"That's Because It Was Used Up"

Musician Glen Hansard tells the story of lending his guitar to Magnolia Electric Company's Jason Molina when the two crossed paths in Ireland. Before using it, Molina duct-taped a little white cross onto the instrument; when Hansard asked him about it, the MEC songwriter replied that it was a protection spell. Hansard liked that idea, so he kept the cross on it.

Months later, in the Czech Republic, he accidentally left his guitar behind after a gig, and when he returned the next day, it was long gone. He was frantic to get it back, even offering a $5000 Euro reward on account of its sentimental value to him. Much to his surprise, a few weeks later the guitar mysteriously showed up back at the venue, and he got a call to pick it up. The guitar was still in-tune and in all ways just as he's last seen it, except that the little white cross was gone. When he called up Molina to tell him that everything had come back except the protection spell, Jason said, "Yeah, that's because it was used up."

Man, I just love that story!

Thanks to Tim, I can tell you that you can listen to that story as well a few select songs from Sojourner, here. Since one of the sample songs is "What Comes After The Blues?" you'd be just plain crazy not to!