When I first heard “Song for Zula” playing over the speakers at a Jose Gonzalez show, I thought it was gorgeous. With the melodic cadence of Bette Midler’s “The Rose”, but much more atmospheric and expansive. But when I heard it again later, I had time to examine the lyrics and realized this wasn’t a typical love song. It’s a song written by someone who’s been burned. “Song for Zula”, in its quiet introspection, is one of the best ballads of the 21st century.

“You see the moon is bright in that treetop night. I see the shadows that we cast in the cold clean light.”