The Tenth of June
- Alex
For some years now, the 10th of June has been an unofficial holiday for me. The tradition dates back to a 1991 song called The Wanted Man, released by a Knoxville
group called The Judybats. I didn't come upon the song until a few years later, but that's beside the point.
It's an odd little song, with melody carried at times by whistle, and by violin. The song introduces us to a stranger, beaten down by the years,
standing at a remote train station. We find out that his name is Jones, and that he comes here once a year, always on the same day.
In the second verse, we find out the why of it. He's on the run from someone, something, and in his hands is a letter from his love:
I am scared, they still search for you. No more contact, it's the best thing to do.
And the kicker:
If I come some year soon, it will be the tenth of June, my love.
Simple as that. For me, the song is about hope, and anticipation. At the dawn of that day, ten-June, anything is possible. It could finally
be the day, the year, where everything becomes perfect again. It's kinda like New Year's Eve, only highly specific. Heh.
As of 1991 it had been ten years for Jones. If she still hasn't come, it's been twenty-three years, by my ghetto math calculations. So tonight,
raise a toast to ol' Jones, and may the 23rd year be the one where hope is rewarded.
What do you think? Drop us a line at webmaster@simpleprop.com and give us some
feedback. Maybe we'll even run your letters in future Gambits. 'The Daily Gambit' is updated every weekday.
