My Baby Boy

Album artwork by Anna Dubinsky | theAngelcy Exit Inside (2014)

The first time I heard “My Baby Boy” (2014), I loved the melody and the arrangement, but it was the lyrics that unsettled something in me and moved me every time I heard the song. They made me sad the way a good movie or book can. When I listen to the song today, it still sounds sad, but it’s a different sadness: the words no longer tell the story of a fictional character – they now erupt from my own mouth in a scream. Sometimes art takes a step toward reality, but there are other times when it’s lousy reality that insists on moving you closer to the art.

Intro translated by Jessica Cohen

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Housekeeping Note:

As requested by readers, my narration of the story in English is followed by a bonus recording in Hebrew. This week, I'm reading Yehonatan Geffen's poem, ״Too Close״.