Judy (Ball of Light) [first draft]

Why did people stop putting plastic on their furniture? But more importantly, why did people start putting plastic on their furniture?

Chit-Chat Check-In #104 • Transcript

You could tell someone this was a very famous TV couple in the 50’s and they would absolutely believe you.

"Judy (Ball of Light)” is a song Wilco recorded for—and ultimately didn’t include on—Cousin. Below I’m sharing¹ the original demo.

The song is about a specific interaction Susie's father had with Susie's mother when she was living at our house, in hospice and dying of lung cancer.

Listen to the CCCI above for a conversation between me and Susie that tells the full story. It's a pretty intense one. But to me, that's one of the things that the Substack is for. A song should be able to live on its own. I think this one does and it would hopefully be pretty or meaningful even without some connection to the story for the listener. But that's one of the beautiful things about Starship Casual and our community—you can present a song, something that's personal, and take advantage of this format to create a deeper connection.

Anyway, I hope everybody's well. I hope this song finds you in a mood open to hearing it and it isn't too sad. And happy holidays to everybody. It's a lonely time of year for a lot of people. So check on your people, check on yourself, and thank you for listening.

OxO

Judy (Ball of Light) [first draft]