On the road from Perugia to Vasto
Someone read some USA news off their phone
Three killed in Lafayette, Louisiana in a movie theater
Another fucked up day in America
And we looked off to the left at the Adriatic Sea
And with us the Sonic Youth's first record and Bob Marley
And Tenacious D's "The Pick of Destiny"
Beautiful hotel last night and my room looked over the pool
And I say "Good morning" around 11 AM to Marsha and Neil
And now it's late at night in Vasto and from my hotel
I hear cars along the highway and some noise from down below
An Italian wedding, it won't go away
It's like a sauna here, we took a cold jacuzzi
And no airports today, these last few drives have been beautiful
Fields of sunflowers along the way
I picked some Roma tomatoes from a farmer's garden
I ate them in the van and invited a child up on stage
And I sang while I held her little hand
Told her to quit eating sweets, that they were bad for her teeth
Took the gum from her hand and put a piece in my mouth and it was really sweet
And I invited some guys up on stage cause they had ants in their pants
And "This is My First Day and I'm Indian and I Work at a Gas Station"
And they danced and they danced
We played "The Weeping Song" for Nick Cave and his family
The passing of his son has been a daily thing on my mind
Since arriving at Heathrow and my guitarist had told me
Now the cars keep blowing down the highway
And the guys are out at the festival, watching James Blake
But I got a ride back, I would've stuck around if I was still 28
But I'm older now and I can't handle being out that late
And that's an account of my last few days
And oh yeah, I saw a skinny black cat by the sea and I called for him and he dashed away
That's an account of my last few days
And Marsha took photos of us by the sea and we laughed and then we played
That's an account of my last few days
And I made the promoter put the barricades closer to the stage
And that's an account of my last few days
And I've been doing 40 push-ups and 150 sit-ups every single day
And that's an account of my last few days
And we ate cheese pizza late at night in a wine cellar
And we got in our van and we drove away
Today we all had a nice dinner with our driver Francesco
I asked him how many cups of coffee he drinks a day
And he said "Many many many many cappuccinos"
And a group of fans came into the restaurant and their eyes popped out of their heads
I asked them to join us and we all shook their hands
They sat down at the same time, they all said "Wow"
And the waiter explained every type of pasta the restaurant had in great detail
One looked like a bowtie and one looked like a wheel
We all had a nice dinner, me, the band, the fans, and Marsha and Neil
And we all went out to the sea, a rare day off for the band and me
And I went so far out that I could no longer feel the sand under my feet
And I dove down and I touched the bottom and I swam back to the shore
Soaked up the sun and came back to the hotel room red as a lobster
There were a ton of emails, mostly business but there was one that really touched me
That was forwarded to me by Robert, my publicist
From a girl named Tanya, okay I'm gonna read it here in just a minute
"Hi Robert, this is just a thank-you note to Sun Kil Moon after a truly memorable gig in Manchester. I'm hoping you can pass it on. I've never done this before, written a letter to people who I admire before. But having seen you play at the RNC in Manchester last week, I really just want to say thank you. I've loved the sound of your voice, Mark, since the mid-90's. When I first heard 'Grace Cathedral Park' at 17, it really hit me. The tone of your voice, the sadness of your lyrics, and it felt real and honest. Whilst I suppose I've dipped in and out of your music as people tend to do, but the recent years of Sun Kil Moon have pulled me right back in and my car journeys are usually accompanied by one or another of your albums. I've always wanted to see you play live, but I've always heard too late about the few gigs you've played near me, so the Manchester gig was a big deal for me, a type of 'one day I'll get to hear' thoughts you have and hope will happen. I've seen so many of my musical loves in the last 30 years, and you were one of the few outstanding but one of the most important. I also got to share it with my husband, and my baby growing inside of me reacted with lots of kicks and movement, which made it even more personal for me. When I close my eyes at the concert and listen, it's not so much that it took me back, as the music has moved on and is even more honest and raw, I suppose. But your voice was undoubtedly the same, no gimmicks, just the tone which hasn't changed over the years. It was beautiful. That is, the harmonies with the band, the atmospheres you all created, and how it just felt so special throughout. So I just want to say thank you all. It touched my soul and inspired me, as only good music can do. I'm sure you get lots of these messages and they lose their significance for you over time, and if so that's fine. Natural, even. I guess as the years have passed. But in case it lifts your spirits or gives you any form of pride in what you've collectively achieved, I wanted you to know. Thank you
-Tanya from Sheffield, England."
READ MORE ABOUT JESU/SUN KIL MOON
