Lyrical Philosophy Top Ten: Don't Confront Me With My Failures (#8)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (62096)
United States
September 12, 2018 8:26am CST
Philosophical, words to live by, sage advice...whatever you wish to call it, I'm looking at ten lines from songs that I think hit the nail on the head. Yesterday I featured a band I don't like, and for today's words of wisdom (let it be...no, that's not in the countdown 
), I'm going back into the "like" column with one of my favorite singer/songwriters from the 70s.
#8: Don't Confront Me With My Failures. I Had Not Forgotten Them.
Back in the 70s Jackson Browne was one of the great, "introspective" singer/songwriters in the southern California scene. He had friends, ranging from the Eagles (he co-wrote "Take It Easy" with Glenn Frey) to Linda Ronstadt (who covered "Rock Me on the Water") to Warren Zevon (he produced Zevon's first two Asylum albums). And, oh, did he make great albums himself. Now, you might not believe that if you only know his biggest hit, "Somebody's Baby," which he admittedly said was "about nothing." It was featured in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and became Browne's best chart success.
Here's a 180 from that song: the beautiful "These Days," from his second album. The final line in the song is this philosophical lyric.
I love this line so much that I had it on an index card on my desk at work.
"Don't confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them" is advice to both the person being spoken to and the person doing the speaking. It's great advice, too: too many times people (myself included) are too quick to point out a past goof ("remember that time you misspelled millennium in third grade?"). Many people (myself included) don't need to be reminded of those goofs. Some were simple, others were life-changing.
My boss has a sign on his desk that says, "There are no mistakes, just lessons." No, there are mistakes. Some people have to live with the consequences of those mistakes daily, and they don't need a "friend" getting a penalty for piling on.
Don't Confront Me With My Failures. I Had Not Forgotten Them.
From "These Days"
Written by Jackson Browne
Recorded by Jackson Browne
From For Everyman, 1973
A beautiful acoustic version:
), I'm going back into the "like" column with one of my favorite singer/songwriters from the 70s.
#8: Don't Confront Me With My Failures. I Had Not Forgotten Them.
Back in the 70s Jackson Browne was one of the great, "introspective" singer/songwriters in the southern California scene. He had friends, ranging from the Eagles (he co-wrote "Take It Easy" with Glenn Frey) to Linda Ronstadt (who covered "Rock Me on the Water") to Warren Zevon (he produced Zevon's first two Asylum albums). And, oh, did he make great albums himself. Now, you might not believe that if you only know his biggest hit, "Somebody's Baby," which he admittedly said was "about nothing." It was featured in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and became Browne's best chart success.
Here's a 180 from that song: the beautiful "These Days," from his second album. The final line in the song is this philosophical lyric.
I love this line so much that I had it on an index card on my desk at work.
"Don't confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them" is advice to both the person being spoken to and the person doing the speaking. It's great advice, too: too many times people (myself included) are too quick to point out a past goof ("remember that time you misspelled millennium in third grade?"). Many people (myself included) don't need to be reminded of those goofs. Some were simple, others were life-changing.
My boss has a sign on his desk that says, "There are no mistakes, just lessons." No, there are mistakes. Some people have to live with the consequences of those mistakes daily, and they don't need a "friend" getting a penalty for piling on.
Don't Confront Me With My Failures. I Had Not Forgotten Them.
From "These Days"
Written by Jackson Browne
Recorded by Jackson Browne
From For Everyman, 1973
A beautiful acoustic version:
3 people like this
3 responses
@sweetashoney (3594)
• United States
12 Sep 18
I believe you can make a mistake in anything you try to do. That is all a part of learning.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Sep 18
Can't go wrong since Jackson is a local boy here.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34350)
•
12 Sep 18
Gregg Allman had some input on this song. He contributed an arrangement to the tune as well as covering it himself. Prophetic words for sure.
1 person likes this
