Every week, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 39-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
“Narrow” was one of several songs written during a coast-to-coast tour in the U.S. in 1989 that revealed an emotional landscape by referencing the physical world. Mud, rivers and snakes. “A man might think I’m singing while I braid my hair. I am not. I braid my hair while I sing.” Making the woman’s voice the priority. Not her hair. Her looks. I did this again later on with a painting, a self-portrait of what a seated woman sees when she looks down.
“Narrow” from Jarred Up (K, 1995) (download):
