Probably going to go see Ford lying in state this weekend, if only out of pity. The poor guy was chosen for his bland loyalty and every newscast I’ve seen covering his life has included a shot of him falling down stairs, being impersonated by Chevy Chase, or both. Meanwhile, they practically canonized Reagan this summer. Do you think when Bush dies they’ll replay every line he flubbed?
Ford’s death reminded me of a great song I’ve been meaning to share. It applies more to the way people remember JFK than Ford, but it’s pretty apolitical.
Okkervil River – The President’s Dead (mp3)
Let’s imagine the way, let’s say 30 years in,
How somebody will say, “What you were doing when…?”
On a beautiful day, I was waking up and
I was lying in bed with my girlfriend
And the eggs on the plate, and the bacon hissin’
And the coffee was great, there was spring on the wind.
If you don’t live through a day for the littlest things,
And the littlest ways made you feel you were blessed
If you died right then, well you know you’d be missed,
But there’s no better state to cease to exist.
More year-end music from Salon