The Devil And Daniel Johnston

Daniel Johnston
Album: 1990
Song: Don't Play Cards With Satan

Can you imagine what it's like to live with severe bipolar disorder?

It's estimated that upwards of 20% of Canadians will suffer from a mood disorder of one type or another at some point in their lives, and that 7% of Canadians will suffer from bipolar disorder in particular.  Bipolar takes many forms.  Type 1, by far the most common, is characterized by vast, debilitating mood swing cycles.  Type 2, which occurs in only 1 out of 20 bipolar cases, is far more serious, and often features delusions of grandeur, hallucinations, and worse.  The people that you might have read about, walking down the center of a busy highway claiming to be Jesus incarnate -- these are your Type 2 bipolar sufferers.  Daniel Johnston is Type 2 bipolar.

This preamble is meant to provide you with a way of engaging Johnston's music, which, as far as acquired tastes go, is right at the bitterest end.  Somewhere between black coffee and chewing on lime rinds.  But if you manage to get past the sheer child-like weirdness of his songs, there is something quite wonderful in his ability to connect emotionally with his subject and with the listener.

This has become a running theme, hasn't it?

I purchased one of Johnston's CDs a few years ago.  Listened to it once.  Put it away.  Didn't think much about it, at least musically.  Idiosyncratic but almost unlistenably amateurish.  Became re-invigorated by Johnston the man when I happened to watch the excellent documentary based on his life, The Devil And Daniel Johnston.  A fascinating tale.  On and off his meds, in and out of mental hospitals, slowly becoming something of a cult icon in the alternative musical world, and finally emerging relatively healthy on the other side.

There is something of the savant in Johnston, and what appeals to me most of all is this juxtaposition of childlike innocence with a nagging sense that he has tapped into something quite profound.

By the way, do me a favor and don't turn off the following video after the first minute. Take the time to listen to the entire song.