The Story Of A Daniel.

I kept hearing this song. I knew I didn’t know the title but there was no doubt in my mind that I knew exactly who it was by. Daniel Johnston.

Johnston is an American singer-songwriter, artist, musician and outsider who seems to collect a certain type of fan. I include myself in that number. I came to Johnston via Cobain, as I imagine a lot of people did. Anything Cobain wore was fraught with intrigue and I remember seeing this stalk-eyed alien t-shirt on him that was saying “Hi, how are you?” and I thought it was great and very little besides.

It was only later that I found out it was the cover art of a Daniel Johnston album of the same name and then I listened to it and it broke my fucking heart.

Now, I hear his song The Story Of The Artist everywhere and it has grated me over a bolognese composed of my own organs. I can’t think of anyone who sounds like they they understand the deep end of human emotions like him. His song is being used to advertise fruit-based devices. I won’t share that here. I will tell you to listen to this song in full: