A blog that includes all I have to say about the smiths (including the queen is dead) in that period of time and what it still means to me today.
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Today, thanksgiving, I got up early and put 52 miles on the bike. Sunny and crisp, in the low 50 degrees for most of the ride. Comfortably dressed and feeling a rise in strength and endurance coming over this specific periodization of base training.
Family and I then drove to one of our nearest relatives to have dinner with them. We don't see them often and it is a multi hour drive to get there. Had a wonderful dinner, lots of talking. We were all exhausted but loaded into the car for the long drive home. About an hour into the drive home, I find I am the only one still awake in the vehicle. Hurdling down the highway I have a great sense of responsibility to stay alert and protect me and mines.
I have shuffle playing and a smiths song comes on from the first album. I am sentimental and play the album queen is dead and strangeways from start to finish. I hear so many things in the music and lyrics it is a flood of the past.
I was 16 when I bought the queen is dead. I was 17 when I bought strangeways here we come. I was 18 when I eagerly awaited and bought morrissey's solo life changer, viva hate.
Viewing the timeline of my Morrissey fan life, as others may be different, I thought, wow, what a perfect succession of albums at such a key couple of years of my life. I feel lucky for when these albums came out with the formative and questionable years that they collided with. I'm sure each fan has a specific period of time and albums that cemented something in them. Forever imprinting, to never be taken away.
My wife awoke during strangeways, while I was softly singing away. I looked at her and said, I bought this album when I was 17 and I will probably know these lyrics for the rest of my life. As I softly finished the album by singing I won't share you. It applies today, this zeal I feel, it is my time.
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I will definitely be buying this when it is released