Johnny Nash's career 'Clearly' had more depth than one song - nice read

[malaise]

https://www.chron.com/news/article/Johnny-Nash-s-career-Clearly-had-more-depth-3637089.php
<snip>
Informed by a hard-edged optimism without a whiff of detestable escapism, "I Can See Clearly Now" has an ageless quality that often evades songs that are generally referred to as "happy." That word, in fact, is often misapplied to Johnny Nash's hit song, with a surface-level simplicity that hides an underlying complexity.

It is, as veteran rock critic Robert Christgau once claimed, "the kind of song that can get you through a traffic jam." But it comes to its blue skies through trials.

"I did wonder sometimes about the lines about 'blue skies' and asked myself, 'Is there a blinkered point of view here?' " says Liam Omaonlai, frontman for the Irish folk rock band Hothouse Flowers, one of dozens of acts to have covered the song during the years. "The tone, however, has the blues of generations of resistance and survival in it."

"I Can See Clearly Now" was released 40 years ago this summer.

It wasn't an instant success, because Nash was a difficult act to sell to American radio and its rigid formats. It didn't top the pop charts in the U.S. until October of that year, where it resided for four weeks. It spent more than three months in the Top 40.

[panader0]

1. Only 40 years ago? It seems longer.

Marking to read article later.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Same Here

Was thinking it a high school song. I was out of college >2 years by the summer of '78.

[malaise]

3. Makes me realize I'm ancient

I think I'll change the words when Mueller gets the Con

[dchill]

4. Article must be 6 years old...

The song was released in 1972. It's 46 years old. I'm way older than that!

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Thanks

I could have sworn that was a high school era song for me.

[PatSeg]

10. The article is from 2012

Very interesting read.

[spanone]

5. K&R...

[vsrazdem]

6. Now the same song for a new generation, Grace Vanderwaal on tour this month.

Never posted a link, so don't know if this will work or not.
[link:

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[Mad-in-Mo]

7. It was 1972 --- my second year in college. Vivid recollection of dorm room.

Definitely not 1978.

[malaise]

9. Yes indeed and I know better

Bob was on top of the world by 78.