Observations placeholder
Orbison, Roy - The importance of faith
Identifier
025872
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
There are many indications that Orbison was a far deeper man spiritually than is commonly thought. His later songs about coming home, for example, written as he was dying from heart failure; his premonitions about the likely events concerning the death of his first wife and of his sons; and his recognition of the 'gift' of his voice; but here he very explicitly acknowledges the part faith played in his life.
A belief in the Great Work, a belief that everything has a purpose we may never know.
And a belief that his destiny was quite profound in the scheme of things....
And if you feel really singled out, I think you can make a lot of mistakes.
A description of the experience
Rolling Stone - Roy Orbison's Triumphs and Tragedies - By Steve Pond January 26, 1989
It must have been hard to even think about making records after the accident and the fire.
Yeah, that had a definite impact. I remember going on a worldwide tour after... after both things happened. Sort of as therapy, but also to keep doing what I had been doing. If you're trying to be true to yourself, and you would normally tour and write and function that way, if something traumatic happens to you, I've never seen the sense in dropping all that.
Because it's not necessarily a personal thing, you know?
It happens directly to you, but it's not directed at you, necessarily. In my case I went ahead and did what I normally did, insofar as I could, and then let love and time and things like that take care of everything.
I guess I'm talking about faith, probably.
And if you feel really singled out, I think you can make a lot of mistakes.
I don't know of anyone who hasn't lost someone. This was something I knew by faith — but until the faith is strong enough, it does affect your work.
That's a process that took a while.
You'd hardly have been human if at some point you hadn't thought, "Why me?" or "Why again?"
You have that feeling, but what I was trying to convey is the faith that you have that this has a meaning and is to a purpose. It may be a mystery to you at the time, and is. But if the faith is there, you ask yourself, "What is it all about?" But not every day, every minute.
I feel that that's what went on with me, you know?
It was a long, long time ago, but I'm trying to reach back and really give you what went on as opposed to what I would like to have had happen. It was a devastating blow, but not debilitating. I wasn't totally incapacitated by events. And I think that's stood me in good stead.
You don't come out unscathed, but you don't come out murdered, you know?