If you could ask Daniel Johnston one thing...

[lara]

what would it be?

I've got an interview coming up, provided all goes well and he's feeling it *fingers crossed*

(Ottawa show May 4th!)

[phorbesie]

i'd like to know if he's still making movies, cuz i loved the movies he made as a kid

[ollie]

I dunno but do you think it would be in bad taste if I wore a Metallica t-shirt to the show?

[allison]

I dunno but do you think it would be in bad taste if I wore a Metallica t-shirt to the show?

LOL!!

I have the weirdest mental image of you(Lara) and Daniel sitting on a park bench holding hands staring in different directions.

That might be quite the interview.I've read a few Johnston interviews and they can be a wild and wondrous thing-or really, really flat.

I don't really what I would ask.I would NOT ask about The Beatles, Captain America, being institutionalized or Metallica though-mostly because I dont want to read about it anymore!!

Maybe I'd ask what the funniest thing that happened to him lately was-a little light in the Daniel Johnston mythology of illness and brilliance.Thats probably kind of corny though.

Or whether people knowing the events of his life, being touched by the naked honesty of his music makes HIM feel more connected(based on their supposed understanding) to people OR more isolated?

Basically-I don't know how you come up with questions AT ALL!!!

Lonely Song

Well you heard about the time

I climbed the Empire State Building

And you heard about the time

I was in the insane asylum

But I bet you never knew

What I went through

And what I had to do

Just to bring you - a lonely song

Though I try to do what’s right

Every day and every night

And when I think I’ve won the fight

The monster comes back again

And I bet you never knew

What I went through

And what I had to do

Just to bring you - a lonely song

If you listen very hard

You can hear the desperation

Of a sad and broken heart

My heart

Well you heard about the times

But not all of it is true

And you’ve read the magazines

I’ve been wounded by folklore

But I bet you never knew

What I went through

And what I had to do

Just to bring you - a lonely song

Well I’ll tell you right now

Just to set the record straight

I never meant no harm

Or to generate so much hate

‘Cos I bet you never knew

What I went through

And what I had to do

Just to bring you - a lonely song

[lara]

Good points. It would be considered poor journalism though if I totally ignored those issues. While I'll touch on them I'm interested in looking at him in a new light, asking questions that demonstrate that we dont all know him as well as we think we do.

From my research I've found that even when interviewers did not ask about The Beatles, Captain America, Laurie etc... he tends to bring them up anyways. I think they're important to him.

I'll definitely ask if he's still making movies, and the funniest thing that ever happened to him might be nice...