Father John Misty Gives Us Another New Song With “Ballad of the Dying Man”

Father John Misty just keeps ‘em coming! After releasing the somber, thought-provoking “Two Wildly Different Perspectives” just two days ago, he’s given us the third single from his forthcoming album, Pure Comedy, in the form of “Ballad of the Dying Man.”

The song is more musically upbeat than both “Two Wildly Different Perspectives” and the album’s title track, and with its jaunty acoustic guitar and piano, it’s giving us some serious John Lennon vibes, even with its Bob Dylan-indebted title. The lyrics continue Misty’s examination of the human condition, this time coming as the titular dying man’s analysis of his life and life itself as he contemplates the end of his life. He calls out “homophobes, hipsters, and the one percent,” makes sure to check his newsfeed before his dying breath, and eventually realizes that “we leave as clueless as we came.” It’s a song that will make you think, but it’s also the most fun song we’ve heard from the album so far.

Pure Comedy, our most-anticipated album of the year, is out April 7 via Sub Pop. Listen to “Ballad of the Dying Man” below and check out our 2012 Daytrotter session with Father John Misty further down.