Man of the World - Fleetwood Mac
And so we're left with the final images of Peter Green, an affable older man, no longer Christ-like, content it seems, but missing the spark of genius that lit up his earlier music with the original Fleetwood Mac line-up. And therein lies the tragic paradox of certain forms of genius, the Icarus syndrome, the risk undertaken by those who fly too close to the sun, and who return as fiery prophets to show us a glittering nugget of what they have seen. They carry the cost with them, somewhere deep in their seared hearts, and we, in the land of mere mortality, must be thankful that they had the courage to make that journey so that we can have a glimpse of what they saw.
So it's best to let him have the last word. In "Man of the World", it's all there: the soul baring lyrics and the exquisite guitar work, reaching towards heaven with delicate, soulful cadences, then pulling you back downward with heavy, earthy chords. RIP, at last, Peter Green.
" I could tell you about my life
and keep you amused I'm sure,
about all the times I've cried
and how I don't want to be sad anymore
and how I wish I was in love."