I first heard this song after I bought a Fleetwood Mac cassette for fifty cents from the thrift store. I was about 10 years old at the "ARC Thrift Store" next to that infamous pink building known as "Casa Bonita". At that age, I was a mere co-pilot on the thrifting adventures as I didn't have my own money nor a sense of style, yet (at this point, I was a hardcore tomboy who exclusively wore basketball shorts). So, instead of perusing aisles of colors, patterns, and outfit possibilities; I would spend my time sorting through stacks of CDs, cassettes, and records in that random aisle on the side of the store. On this particular Saturday, as I sifted through dusty piles of forgotten music, I was immediately struck by the cover art of a particular hard cassette case. It was a handsome man flagged by two women and I was struck by the lighting. It immediately reminded me of a painting that I had seen in the "Catholic Youth Center" of my childhood school. Here's a photo. This painting, "Christ at the Column" by Caravaggio, hung humbly above the second-hand couches that lined the walls of the youth center. As I participated in the Bible Studies, I remember being drawn to that painting. Sure, my budding pubescent mind may have been initially drawn to the chiseled Christ (you don't really see that in Catholic school), but I was also enthralled by the lighting; how Christ is shown in full glow, while his persecutors are cast in shadow. Highly metaphorically, sure, but it is also hyper realistic. At that age, I wasn't aware of the names of artists nor the different eras, but I knew that I loved that painting.
So, as I came across the "Gypsy" cassette tape, I was immediately struck. The three characters on the cover were in a vivid battle of light and shadow, like that Caravaggio. I will admit that I bought that cassette merely for the cover art. And since it was only fifty cents, I figured it might be an easy sell to my parents. And I was right, I left that ARC thrift store with a new treasure. I went home, popped that cassette into my "boombox" and I've been enarmored ever since. As a child, I did not digest the lyrics...I mostly just loved the airy harmonies and then Stevie's raspy voice. The song made me feel good and I particularly loved the guitar solo at the very end of the song. It was a song that accompanied me while I danced alone in my bedroom, sang in the shower, and jumped on my trampoline (I used to prop my boombox in my bedroom window so that I could hear it as I played outside). But as an adult, the song is more than just a "feel-good" song, but instead I experience my own revelations and secrets in this song. I've been called a "gypsy" more than once in my life. Other synonyms include: "the free-spirit", "the life of the party", and "the girl who lives on a cloud of fun". I've always been delighted in this aspect of my personality, the ability to see the fun and magic around me. However, there have also been times where this gift has been diminished as being "delusional" or "illogical". I have felt that pressure to squash that freedom, that playfulness, that delight and at times I have succumbed to it. I've tried to button up my act, "grow up", and minimize my delight, but I have found that route of logic to be fruitless, boring, and counterintuitive. I found that living in a perpetual fear of "what ifs” and "worst case scenarios" is merely a desire for control and living doesn't happen in control. Control is fear incarnate and living in fear is both an addiction and a sanctuary for those who pride themselves on being "sensible". Instead of living in fear, I choose to live in flow; to dance and play in the flow of life. Because my existence, my miraculous existence, was meant to delight in the day and to play in this precise moment. I mean, think about it, our miraculous existence came to be from generations and generations of ancestors falling in love at a precise moment, then making love at a precise moment, and then that precise sperm and egg meeting....it's flabbergasting. We have one the lottery of all lotteries.....and you want me to be enslaved by logic and fear. No, thank you. I think my ancestors would be delighted in my playfulness and delight, especially those who have passed on and realized that they took their own lifes too seriously. Fleetwood Mac's song "Gypsy" may be an anthem for all those who are naturally "free-spirited", but I also think it encourages us to get back to "gypsy" that existed in you when you were free...maybe when you were a child. You hear this invitation when Stevie sings, "You see your gypsy" as the "lightning only strikes once, maybe twice". Life is precious. Delight in it. Smile. Dance. Play. And realize that it all ain't that important....all of it, seriously. In a couple generations you will fail to be remembered. And, I know that for some, that is nihilistic and depressing, but I find it freeing. This is your life. This is your story. This is your song to sing and dance to. I hope "you see your gypsy" and smile because "I still see your bright eyes". P.S. Stevie wrote this about herself...feeling that she was losing that gyspy side of her especially after losing her best friend to cancer. In the song, you can hear her grief and longing. And this is something I resonate with more as an adult. That is the beauty of music, it seems to grow with you and open up to you as life continues to flow on. P.S.S. Carvaggio is still one of my favorite painters. And, when I was in the convent, I printed out a copy of "Christ on the Column". The chiseled Christ rested in the folds of my "Divine Office" book. Yes, Nuns love a hot Jesus too.
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AuthorBrianna is a proud native of West Denver and she is an avid admirer of the arts. Her admiration of the arts is centered around her draw toward the beautiful and good of everyday life. Brianna finds beauty in a well-worn book, in the eclectic colors and textures of a thrift store find, and in the sound of a killer guitar solo whether it be live or through a well thought out Spotify playlist. Her passions are varied and many, but they all center on appreciating the fullness of life. Archives
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