BROTHER DUMBO

Mark Everett, moody leader of The Eels and patron saint of the misfits and the fragile, is best known for a bunch of songs, among which "Beautiful freak".

The lyrics of this song are the ones which I have to go with when I try to capture (as I do time and time again) the essence of what I love so much about my friend the Moore disliker, who doesn't speak of Michael Moore anymore. What it is in him that dives into my heart through storms, rifts and differences, and makes me do my "significant other schtick", as he said on an occasion when he tried and failed to be cynical (as he does time and time again).

But as I was proceeding to copy/paste them and just post them without comment, I perceived that they fitted Michael Moore too. And most of my friends. And a lot of my heroes. And myself.

All those that society calls freaks, turns into freaks and who still manage to handle it beautifully, without being particularly proud of that, just because they are artists, irremediable artists, unable to exist without being different and yet unable to survive without doing it in style somehow.

You’re such a beautiful freak
I wish there were more just like you
You’re not like all of the others

And that is why I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak
That is why I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak

Some people think you have a problem
But that problem lies only with them
Just ’cause you are not like the others

But that is why I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak
Yeah that is why I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak

And though my right-wing friend is jealous of the elephants that he despises, though he can make friends with them and cleverly entertain or aggravate them, cause them to like or dislike him, laugh with him or at him according to his whims, needs or moods, he too belongs to the air, the clouds and the sky.

My friend the Moore husher has big, ridiculously big ears. He hears everything in such a ludicrous fashion that the only thing he can think of doing with what he hears is laugh at it in a dry, sarcastic way, with a lot of insanity and very few words. But everything he says is important.

My right-winged friend can do everything he wants with an audience, except make it understand the secrets he knows and the truths that are vital to him.

My friend knows that flying on the ground is wrong. He knows the story of the ugly duckling. But he’s in need of a feather. The dumb asses called him Dumbo and he saw “Dumb and Dumber”. My friend can’t help turn water into wine, but he doesn’t drink it.

And yet he always ends up dancing his fears away with infinite grace.

Too good for this world
But I hope you will stay
And I’ll be here to see that you don’t fade away

You’re such a beautiful freak
I bet you are flying inside
Dart down and then go for cover

Clogged with shields and chained to an unpleasant despair. But he has the grace.

And know that I
I love you
Beautiful freak,
You know that I
I love you
Beautiful freak, beautiful freak