Open this link in another window, and let the song play while you read this post.
Some of the comments on the song are just sublime, such as “The sound of being a part of the twentieth century, or “Sounds like something from a parallel 1950’s that were superior to the real 50’s”. The song is called The Nightingale, sung by Julie Cruise, from the soundtrack of Twin Peaks.
On the weekend we started watching Twin Peaks again. Last night we finished season one, and am about to start on season two. This is perhaps the fourth time I’ll watch the series (30 episodes) in it’s entirety, and I can tell you it has lost none of it’s power, mystery and beauty.
Even though it was just a TV show, it hardly seems like one that originated in this world. Similar to the comment on youtube, Twin Peaks seems like a TV show from a parallel 20th century that was superior to the real 20th century.
The show originally came out half my life ago, and I watched it religiously. I can remember discussing every episode with friends, trying to predict what would ultimately be unpredictable. SMC and I bought the soundtrack, and listened to it over and over. We even bought and read Laura Palmer’s diary, looking for clues. A couple of years later I stayed up for over a day watching a marathon (on SBS, if I recall…) and then, shortly after arriving in America, KLS and I watched the series again (her first time) late, late at night.
What’s so good about it? Who can say? Either you’ve seen it and you love it, or you’ve seen it and you just couldn’t relate. I’m well and truly in the first camp, and this rewatching has awakened my love anew.
There have been very few series like this one, where you suspend disbelief utterly and just let the wonderful strangeness take you away as a viewer. For my money, Twin Peaks is perhaps the best example that has (will?) ever be made.