You might not like Nick Drake or his song “At The Chime Of A City Clock.”

You may not like the lovely Irish singer, Lisa Hannigan. I’d never heard them together—until today.

It made me cry.

I could go into a lengthy backstory on Nick Drake, how his music has affected me and my songwriting over the years, or how he died at age 26 from a drug overdose from a prescribed antidepressant or how alcohol, drugs, depression and suicide have all touched my life.

I could go into a lengthy analysis of the beautiful tonal qualities of Lisa’s voice, her unique phrasing, her relaxed grace, the breathtaking instrumental accompaniment.

But just listen to the song…

It’s good that I can still be affected by hearing something for the first time that I’m not completely jaded. Being contemplative and practicing non-attachment doesn’t mean we do not feel or do not express those feelings appropriately.

“Only a world without love strikes me as instantly and decisively more terrible than one without music.” ~Kingsley Amis

Eric Vogt practices Buddhist meditation and studies Vajrayana, Soto Zen, & Theravada. He is a musician, drum circle facilitator, Kirtan enthusiast, songwriter, and ASCAP member. He has lived in London, New York City, Chicago, and Cleveland. He enjoys yoga, Tai Chi, reading (real books), quote-mongering (“A smattering of everything, and a knowledge of nothing.” ~Charles Dickens), reverent irreverence, voluntary simplicity, poetry, biking, being walked by my dog, food, especially all things curry.  He likes this quote from Rumi:  “Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field, I will meet you there—but I don’t have GPS, so I might be late…or I might not even find it. And there might be sheep in the field because I understand it’s somewhere in Wales…but anyway, save me a cookie.”

Editor: Anne Clendening

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