Shining Down My Angry Star

Wilco “Bull Black Nova”

This is either the best or the worst song to hear when you are consumed with a desire to beat the hell out of someone who has deliberately hurt someone you love, and there is virtually nothing you can do about it. I’m not sure. On one hand, it heightens this feeling of excruciating tension, and even when it purges that negative energy at the end, it offers very little relief. It leaves you feeling sick, thwarted, and powerless. Awful, awful, awful. On the other hand, the song conveys grief, and not anger — it’s about the paranoia and guilt that comes after doing something horrible. It’s a reminder of why violence is almost always a terrible option — it’s too easy to lose control, to go to far, and become far worse than the person that you hate. If you have a conscience, “Bull Black Nova” will punch you in the gut. It’s the worst case scenario, the nightmare that keeps you from ever crossing a line. Even if you’re entertaining a violent fantasy, you never want to be the guy in this song.

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