But you are what you love And not what loves you back

Artist- Jenny Lewis
Song of the day- you are what you love

As I am inching quite closer to having a full 365 day music blog, i've started thinking of all the songs I'd wanna make sure were included. And as I've been playing open mics at one of the only country bars in Chicago lately, I started re listening to this album. If there was only one album in the world that defined me musically it would be Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat. It is the rare instance in my life where I know exactly where I was (silverlake resevoir) and what I was doing (attempting to run around it and failing miserably). But by the time I made it around and back in front of the club Spaceland on my way back home I knew two things for sure: a) I still hate running b) I'd found my music. Thus is my musical origin story that tail spinned into music reviewing, music playing, music writing, and all around music obsession that makes up who I am now. Though I was obsessed with each song on the album from various times, the song writing in today's song is why I fell in love with her music. And it's difficult for a music addict to pick a favorite, but today's song usually leads the pack in this instance. It holds my favorite musical quote of all time. And though the album version is quite fantastic I just found this super early stripped down version that let's the writing shine. I could talk about everything I think the song means but it really does speak for itself: you are what you love and not what loves you back...it's at times a painful but true lesson to remember at least about myself and also sums up my love affair with music. It's quite usually a one sided love affair but in the end I am what I love. To all the things we love and we are, this one's for you.



This is no great illusion
When I'm with you I'm looking for a ghost
Or invisible reasons
To fall out of love and run screaming from our home

Because we live in a house of mirrors
We see our fears and everything
Our songs, faces, and second hand clothes
But more and more we're suffering
Not nobody, not a thousand beers
Will keep us from feeling so all alone

But you are what you love
And not what loves you back
That's why I'm here on your doorstep
Pleading for you to take me back

The phone is a fine invention
It allows me to talk endlessly to you
About nothing disguising my intentions
Which I'm afraid, my friend, are wildly untrue

It's a sleight of hand, a white soul band
The heart attacks I'm convinced I have
Every morning upon waking
To you I'm a symbol or a monument
Your rite of passage to fufillment
But I'm not yours for the taking

But you are what you love
And not what loves you back
So I guess that's why you keep calling me back

I'm fraudulent, a thief at best
A coward who paints a bullshit canvas
Things that will never happen to me
But at arms length, it's Tim who said
I'm good at it, I've mastered it
Avoiding, avoiding everything

But you are what you love, Tim
And not what loves you back
And I'm in love with illusions
So saw me in half
I'm in love with tricks
So pull another rabbit out of your hat