LogFAQs > #956387806

96. Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
from the album Pink Moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgHdUeMHTwc

Key lyrics:
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all

Pink Moon is almost too simple. Other than a brief piano, this short song is nothing more than Nick Drake and an acoustic guitar. At the same time, it feels impenetrable what, exactly, is a pink moon, and does it present a threat or enlightenment? The energy is positive if not quite optimistic; is Drake awaiting this change, or has he blissfully accepted the end? Nick Drake is a complex figure, but what I know for certain is the comfort I find in this piece.

Nick Drake has an unusual warmth in his voice, even as he mumbles through the delivery I cannot parse the first line without checking the lyrics. Though lacking the chamber folk complexities of River Man, Pink Moon still feels like its coming from an alternate timeline. Here, he is a mad prophet who has seen too much from the other side, delivering a message we cannot grasp. And though it is clear he has journeyed to a dark place, there is peace in his company.

That brief piano does a lot of emotional lifting. It is lighter than air, a moment of pure beauty in a song otherwise lost within so many conflicting emotions. At a little over two minutes, Pink Moon is straight to the point and a testament to the value of ordinary folk music. Nick Drake was a man who struggled with direct expression, and Pink Moon reveals how much can be said through the sound of music. No clear words are necessary for Pink Moon to make me feel something enormous.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/