The 500 - #321 - Pink Moon - Nick Drake

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: # 321

Album Title: Pink Moon

Artist: Nick Drake

Genre: Folk

Recorded: Sound Techniques, London, England

Released: February, 1972

My age at release: 6

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #203 (up 118 places)

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Pink Moon

Horrifically, it was Nick Drake's mother who found his lifeless body on November 25, 1974. He had not left a suicide note. The coroner's verdict of "self-administered, acute amitriptyline poisoning" has been disputed by some, including members of Drake's family. Amitriptyline is a powerful anti-depressant Drake had been prescribed, the side effects of which are punishing.

Near his bed was an unfinished letter to his close friend, Sophia Ryde, and a copy of The Myth Of Sisyphus by French philosopher Albert Camus. The main question discussed in Camus' 1942 book: "Does the realization of the meaninglessness and absurdity of life necessarily require suicide?"

The title of this collection of essays was taken from the tale of Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, this former king was punished by the god Zeus, with the task of eternally pushing a boulder up a hill in the bowels of Hades (Hell)...only to have it roll back to the ground just as it reached the summit. Metaphorically, Sisyphus, for Camus, represents the pointless struggle we all undertake while trying to understand our purpose in, arguably, an absurd and meaningless world.

There was a time during my undergraduate years when I fancied myself a bit of a philosophy buff and even considered pursuing it as a major. Truth be told, I took a single course (The Introduction To Philosophy) in 1986. Like many twenty-something college kids I went through a somewhat insufferable phase when the idea of a philosophy degree seemed highbrow and scholarly. For me, it coincided with a decision to grow a goatee. I briefly considered wearing a sport coat with leather elbow patches. I guess I was tapping into my inner-Camus, searching for some meaning while concurrently adding to the ridiculousness of my existence.

Of the many philosophical ideas we studied in that class, it was the examination of existentialism and absurdity that fascinated me most. Since that time, I have dug a little deeper into the thinking of Camus.  My interest was rekindled by the brilliantly clever animated series Rick and Morty -- a television program well summarized as "a never-ending fart joke wrapped around a nuanced look at nihilism."

Morty, from Rick and Morty, summarizes his philosophy on life

For me, curiosity about existentialism and nihilism is not a morbid preoccupation. The diversion of spotting, questioning and then ridiculing life's absurdities is gratifying. It's why I enjoy the often ludicrous comedy of Monty Python or The Kids In The Hall so much. It's also why Rick and Morty scratches an itch I have for complex, stratified, farce...and fart jokes. Yet, much like the aforementioned Sisyphus and his eternal task, I continue to seek purpose in my own existence.

Sisyphus, doomed to unsuccessfully roll a rock up a hill for eternity.

With a running time of about 28 minutes, Nick Drake's third and final record, Pink Moon, sold only 5,000 copies when released. Drake was, by the time of this recording, a recluse, living at his family home in Warwickshire, England. He had stopped touring and no longer worked with other musicians. Accompanying himself on guitar and piano, he recorded Pink Moon over two midnight sessions with only his producer, John Wood.

After his death, at 26, Drake's music found a wider audience. He has been cited as an influence by well-respected contemporary artists, including, Beck, Kate Bush, Peter Buck, Jeff Tweedy, Lucinda Williams, Paul Weller and Robert Smith, whose band, The Cure, took their name from a lyric in one of Drake's earlier songs.

"Time Has Told Me / You're a rare rare find / A troubled cure / for a troubled mind." 

The collection of songs on Pink Moon are musically and lyrically soft, sparse and simple. His voice is breathy and beautiful and the guitar tones he achieves with his complex fingerpicking style are clean and rich. Some fans see the album as his suicide note because it explores such bleak themes. However, there are also moments of  hope. The title is taken from the first full moon of April, considered an early sign of spring and rebirth. Coincidentally, this year's pink moon lit up the sky the evening I wrote this post.

A pink moon

The album’s last track, From The Morning, contains the hopeful lyric “And now we rise/And we are everywhere,” a phrase which would appear on Drake’s headstone.

Nick Drake's tombstone

I find an element of positivity from this beautiful record. It might be a Camus-esque reflex – searching for meaning behind the absurdity in this talented young man’s death. The educator in me wonders, "what could have been done to make a difference for him?" Can I learn from him and make a difference with someone else?

I will think about him when working with students who are struggling with their own torments – perhaps emotionally, academically or socially. A pink moon shines brightly, but the light comes from a distant sun. I will try to be a sun for others. For whatever the absurdities of this life may be, I know there is meaning when one is there for those in need.