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The Time a Maniac Summed Up Gratitude For Me
A song triggered by a Thanks/Giving prompt
To be totally honest with you (and myself), I’ve never been the most thankful person. My personality has always leaned more toward cynical than grateful. I don’t say that with any pride, as it’s certainly not a great trait to have. Maybe it’s a subconscious defense mechanism, maybe it’s a product of my environment, and maybe I’m just naturally a jackass. Whatever the case, it’s certainly part of the reason Thanksgiving is one of my least favorite holidays.
Given all that, I was surprised that when I read the Thanks/Giving Song Challenge from Pierce McIntyre, a song immediately came to mind. What will surprise some of you is that it’s not a Springsteen song, though it really shouldn’t; in all of his vast catalogue there really aren’t many songs about being thankful. Maybe he’s a cynic like me.
The song that I most associate with thankfulness, gratitude, and any other synonym you can think of is Natalie Merchant’s “Kind and Generous.” I’ve written before about my love for her music both as a member of 10,000 Maniacs and as a solo artist. Here’s my favorite version it:
