John Waters, a quirky cult filmmaker famous for movies like Pink Flamingos and Hairspray, and perhaps the last known wearer of a pencil moustache, had an idea to test his faith in humankind.
He would, at age 68, attempt to hitchhike across America.
The adventure would begin in his hometown of Baltimore and end either with his disappearance en route at the hands of a serial killer, or upon his safe arrival at his apartment in San Francisco, with enough material to write a book about the experience.
Certainly a solid concept, but it didn’t start very promisingly. Twenty minutes in, it started pouring. He was standing in the rain a few blocks from his house, wondering what the hell he was thinking. Still, he persevered.
A couple of days into the mission, in Pennsylvania, a large van passed Waters by on the highway on-ramp. It disappeared into the distance, only to circle back and pick him up. The van was filled with a group of scruffy-looking young people, and as soon as the door opened, Waters knew he had been recognized. Not only were they fans of his work, but they were artists themselves: members and road crew of the indie band known as Here We Go Magic.
The band was touring in support of their just-released 2012 record A Different Ship. Their social media posts went viral (at least, in the indie music and cult film corners of Twitter) and gave Waters’ cross-country project some great PR that he never could have expected.
Eventually, Waters made it to San Francisco, wrote his book (called Carsick) and presumably still holds a soft spot in his heart for the van full of fans who turned around to pick him up that day.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The chord progression is unusual, climbing higher than you think it will, and returning to home base after you think it’s too late.
2. The backup voices singing “so far so good” sound to me – and I can’t really explain why – like Canadian geese calling out as they head south for winter.
3. The production (by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame) gives a feeling of expanse and loneliness; perfect for a solitary trip across a huge country.
Recommended listening activity:
Going for a walk and inventing names for the people you watch driving past.