Holy Longing: Roy Orbison and Eva Cassidy
Continuing the discussion of Holy Longing in pop culture, I will share with you today two great voices (both of whom passed too young) whose songs encapsulate deep longing and fill me with Sehnsucht.
The great Roy Orbison was my father’s favorite singer, and his music frequently filled our home and car. His song “In Dreams” may have been my father’s favorite song. He would play it over and over in one sitting, pointing out the nuances of the music and lyrics to me. Perhaps not surprisingly, I consider it a masterpiece.
Eva Cassidy is a singer who I have encountered only recently, but love. In each of their voices, you can hear the outcry of prayer: of longing and lament and love, like any good psalm. Today’s poetry and art are meant to complement this animus and anima of Sehnsucht song.
