When Boston lead singer Bred Delp took his own life in March 2007, he did so well prepared: his entire apartment was covered with notes, with which the musician wanted to be as considerate as possible to influence the people who cared for his corpse 
Unnoticed: depression
From these notes, it also became clear that Delp had suffered from depression throughout his life—although no one ever realized it. And as it is, his bandmates must have been hit once. And above all, they made huge accusations: Shouldn’t you have noticed something? And couldn’t you have helped?
The answer is: no! Some depressed people are masters at hiding their depression from others. So that they are blown away when they find out about it. Especially if the illness only becomes apparent after a suicide.
Deliberately at the end of the set
Bred Delp’s bandmates probably came to the same conclusion that it doesn’t make sense to fool around with “would have” and “would have”. When the remaining Boston members gave a memorial concert for their bandmate in August of that year, they ended their set with “Don’t Look Back” of all things.
Sure – most bands put their biggest hits at the end of a set. But in this case it was probably also a kind of personal mourning. Because the song says:
“Do not look back. A new day dawns.
It’s been too long since I’ve felt this way.
I don’t mind where I’m taken to.
The street is calling. Today is the day!
I finally see the dawn breaking.
I see beyond the road I’m driving
It’s a bright horizon and I’m awake.
I see myself in a whole new way.
I can’t lose now because there’s no game to play.
I can say that there is no more time to criticize
I have seen what I could not see.
Everything in my life led me further.”
religious dimension
Under the impression of Bred Delp’s death, the song takes on almost pious traits: it’s about a new life, about twilight
to a new day on which one can see beyond the previously known personal horizon. And in doing so, you realize that everything you experienced had a purpose. Because every experience makes a person more mature, takes him further. But above all: Now there is nothing to lose. Because everything is there. All is well. This is how Christians would talk about life after death.
Turn around because your heart is in it
And another reference to the Christian-Jewish tradition: When God decides to destroy the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he wants to spare the pious Lot and his family. So he gives him the order to leave the area in good time with his clan. In no case should they turn around anymore. The end of the story is well known: Because Lot’s wife turns around anyway, she freezes into a pillar of salt. A story that on the one hand explains a geological phenomenon and on the other hand drastically clarifies: If you don’t really let go, if your heart is still interested in the past, you have no future. An experience that people made several thousand years ago and passed on through the story of Mrs. Lot. Incidentally, later generations made the saying out of it: If you want to reach the opposite bank, you first have to leave behind what you are standing on.
Past present Future
Back to “Don’t Look Back”: If you want to, you will find the admonition in this song: Be the person you could be today and who you want to be. Don’t let past successes or failures influence you. When you’re clinging to the past, you’re blind to the present and unable to envision your future. Boston with one of their biggest hits: “Don’t Look Back”.
The post broadcast on Classic Rock Radio is a condensed version of this text.