Redemption Song - Bob Marley
21 weeks pregnant and wanting lemon ice cream with Millionaire’s Shortbread smashed into it. Why isn’t that a thing?
Oh and Twiglets.
I took this picture a few days ago after I felt Will kick again.
Yeah. I’m pretty excited.
His kicks are still pretty infrequent but are becoming more and more regular and every time I feel that flutter, I have a little conversation with my son.
Telling him that that I’ll take him to watch World Cup matches and that he’s to be an England supporter just like his mama, that I can’t wait to hold him in my arms and smell the top of his head and asking him if he likes whatever happens to be happening at the moment - “You like this song, buddy? Yeah. Tom Morello plays guitar on this and he is amazing.”
I cannot wait to have these conversations in person and see his eyes light up with recognition when he sees me and John.
Understanding, even at such a young age, that we love him and we will always want to hear what he says to say.
Hey Will. It’s Mom.
Daddy and I were talking about music to put on your birth mix - the mix we’ll play in the hospital while Mommy is going through labor and delivering you.
(Sidebar: You make this an easy delivery, kid and there’s $20 in it for you)
We want the music to sound like home so expect Kings of Leon, Amy Winehouse, Nate Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Alabama Shakes, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Fleetwood Mac, Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Al Green and Bruce, Bruce, Bruce - always Bruce.
You’ll listen to a lot of this and so much more during your formative years and when I think about our lives together - I hope they’re filled with concerts, record stores and long car rides with good music playing on the radio.
This is Mommy when she was 17 and learning how to play guitar.
Three things:
Stop laughing. Oh, were you laboring under the misconception that Mommy was ever cool? Nope! Definitely wasn’t!
My bedroom when I was a teenager was aggressively 90s and awesome.
Mommy sucked at guitar. BUT my inability to play music spurred my desire to write about it.
I can’t remember who said it, but I’ve heard that every writer – deep down in his bones – wants to be a musician.
This could not be a more true statement in my case.
Every hairbrush I’ve owned has been a microphone (sorry for ruining literally every single one of your songs, Madonna) and when I discover a sound I really like – the quick tattoo of drums, the slick and sly slide of guitar strings, a bassline with a booming Brazilian bottom – I spend frustrated hours trying to grab onto it – it being as intangible as smoke – and turn it into words.
That’s why Mommy can’t play guitar to save her life but is really fucking good at writing about music.
See the picture of Cameron Crowe and Patrick Fugit just to the right of Mommy? It’s a promo for Almost Famous and a foundational philosophy for my life.
Now, Mommy loves Daddy with all of the madness in her soul but her first love was music.
When I was fifteen, I fell in love.
When I was fifteen, I discovered music. I mean, really discovered it. Big fat basslines that rolled and rumbled in my stomach. Thundering drums which bucked and charged like wild horses through my veins. And the power chord. Always the power chord. Reverberating through every molecule and stripping away the static.
It was a deep, all-consuming and pure adoration from which I’ve never really recovered and I hope the same for you.
Music is the thread that Daddy and I pass between us, creating the tapestry of our life together and now, we get to weave you into it as well.
Here’s to live music and the crackling pop of vinyl. To lullabies and rebel music, poetry and punk rock and everything in between.
Here’s to creating the soundtrack for our lives together.
Oh and since we’re sharing old photographs, here’s Mommy and Daddy senior year of high school and about a decade later at a fundraiser.
We didn’t start dating until 2013 but I’ve known Daddy since like, 1997 and always thought him to be a good man.
Your daddy has always been the most handsome guy in the room and I’m sure you’ll follow in his footsteps.
May you find people in your life who stay, who play and who love you like we always will.
See you soon.
We love you xx
