Back For The Funeral....
"how f-ked up is that / That somebody's gotta die for us to call each other back"
Song on Repeat:
“Back For The Funeral” - Donovan Woods
The Lyrics I Love:
Your hometown's just the first place you don't understand
Your family's just strangers you know like the back of your hand
The higher you think you're above it, the harder you fall
It's a penthouse view of a brick wall
I am back for the funeral
My Reflection:
This isn’t a new release as it came out last year, but I haven’t been able to stop listening to this heavy hitter so here we go!
Some songs sound like they were written in a room chasing a hit: built around a catchy hook or play on woods. Others feel like they were pulled straight from real life - a sad story that needed a beautiful cover for closure in a way. This one is definitely the latter.
What caught my attention from the start is that this song breaks a lot of the unsaid songwriting rules. There’s no polished chorus or predictable structure. There is just a single, repeated line: “I’m back for the funeral.” Everything else unfolds like a diary entry, each lyric sharing more about the story. While the song is centered on the theme of going home for a friend’s funeral (“When your shithead friend takes a month worth of pills”), it shares so much more.
To start, the song kicks off with the oddly specific lyric, “Katie got divorced, moved back in with her mom.” It hooks you in with its finite details but also somehow feels universal. We all know a Katie.
But, what really gets me is the balance between storytelling and the reflection. The lyrics copied above are a great example of that and Lori McKenna, one of the writers, does this effortlessly in many of her songs. She has a gift for sharing life’s truths in the smallest of lines. Sometimes they hit right in the gut. I have a playlist called “Song Bible” for tracks like these.
Aside for Lori McKenna, this song was written by two other of my favorite songwriters: Matt Nathanson and Donovan Woods (the artist). They are each from a different corner of North America - none based full-time in Nashville, but Massachusetts, Toronto, and California. If you’re a fan of their writing, you can tell that they all bring different details to the story.
It’s also important to note, this song wasn’t - and probably never would be - a “radio hit.” As all of these songwriters have artist careers of some sort, it’s hard to tell if the song was written for Matt Nathanson, Lori McKenna, or Donovan Woods. My guess is it was just a song that needed to be written.
The Song’s Songwriters:
Donovan Woods
Most Popular Cuts: “Portland, Maine” (Tim McGraw), “Chill” (James Barker Band), “I Ain’t Ever Loved No One” (Tenille Townes, Donovan Woods)
Underrated Gems: "Leaving Nashville” (Donovan Woods), “I Hope You Change Your Mind” (Donovan Woods), “Seeing Other People” (Donovan Woods)
Lori McKenna
Most Popular Cuts: “Always Remember Us This Way” (Lady Gaga), “Girl Crush” (Little Big Town), “Humble and Kind” (Tim McGraw) + close third because I’m a Swiftie “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor Swift)
Underrated Gems: “The People You Knew” (Jamie Floyd), “Playing House” (Delacey), “Before I Have a Daughter” (Bre Kennedy)
Matt Nathanson
Most Popular Cuts: “Come On Get Higher” (Matt Nathanson), “Laid” (Matt Nathanson), “Run” (Sugarland)
Underrated Gems: “Still” (Matt Nathanson), “Bulletproof Weeks”(Matt Nathanson), “I Saw” (Matt Nathanson)
Content that Caught My Eye:
While searching again for Matt Nathanson’s song that has the lyrics, “forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to,” which yes are the same lyrics used in Taylor Swift’s legendary “All Too Well,” I found this video of him sharing a funny tale of events behind the drama that unfolded way back when he put out a tweet accusing her of plagiarism.
Behind The Scenes From A Writer:
I’m no longer writing under my full name (or married last name). Instead, I’m using Grace Brennan (my first and middle name) for a few reasons, some personal, some practical.
Back in 2021-ish, I was diagnosed with OCD (not the “I like things organized” kind but the not fun intrusive thoughts kind). In dealing with how to manage that, I’ve learned any kind of virtual presence feels weirdly intense. Choosing to write under a slightly different name helps me feel a bit more grounded.
If you have OCD, you get it. If you don’t - lucky you!
The other reason is creative. I don’t know why, but not using the same name associated with my past selves allows me to feel more comfortable experimenting.
I have a personal essay coming out tomorrow on a larger platform (!!) that I’m really proud of and I don’t think I would’ve pitched it if I were using my full name. I’ll share it next week.
That said, I still use Greyce for Substack and Instagram. That version of my name was born in Paris (where “Grace” sounds like “grass” in French), and it stuck around. It lets me keep a more spontaneous side of writing too.
Extra Extra:
I have spoken about my literary agency and they are speaking about what new authors - like me - are going through right now. My agency is based in the US, and tariffs are impacting all aspects of the publishing world as most books are printed in China. It’s one of those things where I just have to stay patient and trust that things will eventually fall into place.