Broken Lungs: George Tabb and Thrice

"A fire burns beneath Manhattan
Still we breathe with broken lungs
We act like none of this matters
Is that what we meant, when we said that we’d sing what must be sung?"
- Broken Lungs by Thrice

I have a coworker from New York who currently resides in Connecticut. Willow comes out on business and we catch up on the smoke dock during the day (being the only two smokers in our department).

One day, at a happy hour after work in her honor, we were out talking over a cigarette or two (like we do) and she said, "You remind me of my friend George. I'm going to send you his book." So she did. And she sent me his second as well...at the same time...as well as two the Who albums that had come up in conversations...but that's just too much for one post... =)

Anyway, I was in the middle of another book at the time, but it was one that required a lot of my attention. So, it was 8:00, too early for bed and too late for getting crazy on a weeknight...so I grabbed George Tabb's Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows in Greenwich. And I read it. Cover to cover. In one night. All 162 pages. And I'm no reader...

It was fantastic. Here is an excerpt from my email to Willow the following day at work:

"I loved the first book by George. I really related to a lot of it (without the abusive history part), but the embarrassment and being the shrimp while trying to stand up for yourself was very similar. I read it cover to cover last night. Didn’t plan on it. Just couldn’t put it down.

Thanks again for the package. I’m looking forward to book two. I’ll probably get to it next week sometime. Then you have to tell me more stories about George and we have to talk about the Who albums. =)"

That about sums it up. Obviously, I recommend purchasing Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows in Greenwich by George Tabb. (Read this far and still don't know who George Tabb is?)

This is where it becomes interesting...

I bought Thrice's Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV the week before. I really, really enjoyed the song Broken Lungs and decided to look up the lyrics.

A week later, I was reading George Tabb's book with an introduction written by John Strausbaugh. Which included information contained in the following video:



Yeah...remember me saying music tastes are primarily social? Here's the video for Broken Lungs:



What are the chances that two coworkers from halfway across the country would (unknowingly) share stories of broken lungs over cigarettes? Life is fantastic sometimes...and ironically cruel.

And I haven't even gotten into George's music or music history...or John Strausbaugh's books...how I was turned on to Thrice's music/other examples of them...or those two Who albums that Willow sent!!...or the fact that I watched Alex Jones' Martial Law 9-11: Rise of the Police State a few days after I read the book...or the Gogol Bordello/Everything Is Illuminated coincidence that started this whole thing...

Point is, if you don't think music is a part of everyday life...I don't know what will convince you.

I'll look into writing and developing more off of this post this week. For now, enjoy Broken Lungs by Thrice and read about George. If you only click on one link in this article, better make it this one:

9/11 Disease: Please Help George Tabb

I'll leave you with one of my favorite Nostradamus quatrains (translation and analysis by Erika Cheetham in 1973):

"Earthshaking fire from the center of the earth will cause tremors around the New City. Two great rocks will war for a long time, then Arethusa will redden a new river.

Attack on New York?

An explosion in the center of the city of New York making the land tremble, or could tour here mean towers or skyscrapers? The two great rocks are the immutable great powers who will eventually open war. Ingenious commentators interpret Arethusa as coming from Ares, God of War, and U.S.A. The new river is presumably blood."

Thanks for listening...