Daniel Johnston is very likely a name you do not know. His origins were in the great state of West Virginia - and started making lo-fi music there in his teens. He bounced in and out of institutions, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
That didn't stop his musical output.
Most of his musical catalogue was made up of homemade cassettes that he recorded on his organ in his home in New Cumberland, West Virginia. This song - from his 1983 cassette Hi, How Are You, is one of his best known songs, with many other artists covering the song. Written and produced by Johnston in its original form, it was inspired by a Blue Bell ice cream container.
This version is live, a couple of years before Johnston's death (of a heart attack) in 2019, performed with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Released as part of the Hi, How Are You project for mental health awareness, it's an absolutely beautiful performance.
His music brought him around the world - and his music just couldn't help but break out of his body. Here he is in Argentina in 2013.
It sounds different in its original 1983 version, which features his organ.
All of these versions are beautiful.
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