Do you think Nina Simone’s voice is an acquired taste? I think probably so. It certainly was or is for me. Same thing with John Coltrane, but there is nothing like “A Love Supreme” during a summer rain. And somehow this Good Friday is full of Nina Simone. The Dude blogged about “Strange Fruit” which Billie Holiday sang famously but which I first heard from Nina Simone. Something about her voice seems so tenuous and strong at the same time. Maybe she felt like she just had to sing, no matter how hard it was.
The song is not always easy to sing. That’s kind of the point of Good Friday right? Sooner or later we reach the breaking point. The end of the line. Despite all attempts to do everything right, it seems like everything goes wrong. No fun, and it is obvious why folks are usually ready to get on to Easter Sunday. Not so fast though. I think it’s a gift to be honest, to say that this deal sucks. “Sucks” is a theological term, by the way. It means “sucks.” Simple. Sometimes the most honest prayer I can come up with is “this shit sucks.” Because of Good Friday, I get to do that.