I wake up a lot at night. I wouldn’t call it insomnia, because I do a pretty good job going back to sleep after an hour or so. During that hour I read and think. I used to watch TV, but that kept me awake longer. Last night around midnight I decided to listen to some relaxing music, and that sent me on a journey that’s lasted into this morning.

I’ve had Tame Impala in my head for a while. All I knew of them was a couple of songs heard on FM 94.9, the alt-rock station here in Socal. Lately they’ve been playing The Less I Know the Better, a great song to relax me while driving.

With an Internet device in my hand, I can’t help exploring. So in addition to listening to Tame Impala music, I decided to find out more about “the band”. It didn’t take long to learn that Tame Impala isn’t really a band, it’s just one guy, the immensely talented and cool Kevin Parker from Australia. From Wikipedia, “…Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project’s music.” Mind blown! I read Parker’s life story, listened to a few more tracks and then went back to sleep.

I woke at 530am with an odd idea in my head. Parker reminded me of John Lennon…maybe John Lennon reincarnated? A high-pitched though soothing voice, a pioneer in new music, a lyrical genius. Check, check and check. Same damn Jesus-style haircut, check. So I checked the date of Lennon’s death – Lennon died in 1980, and Parker was born in 1986. So what was Lennon’s soul doing those six years before re-entering this mortal plane as Parker? Probably figuring out how to make music without Paul, George and Ringo via electronics, then coming up with ideas for music and lyrics like New Person, Same Old Mistakes.

“New Person, Same Old Mistakes”

I can just hear them now
“How could you let us down?”
But they don’t know what I found
Or see it from this way around
Feeling it overtake
All that I used to hate
Wonder what if we trade
I tried but it’s way too late
All the signs I don’t read
Two sides of me can’t agree
When I breathe in too deep
Going with what I always longed for

Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I don’t care I’m in love
(Stop before it’s too late)
Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I finally know what is love
(You don’t have what it takes)
(Stop before it’s not too late)
(I know there’s too much at stake)
(Making the same mistakes)
And I still don’t know why it’s happening
(Stop while it’s not too late)
And I still don’t know

Finally taking flight
I know you don’t think it’s right
I know that you think it’s fake
Maybe fake’s what I like
Point is I have the right
I’m thinking in black and white
I’m thinking it’s worth the fight
Soon to be out of sight
Knowing it all this time
Going with what I always longed for

Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I don’t care I’m in love
(Stop before it’s too late)
Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I finally know what is love
(You don’t have what it takes)
(Stop before it’s not too late)

Parker’s body of work is much larger than the few songs I’ve heard on 94.9. I’m gonna have fun listening to it all. Tame Impala is suddenly right up there on my personal playlist along with Bilie Eilish, Khraungbin, Rush, and Jackson Browne.