
Just when I think I couldn’t admire Dave Grohl any more, he goes and writes the ten songs on the new Foo Fighters album But Here We Are, which was released last week.
I haven’t listened to anything else since.
Another masterpiece born through grief that spans the spectrum of feelings, from rage to sorrow to heartache to anguish to regret to sadness to joy.
Authentically honest, But Here We Are is a lyrical and musical treasure where the band lays it all out , no holds barred, with Grohl on lead vocals, guitar, and drums, Nate Mendel on bass and backing vocals, Chris Shiflett on guitar and backing vocals, Pat Smear on guitar, and Rami Jaffee on keyboards.
From the band’s website:
https://shop.foofighters.com/products/but-here-we-are-lp-white
I immediately sensed the influence and legacy of both Grohl’s mother, Virginia, who passed away last August, and drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away in March 2022 in every single lyric.
A testament to the human condition, the album reminds us of the impermanence of everything around us. We that we have all been there. We are more alike than we are different, that we all suffer regardless of our station in life, and those we lose will always be with us.
But here we are.
We have been tricked by states of haze without being able to discern what’s real and what’s an illusion while the puppetmaster of life pulls string after string of heartache, and when we cannot take any more, he pulls even harder and we shriek even louder.
But here we are.
We are still standing, still living, and still loving. We have collectively endured when we most wanted to give up, crawling through life’s muck and rising from our elbows to our feet.
But here we are.
We are still trucking, still learning, and still breathing. Defeat is not in our cards. We have screamed in the face of tragedy, escaped the clutches of collapse, and slayed our demons.
But here we are.
We rise to the plate and accept what is and are wiser and stronger than our yesterday, but not as wise and strong as we’ll be tomorrow.
But here we are.
We tunneled through never-ending storms and endless darkness to bask in the light, scarred yet triumphant while letting the tears stream from our eyes. We scream and sigh, whisper and weep, giggle and gasp, carry and cower.
But here we are.
The album is medicine for my soul, and my words do not do it justice. You have to experience it yourself, and trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite song from the album because each resonates with me in its own way with different ghosts sending their own unique shivers up and down my spine as the tracks shift from one to the next.
The song “Show Me How” features Grohl’s daughter, Violet, accompanying him on vocals and it is hauntingly beautiful, the combination of each of their distinctive voices just perfection. Violet’s voice taking over the song at the end is particularly poignant, symbolic of her now aggrandized role as a female Grohl by blood. It’s her turn now, and just like her grandmother, she’ll take care of everything.
The members of Foo Fighters are famous.
I, however, am not.
But we share an affinity for coping and grieving through writing and creating, through putting our vulnerability out there and being as genuine as possible as we find our singular place in our collective world amongst others who are also coping and grieving and just as vulnerable.
But here we are.
I’ve been searching for a long time for my mantra, and I have finally found it, thanks to Dave and Chris and Pat and Nate and Rami. It’s four simple words:
But here I am.
Thank you, Foo Fighters. Thank you.
Thank you for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you are here.
With light and love,
Jill
“But Here We Are” was posted on jillocone.com on June 6, 2023. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not endorsed or compensated in any manner by any entity; views do not represent any of my employers. Copyright 2023, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved. Contact jillocone@gmail.com with reposting, licensing, and publishing inquiries.