This is the Wonderful, the uplifting, the emotional charged song,  Mr Brightside, that became more important  to paint once I watched this surprising video:

County Kerry Bar Sings ”Mr Brightside’ to Remember Lost Friend Ger Foley

It was in the last few months of my last and final “job”  that I stumbled on this video. Watching this musical tribute and seeing the camaraderie  brought back memories of the times when I  lived, and worked,  in Northern Wisconsin. It was Up North that I  found a lot of entertainment and friendships in my favorite bars and supper clubs.  Those days are now long gone, but I could not help but drag my co-worker friends (Pat, Kevin, and Matt)  into my office to listen and watch this video. I guess my intention was to share and re-live my past glories, but that did not happen. They watched and it turned out, to my disappointment,  that they were “all wet matches,” (a Mom quote).

Maybe they never drank and sang with friends in a local bar full of  like-minded strangers, or maybe being at work ruins the mood,  Or maybe I over-estimate people’s ability to “see beyond the end of their own noses”. That last “maybe” is a quote from my Mom.  Lastly, and probably the best answer “maybe” my work friends could give a “rats ass” (common phrased used by my Mother), that I valued our friendships.

Then on September 30th months after retiring from “job work” (my first job was while in grade school was I delivering Sunday newspapers in the Ashland Wisconsin winter), I again sent them this video, along with this tweet: “……..the “music” Is what brought us all together. Let us always celebrate the songs of our lifetime.” That move to awaken the walking dead was as silly as their responses.   “I am not going to hold my breath”,  then came to mind, another saying my Mom.   We all moved on to fresh silly bantering.

Obviously friendships have their limits.  Just for “shits and giggles” (must I tell you)  I can see us four friends all in a big white box, with each of us standing in our own secure corners with sarcasm as our only method of communication.  Hey, guy friendships kinda amounts to that level, which than levels off.  Still, I realize that such guy friendships do offer each of us a choice of different  rewards.

Maybe, for me, the real outcome of sharing this video was not to “maybe”  build  deeper connections with three friends, but only to slow the guilt of letting the past fade too quickly away, including losing touch with three valuable friends.

As you can see from this first image, I have taken my color scheme from the video. That tells me a lot about Music’s versatility: A great song can have many meanings, and create different reactions in people. This than is my take on the Music in the form of this artwork inspired by a video: Just “maybe” unlike the video, this painting I call Mr Brightside, that I will dedicate to them,  will break through that “no chance in hell,” (Mom again) wall to eventually build a  stronger and longer lasting connection with my three amigos. …..Silly me.

Scott