Like A Ghost In My Mind

First Aid Kit “Emmylou”

This is the kind of love song that totally kills me. Klara Söderberg sings the verses with a stoic tone, addressing her faults and troubles with clear eyes, and generally setting up the reasons why she’d want to have a partner. The chorus is an offer, put in the terms of classic country music: “I’ll be your Emmylou and I’ll be your June / if you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny too.” She sings this part with a degree of sweetness and vulnerability that chokes me up in a huge way. I think part of it is because it’s so earnest and direct, and this kind of sentiment can be weirdly difficult to express, at least if you have trouble letting your guard down. But she’s singing about a sort of connection and partnership pretty much everyone wants, and she’s singing about it from the perspective of someone who wants it very badly.

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