Yesterday I heard a cheesy 80’s song on VH1 Classic that reminded me of a dear friend I once played in a band with who hated the cover of said song we’d done just as much as I did. Thinking that I hadn’t heard from him in a while, I picked up the phone to call him and see how he’s been. Just as I went to reach for my phone, I remembered that he was a victim of suicide around six months ago.

At that exact moment, the song on the television changed to “The Killing Moon” by Echo and the Bunnymen, a band whom this man particularly adored and advocated enough to make me a fan, also. (”Do It Clean” was my mantra for a while there while I was trying to stay sober.) The song - if you haven’t heard it - is one of melancholy hope that sounds strangely familiar even the first time you hear it.

The irony and coincidence was too surreal and intense for me to bear.