Obadiah Parker

I recently started listening to Obadiah Parker again; recently as in on the way to work yesterday, and on the way home in wee hours of this morning. He falls into the category of folk/soul and I absolutely adore his voice.

When he sings he’s committed to the song, it’s not merely a recitation of words on a page but rather swelling emotion. He sings a cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, and it sounds like a completely different song. He slows it down and removes the overzealous beat.

Each of his songs invokes this sense of yearning that is inescapable. The melodies are enchanting. “Kimberlina” is a great example. The lyrics alone are pure poetry:

I met her below Yosemite, just south of the sky
At the foot of a piano, just before we said goodbye
I would live my life between the desert and the pine
If I could drive forever down Highway 99

From Kimberlina, California
Fourteen hours to Marion, Virginia

Chasing a fire on the horizon that burns above my home
Watching dawn ignite around me, I’m alive in the gloam
I would live my life between the sugar and the pine
If I could drive forever down Highway 99

From Kimberlina, California
Fourteen hours to same old Arizona
Kimberlina I wish that I’d not left her so quickly

On a side note, I obviously failed to post yesterday. There are myriad of excuses that I could use, but I’ll have none of them. Expect two posts on Sunday.