it's called "true love will find you in the end" and i'm pretty sure it's the most poignantly hopeful love song in the history of the universe. yes yes, his singing and playing and recordings are, erm, unconventional but if there was ever a test case that a truly great song will shine through any instrumentation, any version, this is it. and that's not to say that his voice/performances/recordings aren't devastatingly beautiful or don't serve the songs or aren't transcendental in their own right, it's just that his albums can come as a bit of a shock to some in a time where almost every modern recording is quantized, compressed and processed beyond recognition. take that, cher!
i've often imagined the following scene. it's set in the future, so put on your 3-d glasses.
INT. SUBURBAN HOME. NIGHT
Our extremely strapping middle-aged hero, RYAN MILLER, is walking down a hallway. As he passes by his daughter's room, he hears muted sobbing. RYAN pauses, knocks gently.
DAUGHTER (O.S.)
(through door)
Go away!
RYAN
Hey you. I just want to come in for a second, ok?
INT. TYPICAL FUTURISTIC TEENAGE GIRL'S ROOM. NIGHT
Clothes strewn about, poster of MADDOX PITT-JOLIE above the bed, astronaut ice cream packets on the floor, GoogleCyber1000 All-Knowing Life Integrator pulses gently in the dim light.
RYAN
Hey hon, what's going on?
DAUGHTER
(through tears)
Nothing dad. I just want to be alone.
RYAN
Ok, but you know you can talk to me if you need to.
DAUGHTER
I know, it's just... I mean, you're like a genius, right?
RYAN
Yes dear, we've been over this. I am totally a genius.
Biggest genius there is.
DAUGHTER
Well, you know that guy I have a crush on? Jeremy Landfill?
He asked Jill Jane Succotash to the space dance!
(breaks into a full-on cry)
RYAN
There there, young daughter of my loins. There there.
Do you have that iPod megamicro that I gave you for your birthday?
DAUGHTER
(still sobbing)
The one with 60 trillion terrabytes on my keychain? Yeah, why?
RYAN
Give it to me, I wanna play you a song.
daniel johnston-true love with find you in the end
true love will find you in the end
you'll find out just who was your friend
don't be sad i know you will
but don't give up until true love will find you in the end
this is a promise with a catch
only if you're looking will it find you
because true love is searching too
but how will it recognize you unless you step out into the light
but don't give up until true love finds you in the end