Music Day - Invisible Man

After many years of waiting and hoping and wishing and waiting some more, the day has finally arrived in which I can feature the utterly fantastic band Prodigal on Music Day. As longtime readers know, I don't feature songs that aren't available from either iTunes or the band's website because we all know how frustrating it is to hear about this GREAT song or album... and then it's not available anywhere, ever. Back when I started the Music Day posts, I pledged to myself that I would not torment my dear readers in this fashion. However, it has made Music Day maddening, because almost none of the music I like enough to bother featuring is on iTunes. This is the primary reason that Music Day goes on hiatus so often... I simply run out of songs.

But today -- oh happy day! -- my options have widened, however slightly (unfortunately, despite their brilliance and incisive songwriting, Prodigal only made three albums before disbanding).

So here's the first song on the first official album (there are rumours about a previous one under a different name).

Title: Invisible Man
Artist: Prodigal
Album: Prodigal
Year: 1982
Label: Heartland Records
Listen and download from the band's website here.

This song pretty much set the tone for band's career, lyrically. It's the cry of the common man, yearning to mean something to somebody but not succeeding in touching anybody. The protagonist describes himself basically as a wallflower, unassuming, just an ordinary everyday person, but intertwines this description with the lonely and painful reality that if you're not 'special,' nobody even notices you exist. And we need that -- we need that camaraderie, that companionship. Someone to come alongside and encourage us.

This song, I think, is a very accurate representation of what it's like to have depression (I speak from long experience). Those of you with friends or family who have depression -- this is what they are thinking and feeling, every single second of every single day.

With your stare you cut me
But you never see the scar...

Why should someone care for me
When I'm not really there...

At times I think my biggest crime
Was being born alive...