ,, Monet, Salvadore Dali, and other famous artists didnt destroy their early etchings and I feel the same about Bob Lind's works. Destroying history robs (no pun intended) the appreciative fans of significant works regardless of the circustances of inspiration. Maybe someday Bob will record the many beautiful songs we have chronicalled under the "lost songs" of Bob Lind. That history cannot be relegated simply to the memories of a few. People would line up to purchase a CD of these treasures and you would get us off your back and clamouring for more of your wonderful recent music too. Ed Hackie

Bob and Friends,

I've been as thrilled as everyone here at having Bob's music come alive again. It never really went away, it's just nice that the man behind the music is expresssing himself so eloquently again, both about his past songs and his beautiful new creations. I've been picking up all the new re-releases and have spent a lot of time listening to "The Jack Nitzsche Sessions." I can't fully describe how wonderful it is to have these magical songs available with such pristine sound quality. And, yes, as usual no one has more honest, open, revealing liner notes than Bob. I suppose every artist must decide how much of themselves they are comfortable with revealing, Bob (Lord Byron with Marshall amps) has always delivered emotionally charged songs: specific enough to lay bare much of his heart and mind, yet broad enough so that folks like us plug in the pieces of our own experiences into the overall themes and moods. A case in point is the amazing (previously unreleased) "Whose Is The Funeral." I was happy to see others on this board reacting so positively to this song, we all know how fascinating a great Bob Lind song can be. When listening to "Funeral," the melody and moody rhythms of the music start my mind yearning, pensively dreaming. And then the lyrics (Bob tosses us a clue by describing his friend's supposotion that this is J F K's funeral), these poetic words seem, on one level, to be expressing the feelings we've all felt at friend's funerals: "Whose Is The Funeral that's waiting by the sea/Whose Is The Funeral that's doing this to me/Whose Is The Funeral that's standing all alone/Is it someone else's or a vision of my own." But remember the verse prior to this: "Whose Is The Funeral that's moving through the rain/No kind of wonder but still no kind of shame/One kind of grief in a million kind of minds/So many pictures and oh so many tears/Nothings been written that could make it clear/Somebody worries while somebody else is crying/One tells the truth to find that the whole wide worlds been lying." Poets are those that seek the truth, they are the prophets who announce and articulate the realities of a time in language that resonates powerfully and is timelessly remembered. Rave on Bob Lind! And Bob would reply, "If you say so."

So there Bob!!!! We love your past and present songs. A road to the present and the future begins in the past or there is no road from anywhere to anywhere!!! Ed Hackie

The thing that really gets me is the last line....."is it someone else's or a vision of my own". That takes the song to a whole other level, in my opinion, and then you re-examine all the lines that went before. Oh, the song's anthem-type style and amazing singing don't hurt either!

And these lyrics were supposedly made up on the spot, during the recording? Yes.

And Bob supposedly begged ACE not to include this one on the CD? Yes.

And Bob wanted 'anything but Elusive Butterfly' released as a single, back in the day? Yes.

And artists are the best judge of what will resonate most with the 'common folk'? No.

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....I went to the river and I stood on the shore. I stood in the twilight of the life I had before....

Yeah what if Bob considered "too sappy" or "written during a drug binge" reasons for not releasing Elusive Butterfly? Where would he be? And we would be at a greater loss. As I have said many times there are many beautiful unrecorded and unheard songs like: You're good for me , Salty Blue,The Sea will tell me who I am, and Branch of Dead leaves that if you heard them you would be moved to tears and awe and clamor for more that is for sure. But alas these wonderful songs are eschewed by their marvelous creator. ED

I usually stay away from these threads because I don't want in any way to inhibit the free flow of ideas on topics like this. But once in a while, when facts get bent, it's important that I set the record straight.
Take it easy, Ed. I know what a dedicated fan you are. I'm glad you have strong feelings about my work. But let's not skew the truth here.
I'm not "eschewing" anything. Granted, there are songs I like and songs I don't. But the truth is simpler: I just plain don't remember every song I ever wrote.
I've been doing this job I do for more than 45 years. By my best calculations, I've written over a thousand songs. That's one grand (three zeroes).
How many of those songs can a guy remember?
And even letting the memory factor alone, how many can a guy release to the public?
Choices must be made in what gets released and what doesn't. My newer songs more accurately reflect my feelings and perceptions. So they're the ones I'm excited about.
I'm glad and grateful for anyone who enjoys any of my songs. It's all a rich blessing to me to create something enduring. But how much respect would you have for an artist who let's the sentiments of others determine his preferences?
End of rant.