Ongoing History Daily: The story of Live’s “Lightning Crashes”

July 27, 2022July 27, 2022 Alan Cross 0 Comments

The biggest song in Live’s catalogue is “Lightning Crashes” from their 1994 album Throwing Copper. The inspiration was the death of a close high school friend named Barb Cooper.

She was killed by a drunk driver who was fleeing after robbing a bank. The whole song is something of an analogy because Barb donated her heart and several other organs for transplant. She’s envisioned as the “angel down the hall” with the “pale blue eyes” in the song. While the song tells of mothers giving birth, its inspiration is Barb giving life by donating part of herself so someone else could live.

The last I heard, the man who received Barb’s heart is still very much alive.

Yesterday’s Ongoing History Daily post involved a weird Weezer songwriting session.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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