Elegy To Paul Kantner

Author: siggy

This is an elegy to Paul Kantner, who died yesterday. He co-founded Jefferson Airplane. His most memorable song he wrote for them was “Crown Of Creation”. I still remember seeing Jefferson Airplane in 1970 at the Shore. And when they did that song I moved and sat down in the aisle to hear it. I strongly identified with some of the words of that song: ‘you are the crown of creation, and you got no place to go’. The song gave me hope for change at a time my life felt helpless and out of control. Paul Kantner was a visionary. The last studio album Jefferson Starship, the group he founded, came out with was an album almost no one heard near the end of his career. It was full of protest and folk and other peoples’ material. It was unlike anything he ever put out. It was titled “Jefferson Tree Of Liberty”. He was a visionary to the very end.

Today I am having an afternoon tribute to Jefferson Airplane. They continue to excite me.  They were erudite.  Their harmonies, vocals and instrumentation were powerful.  They wrote great songs.  I had the privilege of seeing them in 1970.  I went down to the Shore to see them.  I knew I would be stranded overnight but I did not care.  I never forgot moving into the aisle when they played “Crown of Creation” and all I could do was sit there mouth open awed.  It is my favorite song of theirs.  It still speaks to me.  The song is timeless and is about your struggle to grow and love those around you.  Thank you, Paul Kantner.  I will continue to listen to this box set I have of them today.  My wife is not home so I can pump up the volume.  I never tire of them.  Their songs were about love, anger and the fight to remain true to yourself despite the forces which tear us apart.  I still identify with those struggles they portrayed so powerfully in music and song.